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Nicodemus: The Long Way Around Faith

He came at night.

Not because he was wicked.
Not because he was hostile.
But because he was careful.

Nicodemus was a serious man—trained in Torah, disciplined in lifestyle, respected as a teacher of the law.  He knew the scriptures by heart. He had practiced faith through repetition and ritual. He had devoted his life to learning what God had said and guarding what God had given.

And yet, something in Jesus unsettled him.

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God…” —John 3:2

Notice the language: we know. Nicodemus spoke for a class of people—teachers, leaders, the spiritually accomplished. His faith was accurate, informed, orthodox. He admired Jesus. He even defended him later in John 7:50–51. And after the crucifixion, he helped care for Jesus’ body (John 19:39).

Nicodemus always seemed to be near Jesus, in proximity to him, whether in the city streets or in a secret room one-to-one, late at night. He always seemed to be near him, but never quite with him. Like many of us, he knew a great deal about him. He had good information and great curiosity, but he lacked trust in Jesus’ words and ways. Read More

CategoriesSeasonal, Spiritual Conversation by

Dayenu: A Spiritual Practice of Gratitude

 A devotional reflection on Isaiah 43

Sung or chanted each year around Jewish Passover tables, Dayenu (pronounced die-YAY-noo or DIE-yenu) carries a depth of spiritual wisdom many Christians might miss. It means simply: It would have been enough.

  • If God had only brought us out of Egypt, but not split the sea: Dayenu.
  • If God had only split the sea, but not let us through on dry ground: Dayenu.
  • If God had only let us through, but not sustained us in the wilderness: Dayenu.

This litany, sung with joy, rising rhythm, and often laughter, is more than a historical rehearsal. It is a spiritual declaration. We live not by entitlement, but by grace. And grace is Dayenu, always more than enough. Read More

CategoriesJesus' Way, Spiritual Conversation by

Prophet, peacemaker, or partisan?

Your emotional reaction to the title for today’s blog is already an indicator of your readiness for curiosity. It’s not a direct statement from Scripture, but I want to raise the question of the kingdom anticipated in the Bible for Jesus’ reign.

 

Isaiah 11:1ff puts us in mind of what God’s intentions were (and are): I ask you to read verses 1-9 to make sense of today’s blog.

 

Did you notice?  Jesus was “the shoot from the stump of Jesse.” If you’re an apprentice of Jesus, this is the mandate to which we bow: “His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.”  Not to be afraid of the Lord, but to honor, respect, follow, and obey the Lord. This oracle forecasts a new king coming out of the line of Jesse, not out of any political party, but from a long past of faithfulness to Yahweh. What is the nature of this new kingdom? Read More

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“It happened again.”

“It happened again,” were the words with which Richard started his story that day. 

 

He told me how he and his wife had a dinner date over the weekend with another couple from church—“All in all, a less than satisfying dinner conversation.” 

 

Richard elaborated on how he and his wife felt they had asked all the questions, showing interest in their friends, drawing them out, and learning more about the couple’s experiences and perspectives on various topics. Yet their curiosity was never reciprocated; no questions were asked of Richard or his wife, and very little interest in them was expressed by this other couple. 

 

“It all felt like a one-way street of interest,” Richard paused and then continued, “A disappointing but not unfamiliar experience.”

 

These sorts of conversations were sadly all too common, according to Richard. “This same experience is frequent enough,” Richard shared with me,  “that my wife and I have developed a shorthand descriptor for it. When we get back in the car after the meal or when one of us returns from a coffee conversation, either my wife or I say—It happened again.” 

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CategoriesSeasonal, Spiritual Conversation by

The Surprise of Advent

—Psalm 146, Revelation 1:1–8

The surprise of Advent is not that Messiah comes—but where He comes, and what He comes to do.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)

As a child, I imagined that Almighty One as enormous and untouchable—robed in fire, seated on a throne somewhere above the stars. Holy and distant. Fearsome and vast. But the psalmist paints a different portrait of the One for whom we wait. Read More

CategoriesEncouraging, Spiritual Conversation by

David: A Walking Contradiction

Though this reflection speaks directly to men, David’s story offers insight for all of us who wrestle with forgiveness, calling, failure, and grace. 

A Call to Men

David was called a man after God’s own heart. That wasn’t a title; it was a name whispered by God—a way of saying, ‘I know this man, flaws and all, and I still choose him.’ David’s identity was forged not in the noise of battle but in the quiet hours under the stars, where only sheep and sky kept him company. Out there, he came to know God as a companion, friend, and coach. He learned to trust that “my times are in your hands.” Read More

CategoriesSpiritual Conversation, The Art of Dialogue by

Reclaiming Vocation: A Conversation with Keith Anderson

Recently, I had the joy of sitting down with my friend, who is not only passionate about developing leaders, spiritual formation, and adult learning, but also one who offers “quality attention” to those who share his company, Keith Anderson, to talk about his newest book, On Holy Ground: Finding Your Story of Identity, Belonging, and Sacred Purpose.

Our conversations are a sacred space, a shared journey within the stunning story of Jesus—honest, hopeful, and full of wonder (and some good laughs). While discussing his latest book, Keith reminded me that vocation is not just about what we do, but about who we are becoming with God in the ordinary places of our lives.

You can watch our full conversation on VP3’s YouTube Channel. Read More

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ICU on a Friday Night

We entered the lobby of Swedish Hospital carrying both a wavering uncertainty and a sober clarity about what this day would hold. Like Solomon in Ecclesiastes, our hearts were divided: is it a time for life or a time for death? Faith in the face of death asks us to hold both.

 

We knew what was waiting in room 316 in the ICU.  Wendy’s sister, Terri, was about to be released from the chains of overwhelming pain. We knew that her life support would soon be removed. What we didn’t know was what the hours ahead would feel like—how heaven and earth might draw close in this sacred space.

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Categoriesindividuals, Spiritual Conversation by

Writing Your Story for Healing and Transformation

One of the privileges of my life was to help create what The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology calls “The Allender Center for Trauma and Abuse.”  Their work has shown again and again how writing your story for healing can bring clarity, insight, and transformation for those who carry pain or untold stories.

 

It is a ministry that highlights the work of my colleague and predecessor, Dan Allender, a seminal thinker and student of trauma and abuse, who served as president of the school.  The focus includes one of the most transformative processes for those who deal with trauma (probably all of us in some way or another) called The Story Workshop.  I invite you to visit The Allender Center online to see what they offer.

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Following, Wandering, or Sitting?

Have you ever felt a question sink into your soul, stirring something long buried? Questions that awaken us to the deep journey of following Jesus home.

Some questions whisper through our lives like the wind, while others crash like waves against the shore, reshaping everything in their wake: “Will you marry me?” or “Will you take this job?” Perhaps a question like mine, “Have you ever considered that you are being called to pastoral ministry?” The words came from a pastor, but they echoed something more profound—something my immigrant grandmother had first spoken of me when I was just a child: “This one will be the pastor.” I had chosen another path, a Ph.D. in history, but this question brought me back to a calling I thought I had silenced.

Henri Nouwen asks us a question just as piercing: 

“Are you following Jesus? Not in name alone, not in habit or tradition, but in the depths of your being. Are you a follower?” [1]

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