Coffeehouse Contemplative (Jeff Nelson)

Most of us have passions and interests that are vastly different from what people know us to do and to be. Have you ever thought about actually trying to pursue those things? What's holding you back?

George Harrison, Brainwashed

Old in Art School by Nell Irvin Painter

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Books, movies, TV, and music help us make meaning and find community with fellow fans. They also provide ways to talk about faith and spirituality that Bible verses and theology books might not. Having just attended Cleveland Fan Expo, this sort of thing is on my mind, and so I talk about it.

The Gospel According to the Simpsons by Mark I. Pinsky

My pop culture books:

Wonder and Whiskey: Insights on Faith from the Music of Dave Matthews Band

The Doctor and the Apostle: Intersections Between Doctor Who and the Letters of Paul

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Our thoughts are often scattered by the number of different responsibilities that we have to keep track of, that any one of them is always in danger of not receiving our best effort. Before taking on any helpful tips or tricks regarding how to focus, we first need to explore the issues underlying our lack of focus, which often stem from our sense of self.

Be Water, My Friend by Shannon Lee

Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams

The First Principle and Foundation by Ignatius of Loyola

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Sometimes the images we use for God make sense, but due to life's current circumstances, there might be others that make more sense to us. This week's episode will explore the fact that we have many more such images to work with than we may think.

Dishwalla, Counting Blue Cars

Sati by Christopher Pike

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We can give quite a bit of our mental and spiritual energy to worrying about things that won't happen for a while. Sometimes such worry is warranted, but often it could be redirected toward what's happening in the moment.

Matthew 6:25-34

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Ash Wednesday--and the season of Lent in general--is known to be a time of humility, repentance, and being honest with ourselves about our shortcomings, mistakes, and mortality. With all that's going on in our world every day, why would we want to pile more on? This episode will explore the lesser desirable themes of the upcoming season, while also exploring their positive qualities (no, really, there are some).

Joel 2:12-17

Psalm 51

Reinhold Niebuhr - Time Magazine

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

My family and I recently had the chance to take a ghost tour of the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. I wanted to share a little of our experience while it's still fresh in my mind, as well as talk about other potentially paranormal moments that I've had.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

The past few years have been marked by anxiety, for both national and personal reasons. So where do we find peace in the midst of this? How may we be able to calm and center our minds, hearts, and spirits not just to survive, but to truly live a life? What sorts of tangible actions could we take to tap into a vibe that sustains us?

NEW WEBSITE

Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday

Prayer in Motion: Connecting with God in Fidgety Times

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We may tend to frame our need for healing from trauma or loss in terms of "letting go" or even forgetting what happened, as if we won't truly experience wholeness again until this past event is erased from our heart and mind. But rather than erase it from our lives (which isn't really possible), we may instead acknowledge that it is part of us, and incorporate it into our new and emerging sense of self.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

It's been a long, low creative energy summer. But I'm ready to get this podcast back up and running with some new ideas and a slightly different approach. I hope that you didn't give up on me in the meantime, and that this episode popping up on whatever subscription feed you use is a welcome thing.

Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday

Episode 4: Practice Makes Proficient

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Once again, Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday will fall on the same day this year. It may not seem like these observances go together very well, but they actually do.

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

My Books

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Just an update on what's been happening in my life the past week.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

How do we best set up our brains for success, productivity, and engagement? This episode will explore the Ultradian Rhythm that guides our mental capacity to give our best effort.

No Self No Problem by Chris Niebauer

Keep Going by Austin Kleon

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Our minds have creative and amazing ways to help us make sense of the world, including how best to make decisions when faced with opportunities and problems. But as helpful as they can be, we may need more than our own cognitive devices to see what's truly happening.

NOTE: the podcast will be taking a break in June and will return in early July.

No Self No Problem by Chris Niebauer

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Letting go of something can feel liberating. But then we may enter a new season where we wonder what's next, and it may take a while to figure that out. What can we do during this bare season that will help us discover what we may be called to produce next?

