Reader, This series of Advent emails is admittedly countercultural. In a season that bustles with activity, we’ve invited you to sit in silence. In a season that glitters with flashing lights and bright colors, we’ve asked you to face your inner darkness. In a season filled with echoes of “Happy holidays!”, we’ve dared you to wonder, “What if Jesus doesn’t show up?” At times, it might feel like we’ve invited you to behave like the ascetics of old—devout men and women who pursued radical...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Reader, Last week, we invited you to reflect on your life and name the darkness you need Christ to break into. But what if he doesn’t? You probably weren’t expecting that question. As American Christians, we rarely encounter heavy thoughts like that. We’re willing to entertain doubt, but only as a theoretical possibility—one we can ponder from the safety of our favorite armchair. When we were kids, however, it was a different story. Childhood fears often feel all-consuming. Since they lack...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, Advent is not just a journey towards Christmas Day and the arrival of the Christ Child. For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s also a journey towards the shortest—and therefore darkest—day of the year. This growing darkness is palpable. It’s there when we wake in the morning. It accompanies us on our commutes, whether we’re going to work or returning home. It saps our strength. Our bodies feel the darkness, instinctively prompting us to turn in for the night when...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, It's not easy to live in a state of anticipation. Children feel this truth keenly. It’s hard for them to keep their hands off the presents under the tree. It’s even harder for them to be on a road trip, demonstrated by their repeated questioning: “Are we there yet?” As adults, we smile condescendingly at these behaviors. We no longer feel such pangs of anticipation. In our minds, we’ve matured and outgrown them. But that’s not true. Our lack of feeling in this area is not a sign of...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, Do you remember how much fun Christmas was when you were a kid? Sometime in November, Christmas lights appeared along the eaves of your neighbors’ homes. Your mom began playing the Christmas radio station when she took you to and from school. By the time December 1st rolled around, you could hardly contain yourself. Christmas was coming, with the promise of festivities and presents, and you had a whole month to bask in this season of cheer. Now here’s another question: when’s the last...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Reader, When N.T. Wright was working on Simply Jesus, his wife wanted to know why he was writing another book on Jesus. It was a reasonable question: he had already written a couple of lengthy books about Christ. "Has Jesus changed?" she asked him. His response was simple: “No. But I have.” Any kind of healthy growth happens in stages. Babies don’t come out of the womb walking, reading the news, and day trading. For a while, they just lie there, completely dependent on others for everything....
3 months ago • 3 min read
Reader, Christian psychologist Dan Allender believes something audacious: You have been so uniquely designed by God that there is something about him that only you can reveal to the rest of us. The first time I heard Allender say that, I couldn't help but scoff. Really? I thought. I can reveal something about who God is that no one else can see without me? That’s borderline ridiculous. But the more I sat with it, the more I saw Allender's point. In general, I think we can all agree that God's...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Reader, Spiritual work is always experiential: if you want to grow, you must be willing to try new things. This reality is often uncomfortable. We'd rather take an academic approach — pick up a new book, perhaps, or listen to a sermon from one of our favorite preachers. There's obviously nothing wrong with books or sermons, but if that's all we do to grow, we're going to be sorely disappointed. My mentor Jack often reminded me that "education does not result in transformation." It's useful,...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Reader, When I first developed the Living with Heart program, I didn't think of it as a potential tool for couples. Did I believe that people's marriages would be impacted if they went through this program? Absolutely, and the feedback has consistently proven that belief. I just considered it to be a program for individuals. In fact, this mindset was so strong that Plumline's policy initially prohibited couples from attending the same group. But over the years, people kept asking me if they...
4 months ago • 1 min read