I’ve been unemployed for nine days now. I decided to spend a couple of weeks establishing better life rhythms. This means I wake up early every morning, read the bible, pray, and exercise. During the day I go to counseling, shop for groceries, and get free massages from my wife. Then at night I read a … Continue reading Wilderness

When I was in college, I wanted to live a simple life with few belongings. I wanted to trust God for all my provision. I wanted to be a monk. And as a student, living with less was easy. I was on a meal plan, I lived in a dorm room, I didn’t need many … Continue reading The Vagabond Monk

When I was in college, my friend Jon and I used to roam around campus screaming, “He’s not safe!” I’m sure it was annoying. Our yelling was a reference to Jesus. We wanted to remind our fellow Bible College students that following Jesus doesn't guarantee safety and security, at least by worldly standards. So we’d … Continue reading “He’s Not Safe!”

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a … Continue reading Coming to Terms

Last month I joined a team of other Christians on a stateside outreach trip to Lynch, KY. During the trip, our team led an outdoor day-camp for local children and helped kids landscape their elementary school. Every night during the trip, we worshipped together and listened to local ministers share their stories. On Monday night, … Continue reading The Next Good Work

One of my favorite quotes comes from Antoine De Saint-Exupery: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” I love this quote because I’m a big picture kind of … Continue reading Building a Ship

Years ago, predominantly white neighborhoods started to become more ethnically and economically diverse. This scared residents and caused them to leave and build neighborhoods far from the center of their cities. The common title of this phenomenon is White Flight. It’s a real thing that happened all over the developed world. The greater tragedy is … Continue reading Darkness – Pt 2

Ben has been a regular at the ministry for five years. He suffers from several mental illnesses including paranoid schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder. He’s a delightful guy who often makes us laugh. Like the time he burped during a prayer and said, “Excuse me, Jesus.” A couple of weeks ago, Ben came into Midtown … Continue reading Darkness – Pt. 1