Episode 15: Sometimes You Can't

Luke 13:6-9

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

A brief recap of my family's recent experience at Cleveland Fan Expo, and reflections on how and why we connect to stories in books, shows, movies, and comics.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

As we consider the habits and decisions that have brought us to where we are, that will especially include how this pandemic season has forced us to rethink and redirect parts of our lives. We’ve been presented with so many different changed circumstances that we can’t avoid taking into consideration that the question “what are you building” can’t be answered in the same way now.

Episode 18: What Are You Building?

Episode 19: Church Building

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Change is happening in our lives constantly, and often there's more than one occurring at a time. How do we deal with it all? What kinds of questions could we ask to do so?

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

The concept of "leaving the nest" works just fine for birds, but it gets more complicated when we apply it to humans. This week's episode re-examines this long-used metaphor.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

If you were asked, "What's one thing you wish you were better at," you may actually be able to name more than one thing. We all have activities we wish we could do better, or habits we wish we could develop or break. We may recognize that the key to all of this is more practice -- "practice makes perfect," as the saying goes. But the pursuit of perfection may sabotage us before we even begin. Fortunately, there are other ways to think about practice that are more reasonable and achievable.

Austin Kleon, 31-day Practice and Suck Less Challenge

James Clear, Atomic Habits

One Word 2021: Practice

Prayer in Motion: Connecting with God in Fidgety Times

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

The inaugural episode of my new podcast.

Many across the spectrum of religious experience and belief carry with them a question: “Where is God beyond what I know? Where is God beyond the walls of my place of worship? Where is God beyond the pages of my sacred texts and songs?"

There is no one answer to that.

I figured that the best way to begin would be to tell a little of my own story, and why I'm passionate about finding the spiritual in everything.

My books:

• The Doctor and the Apostle: Intersections Between Doctor Who and the Letters of Paul
• Prayer in Motion: Connecting with God in Fidgety Times
• Wonder and Whiskey: Insights on Faith from the Music of Dave Matthews Band
• Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

This week's episode is the sermon I preached at Dover Congregational UCC in Westlake, Ohio on March 12, 2023 for the Third Sunday in Lent.

Exodus 17:1-7

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We have an internal voice that constantly tells us what we should be doing to make ourselves more worthy of love or acceptance. This voice may come from our family of origin, religious upbringing, or workplace environment, but it presses down upon us and stifles our joy and sense of meaning. What if we viewed the world in another way?

NEW BOOK: No Perfect Time: Brief Essays on Life and Faith

Prayer in Motion: Connecting with God in Fidgety Times

Luke 10:38-42

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

This week's episode was almost a bad idea, but then I realized that and changed it. How do we spot a bad creative idea, and what makes it bad? I explore that while sharing a few bad ideas I've had over the years.

PRE-ORDER MY NEW ADVENT EBOOK: Four Weeks: Reflections for Advent

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Hitting our physical nerve points can hurt. Hitting our emotional and spiritual nerve points can hurt even more. This week's episode will explore how to identify what and where those nerve points are for ourselves.

"Reflections" by Wild Wonder

The story of the Spirit descending on the disciples in Acts 2 is one of chaos, disorder, and defying expectations. And yet not many of us may appreciate when the Spirit shows up in our lives in a similar way.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

For some, coffee is essential to waking up. For others, it's a common cause and catalyst for socialization. It can aid in our ability to reflect and observe. This episode and the ones that will follow will be a series of meditations less about coffee itself and more about the larger experiences that it helps us enjoy.

How to Be Idle by Tom Hodgkinson

Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile

Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday

Prayer in Motion: Connecting with God in Fidgety Times

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

This episode will be released on Easter Sunday, so I'm sharing one of my own experiences that is foundational to why I consider myself an "Easter Christian."

Luke 24:13-35 (NIV)

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

What keeps us from trying something new? It could be a variety of factors, some rational and others less so. But how do we know whether it will be good for us until we actually venture out and do it?

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Now that most churches are gathering for worship in person again, the old tired arguments about which form of worship is best are being trotted back out. This week's episode is basically a rant about that kind of thinking, with an encouragement to be more open to what others find meaningful.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

All I want to do this week is tell you the story of my recent speeding ticket. 

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Just catching up after my month off: vacation, upcoming books, and big life questions.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We may have a certain notion or preference about how life should play out, but it doesn't often match up with what actually happens. From ordering an unfamiliar dish at a restaurant to our biggest life moments, how do we reconcile the ideal vs. reality?

