Jesus at 2AM | A Humorous, Intelligent Introduction to the Bible, Theology, Church History & the Spiritual Life
Summary: An intelligent and humorous look at the life of faith. Topics include: understanding the Bible, church history, theology, spiritual practice...and how these elements of the Christian tradition form a rich, transformative whole. Kirk Winslow is Pastor of Canvas (a Fresh Expression of the Presbyterian Church USA), adjunct faculty at Fuller Theological Seminary, night owl, and an overall decent guy who believes love is the name of the game. He tries to be as honest in the podcast as he'd be hanging out over cappuccino at 2AM.
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- Artist: Kirk Winslow | Canvas | Irvine, CA
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Podcasts:
In this final set of sermons on the classical tradition of spiritual formation, we turn to our attention to creating an individualized set of practices that can guide us to maturity in Christ (known as “Rule” or a “rule of life”). This is what we will develop over the next 10 sermons. We begin with […]
Given the centrality of the psalms in Hebrew worship, it is strange that Jesus’s disciples would ask for instruction in prayer; and yet they do. What follows is famously known as “The Lord’s Prayer,” and while it’s familiarity makes it seem quite formal and placid, the contents would have been highly provocative to Jesus’s audience. […]
Does God respond to our prayers? For most of us the answer feels to be “no.” Or at least we feel no sense direct communication. We may see a change in circumstances that we attribute to God. Or we may have a sense of subtle direction. But a clear, direct response? That seems like it never comes. In […]
What do we do when all seems lost? What action remains when our energy has been exhausted, our resources drained and the danger comes from elements far beyond our control? What remains is to pray. To come before the source of all power and goodness and ask for help. Indeed the first demonstration of goodness is […]
Lust, greed, rage, fear, jealousy, scorn… What do we do when such passions surge (as they inevitably will)? For many people of faith striving to grow in love and compassion, the immediate temptation is suppression: force the thought from our mind and tighten the inner security to make sure they never come back. It’s an […]
Why do we stay on this crazy path of faith? At least some part of me is always asking. And while my theology is of some help (it’s broken world, God is making all things new, faith will be vindicated at the end of the age…yadda, yadda), I sometimes need a more immediate and personal answer. […]
Why do bad things happen to good people? And why do good things happen to bad people? And when such things occur, are they signs that I’ve been a fool to follow the virtuous path??? Temptation in the life of faith has to do with far more than just the momentary impulses to break the rules. […]
Anger is a core human emotion – a healthy response to injustice. But like all primal responses, anger can turn on us in an instant, and what begins as a proper defensive impulse transforms into the desire for retribution, even revenge. And when it does, we transition from victim to perpetrator-in-the-making – a position we cannot […]
What do we say when the beauty and goodness of life takes our breath away? We’ve all had the experience of such awe and wonder that we are reduced to stunned silence. We reach for our cameras to capture it our phones to record it. We may later turn to painting or sculpture or music […]
There is nothing harder for me to bring to God than guilt – real guilt. Not the shame of a minor offense or trivial wrong-doing. But the guilt of one who has transgressed very badly, who has clearly overstepped the bound of righteousness love. In those times when I know that I am guilty and possess no defense, […]
Often our most desperate hours are marked by a fundamental sense of disorientation. Beyond the direct emotions of fear, sorrow, even anger…is the larger feeling that world as we once knew it has been overturned. We no longer know which way is up or where to find a port in the storm. It is in these moments – perhaps more […]
Doubt is a part of every intimate relationship. No matter how confident we are in the love of another, there are times when we wonder if that love endures (if it was every really there at all). It happens in friendships, families, marriages…and in our relationship with God. We ought not be surprised by this or […]
We’ve all heard of the “foxhole prayer” – pleading with God in our most desperate hour. It’s an experience we’ve all had, and one that often comes with a tinge of guilt: Will God be angry that we turn to prayer only when we are overcome with fear? Take heart, then, to know that the […]
The great gift of the psalms is that they give us the words to pray from the depth of our soul, to give words to our experience. We pray them not because they are the “approved” prayers of the church, but because they help us articulate (and thus feel) what is most true about ourselves […]
Prayer is not a duty. It is not the means of gaining favor with God or demonstrating devotion. Rather, prayer is the means of making genuine contact with the Father who loves us. And the ultimate fruit of prayer is…happiness. (Note that the opening word of the Psalms is “Happy!”) In this continuing look at […]