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We encounter moments for which we prepare carefully and with attention to as many details as we can. But then something might happen that demands our adaptation, testing our ability to change our approach in order to respond. If we try to stick strictly to the script, we may miss out on an opportunity for growth. But if we allow for this "eruption of the real" to happen, we may experience life more fully.

"How playwright Tetsuro Shigematsu has transformed my homiletics classes" by John Byassee

Nick Hurwitch

Wonder and Whiskey: Insights on Faith from the Music of Dave Matthews Band

Mark 7:24-29

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Certain industries warn of "pinch points" that may be present as workers perform tasks or operate tools or machines. There's a such thing as mental, emotional, and spiritual pinch points as well. This episode explores what those could be, as well as ways to watch for them.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

What do you do when some part of your life just...stops? It was a part of your meaning-making and helped form part of your identity, and now it's just not there any more? What are our options when we suddenly have to start over?

30 Days of Writing

My Month of Writing, Derailed

My books

My monthly newsletter

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We may struggle with an internal voice that constantly reminds us of our mistakes, flaws, and imperfections. It can have a negative effect on how we think others see us, as well as our self-perception. What's the key to quieting this voice?

NOTE: The podcast will be taking a break in December and return in 2024.

Four Weeks: Reflections for Advent

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

The season of Advent is the precursor to Christmas, but it serves an important purpose in its own right. This episode will explore why Advent is necessary for Christians' preparation for the new birth to come.

NEW ADVENT EBOOK: Four Weeks: Reflections for Advent

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

My uncle, David Lawrence, passed away this week. This episode celebrates his love of music and family.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Sometimes we do everything as best we can when discerning a new venture, but once we begin we may still discover that it wasn't the right fit after all. What could cause this, and how might we react after?

Episode 55: Notes on Discernment

Episode 48: This, Too, Is a Lesson

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

When the initial novelty and excitement of a new experience fades, what do we do? We have several options, one of which is adaptation.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Where did the popular concept of hell as a place of eternal torment come from, and how can we reconcile it with the idea of a God who loves humanity unconditionally? This week begins an exploration of the concept, including a brief treatment of the primary places in scripture on which the idea is based.

Love Wins by Rob Bell

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

All the COVID-related lockdowns and cancellations began during Lent 2020, leading someone to create a meme that read, "This is the Lentiest Lent I've ever Lented." This year, we are still faced with going without many of the same things, and questions of where hope and new life may be found are still with us.

With all that we've been through and all that we've learned, how might this Lent be a source of renewal rather than added despair?

Related blog post: Five Reminders for a Meaningful Lent

Benediction: Blessing the Dust by Jan Richardson

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Find more about my writing at coffeehousecontemplative.com

Have you ever walked into your workplace or some other place to which you've been dedicated, and realized you no longer have the energy to be there? Can you name something that you used to approach with energy and passion, that you now regard with cynicism, apathy, or despair? This feeling is called burnout, and we need to talk about it.

Just Do Today

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

It's been a week of cancelled school (and work) days thanks to snow and cold. This episode explores the happiness that snow days bring, and of finding joy in simple things.

Four Weeks: Reflections for Advent

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

My sermon at West Park UCC in Cleveland on Sunday, August 18, 2024.

1 Kings 2:10-2, 3:3-14

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We may have many different reasons for not setting a good boundary when we should. A certain amount of them are rooted in satisfying our own ego at the expense of our own health and relationships.

Prayer in Motion: Connecting with God in Fidgety Times

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

After experiencing a failure or mistake, it can be very easy for us to dwell on it to the point where we expect nothing but negative things to happen going forward. That mindset can then affect future attempts for the worse.

The BLACK PIT of NEGATIVE EXPECTATIONS by Brian Cook

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

There are many signs and symbols that we need to watch for in order to discern our call. But after we begin pursuing it, there come times when we may need to recalibrate, and decide between recommitting ourselves or taking a different path. In that sense, calls can be cyclical, and recognizing where we are in the cycle can help us choose what to do.

Anatomy of a Call

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Many people have a tendency to see illness in terms of failure, laziness, and weakness. This view places an extra burden on the sick and disabled, which are among the last things that they need. Rather than guilt and shame, those who suffer from illness need healing and support, as well as a re-framing of the meaning of illness in general.

Episode 31: The Eject Button

John 9:1-41

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We may sometimes become tempted to compare our experiences with someone else's. That can be problematic for us in a number of ways, chief of which is that it keeps us from recognizing the unique circumstances of our own lives.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We tend to associate the season of winter with scarcity, barrenness, and despair, where signs of life are more difficult to come by. It's also a season where we are left with all that we are facing, with less to shield ourselves from dealing with it. But even bare seasons can carry hope and redemption and the promise of new life, even if those things are harder to see.

Whole 'nother Story - February by Kevin Killeen

Episode 31: The Eject Button

I'm not languishing, I'm dormant by Austin Kleon

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Some practices that help reduce anxiety may involve breathing exercises or talking things out with others. But just as effective might be actions that involve taking it out - not on people, but on inanimate objects such as hitting a bag, stomping balloons, or going for a walk or run. Sometimes we need something much more active as a form of release to bring us back to ourselves.

Episode 27: Just Vibes

Prayer in Motion: Connecting with God in Fidgety Times

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

One Word 2022: Flow

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

The Christmas season can bring a lot of positive feelings such as comfort, peace, sentimentality, and belonging. But the theological implications of this time is also meant to bring discomfort, challenge, and a call to action.

Matthew 2:13-23

Four Weeks: Reflections for Advent

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

I had a few different things on my mind this week, and rather than flesh any of them out into a full length episode, I decided to just talk about all of them. So here I talk about 1) the important messages our body sends us, 2) more thoughts on being a geek, and 3) Mother's Day.

Episode 44: The Geeks Have Inherited the Earth

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

When is an ending really an ending? What does it look like to measure our lives less by calendars and clocks and more by seasons? Changing our perception of the ebbs and flows of our lives may help us identify signs of change, both past and present.

Episode 52: Enjoy the Day

Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

Managing Transitions by William Bridges and Susan Bridges

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

According to the liturgical calendar, we are still in the Easter season. Does it still feel like Easter, though? Reminders are much more difficult to come by than they were in March and early April. So what kinds of reminders do we need, and where can we find them now?

John 14:15-21

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

My sermon at Community Christian Church in North Canton, Ohio on August 25, 2024.

John 6:56-69

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

My new ebook, Four Weeks: Reflections for Advent, released on November 1st. This week's episode includes a celebration of that release, an overview of how it came about, and a couple readings from it.

Four Weeks: Reflections for Advent

No Perfect Time: Brief Essays on Life and Faith

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

My sermon at Community Christian Church in North Canton on Sunday, May 12th, 2024.

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Pursuing your creative passion involves a certain amount of awkwardness, since you'll need time to develop yourself as a creator. But then when it comes time for the question of whether to share your creation with the world, that brings a new set of fears: of being laughed at, or rejected, or ignored. It can take a lot of courage to share your passion with others, but the possibility of finding your audience outweighs the risk of looking foolish.

Dare to Be Stupid by "Weird Al" Yankovic

Matthew 5:14-16

"Those Impious Galileans" by Jonathan D. Blundell

MY NEW BOOK: No Perfect Time: Brief Essays on Life and Faith

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Answering the question, "What's saving your life right now?" for myself. How would you answer?

Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

The sermon that I preached at Christ UCC in Orrville, Ohio on Sunday, November 5th, 2023.

Joshua 3:7-17

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We can put an incredible amount of pressure on ourselves to get everything in our lives absolutely perfect, and we may even tie this need to our own sense of self-worth. A little-known extra-Biblical document gives us some practical wisdom for how to address that.

The Didache

Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We may not always realize it, but everything we go through has the potential to teach us something. It may not be the first thing on our mind when it happens, but eventually we can look back and identify what we learned from both the most joyous and tragic moments in our lives.

Episode 46: Further Thoughts on Healing

Acts 2

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Having a big dream for a new beginning or a changed lifestyle sounds great in our heads, but beginning to pursue them is something else entirely. The reality of what we need to do to make the change we seek is often jarring and discouraging. Carving out smaller steps and habits is the way to get past these times of frustration or hesitation.

ALL MY BOOKS

Amie McNee website

Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic by Reinhold Neibuhr

"Sunrise swims to cope with winter," Chicago Tribune

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Around the same time that many people like to begin singing Christmas carols, Thanksgiving hymns may be chosen for worship in many churches but might not receive the same attention. This episode is my own attempt to give them the appreciation that they deserve.

NEW ADVENT BOOK: Four Weeks: Reflections for Advent

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

My sermon at Chapel Hill Community in Canal Fulton, Ohio on August 11, 2024.

1 Kings 19:4-8

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Jennifer Knapp's music has been an enduring presence in my life and faith journey. My recent experience seeing her live confirmed that for me.

Jennifer Knapp's website

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Many still make resolutions for New Year's, with mixed results at best. But there are alternatives to this method that can be effective in helping people make desired changes to their lives. One such method is choosing a single word by which to live throughout the year. 

One Word 365

One Word 2023: Heal

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Many events in our lives or in the world happen because they’ve been building for a while, set in motion days, weeks, years ago by a series of decisions and factors. We may or may not know it at the time, but they helped contribute to where things are today. Are we able to analyze how certain things in our lives built to where they did? Can we pause to look behind and see what we’ve been building now?

Matthew 7:24-27

Episode 4: Practice Makes Proficient

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

The sermon I preached on Sunday, April 7th at Church of the Redeemer UCC in Westlake, Ohio.

John 20:19-31

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We are now in the season of Advent, a time of 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas. It's a time of preparation for the celebration of birth, and to reflect on our need for God to do a new thing in the world. So in this final episode for 2021, I want to give a reflection meant to be a help you the listener in your own preparation leading up to this special time.

Luke 2:1-20

John 1:1-14

My blog

My newsletter

My books

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

One's mental health journey likely will feature many curves, bumps, stops, and starts. But embarking toward healing and wellness at all is what's important.

Episode 43: Journaling 101

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Missing a single instance of our routine can put us into a negative space of guilt, questioning our dedication, comparison to others, and a host of other things. This episode will examine that negative space, as well as how to get out of it.

Episode 111: Their Story Is Not Your Story

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Christians know Palm Sunday best as the beginning of Holy Week, during which they are invited to reflect on one of the stories from the Gospels of Jesus' ride into Jerusalem a few days before his crucifixion. It tends to be a celebratory day, as well as a lead-in for what comes later in the week. But the story's implications carry so much more than what we may tend to see.

Mark 11:1-11

Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday

Prayer in Motion: Connecting with God in Fidgety Times

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

My sermon for World Communion Sunday at First Congregational Church of Akron on October 1, 2023.

Philippians 2:1-13

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

My sermon at Bethany UCC in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on July 23, 2023.

Genesis 28:10-19a

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

A sermon for the First Sunday in Lent, based on Mark 1:9-15.

Mark 1:9-15

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We each have days that are personally meaningful to us. There are the more obvious ones like birthdays, relationship anniversaries, and holidays, but we each may also have days that we ourselves acknowledge and remember but that most others have no idea about unless we tell them. And yet marking those days is as important to us as the others, and maybe even moreso.

Episode 36: No Perfect Time

No Perfect Time: Brief Essays on Life and Faith

Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday

Luke 9:28-36

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

The sermon I preached on Sunday, July 16th at Bethany UCC in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

After publishing last week's episode on a theology of Star Wars, I started thinking that I wanted to continue focusing on the subject. There is so much possibility in just how the Jedi and Sith each approach the Force, that I wanted to explore it more. In particular, the Jedi tend to discourage focus on one's emotions, which ends up having devastating consequences. What can we learn from the mistakes of the Jedi to better incorporate emotion into our spiritual experience?

A Theology of Star Wars

My books on spirituality and popular culture:

Wonder and Whiskey: Insights on Faith and the Music of Dave Matthews Band

The Doctor and the Apostle: Intersections Between Doctor Who and the Letters of Paul

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

If the concept of hell in the Bible isn’t as clear cut as many Christians believe, what do we do with it? Can we, or should we, retain the idea of hell at all? Most importantly, does hell mesh logically with the idea of an all-loving God who shares God’s grace unconditionally? Given how damaging the idea of hell has been for so many Christians and non-Christians, it’s worth spending more time with to consider how worthwhile it really is.

Romans 5:12-19

The Divine Comedy

Episode 6: Palm Sunday

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Have you ever spoken to or sought guidance from a loved one or mentor who is no longer living? If you've never done so, it's not that strange of an idea. Biblical and spiritual writers offer some ideas on how to do this, but it's really as simple as imagining their presence and talking.

Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday (my first book)

Hebrews 11-12:3

All the Ways Our Dead Still Speak by Caleb Wilde

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We may recognize when we're in need of healing. But there are a lot of voices within and outside us that will work against us actually taking time to do it. Where'd those voices come from, and how can we discern which are truly worth listening to?

Episode 45: A Hodgepodge

Nerdette podcast, Aim for just okay

Amil Niazi, "How the pandemic Made Me Lose My Ambition"

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

The spring time change has not been treating me well the past few years. Maybe it's the same for you. I have some ideas of how to ease this exhausting and annoying transition.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

After admitting you can no longer do something and entering the bare season after, you may begin to get anxious about how long that season is taking. Maybe the answer involves a slow discovery or comes as a sudden epiphany. Either way, there are certain ways in which we may take active and intentional steps to figure it out.

Episode 15: Sometimes You Can't

Episode 16: A Bare Season

Brian Cook, The Story 2021: As You Can See, I Can't Pay You

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Recounting my experience at Akron Pride at the end of August.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Many people of faith may have a strange relationship with Easter. It may be due to the past few Easters being so different due to the pandemic, or to the strange claims we make on this day, or to our pulling away from the faith community we’ve been a part of. 

Luke 24:13-35

No Perfect Time: Brief Essays on Life and Faith

Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday 

Music: “Reflections“ by Wild Wonder 

Sometimes we ask, "How did this happen?" or "How did things get to this point?" To help find the answer, we should look back on what happened the days, weeks, or months before. And what could we do today to end up with a better tomorrow?

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Do we have a problem with Lent? Maybe, maybe not. But there are ways in which Lent can be problematic. This episode explores those ways, as well as offers some guidelines for choosing a Lenten practice.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Even the most constructive forms of feedback can feel awful to hear. But remembering some things about ourselves and the person sharing it with us can help us receive it better.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

In honor of the upcoming release of my new Advent ebook, Four Weeks: Reflections for Advent, I thought I'd take the time to talk a bit more about the books I've already published. This week I focus on the two books I've written that connect faith with pop culture, as well as my previous ebook.

Episode 61: All My Books, Part 1

Wonder and Whiskey: Insights on Faith from the Music of Dave Matthews Band

The Doctor and the Apostle: Intersections Between Doctor Who and the Letters of Paul

No Perfect Time: Brief Essays on Life and Faith

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

There are certain people, places, experiences, or seasons with which we may have negative associations. And when the circumstances are right, those negative associations can revisit our bodies, minds, and spirits all over again. For some reason, I try to avoid calling this phenomenon "trauma," but that's what it is.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Not every environment is meant for us if we want to thrive, do our best work, and be our best selves. This episode will explore some of the ways to name why some spaces might feel "off" for us.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

How are your New Year's resolutions holding up? If they're not doing so well, it might be better to view them in terms of the daily process rather than the end result.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

What comes to mind when you think of the word "calling?" Do you believe that you have found yours, or are you still searching? What goes into seeking a call, anyway? The answers to these questions may not be straightforward, but there are certain signs and elements that we can watch for.

Hearing God's Call by Ben Campbell Johnson

Coffeehouse Contemplative: Spiritual Direction for the Everyday

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

Sometimes words are just words. But when we have stories, experiences, or personal connections to them, they become so much more. This includes the words and practices of Holy Week.

NEW BOOK: No Perfect Time: Brief Essays on Life and Faith

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

We may be used to thinking of divine signs in a particular way: God manipulating the world around us just so we can interpret it. That may not be how signs actually work, but we still might experience them.

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder

My sermon at Community Christian Church in North Canton, Ohio on July 28, 2024.

John 6:1-21

Music: "Reflections" by Wild Wonder