Spirituality & Discipleship

This page is my storehouse for both my research about spirituality and discipleship AND the resources I’ve created to help leaders and seekers to grow spiritually.

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Missional Spiritual Formation leaders are called to cultivate growing disciples of Jesus who are equipped to discern God’s action in the world and empowered to participate in it.

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Spiritual Formation Posts

Why Don’t My Grandkids Go To Church?

There’s a question I hear again and again when I talk with faithful church members—especially among older generations: “Why don’t my children or grandchildren go to church anymore?” It’s not just a question about attendance. It’s a question about belonging, faith, and...

Pentecost and the Disruptive Power of the Spirit

How does the Holy Spirit work in the world today? This post explores the story of Pentecost and how the Holy Spirit tends to mess with our boundaries.

Find Hope Beyond Division

Feeling overwhelmed by today’s divisive climate and the pull towards political extremes? I spoke with artist-pastor Steve Thomason to dive deep into his insights connecting the good news of Jesus’ story to our modern “shadow of tyranny.”

We explore how Jesus navigated intense conflict, challenged power structures non-violently, and offered us a profound “third way” beyond the endless cycle of retaliation – a path centered on listening, humility, and radical love.

This conversation provides a desperately needed perspective for finding hope and acting constructively when everything feels polarized.

If you’re seeking practical, faith-grounded wisdom to navigate division without losing your soul or resorting to domination, watch this episode.

Images of the Cross | A Meditation for Good Friday

It is Good Friday. This is the day that Jesus was executed on a Roman cross. People have been trying to make sense out of this event since the moment it happened. Why did this popular teacher willingly walk into Jerusalem and allow himself to be arrested, mocked, beaten, and executed, unjustly, with no resistance?

It doesn’t make sense.

This morning I decided to meditate on the cross by browsing through my 300 Daily Devo Doodles collection to find all the images that were related to the crucifixion of Jesus. There were a lot.

I invite you to walk through these images and see what the Spirit of God might have to say to you and work in you as we continue the contemplation of this horrific and mysterious event.

Last Supper, First Lunch Church

We have a weekly practice at Luther Seminary called Lunch Church. Every Thursday we gather in the Dining Room at 11:00am to share good food, good conversation, scripture, and prayer. It is simple, and I love it.

It is ironic that on this Thursday we are not gathering for Lunch Church. It is Spring Break. I’m on vacation. Students are scattered to the wind. Most people are about to launch into the most intense four days of the Church calendar: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.

Loving God with Our Spirit | My New Course on Faith+Lead Academy

I'm excited to announce my newest course at Faith+Lead Academy. It is part of the Overflow series and focuses on the practices of prayer and worship. Here's the copy from the course page...Do you ever feel like your heart longs for more—more closeness, more...

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Journeying in the Wilderness by Terri Elton

The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr

Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster

Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard

Belonging by Karoline Lewis

The Corner of Fourth and Nondual by Cynthia Bourgeault

The Critical Journey by Janet O. Hagberg

Renew Your Life by Kai Nilsen

Invitation to a Journey by M. Robert Mullholland Jr.

Acts of Faith: Meditations For People of Color by Iyanla Vanzant

Earth Crammed with Heaven: A Spirituality of Everyday Life by Elizabeth Dreyer

Thirsty for God by Bradley Holt

Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices by Brian McLaren

We Make the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren

Cultivating Sent Communities edited by Dwight Zscheile

Power Surge by Michael Foss

I have two favorite metaphors to discuss spiritual formation.

The first is a journey. Jesus called to his first disciples, “Follow me!” and they traveled with him as he demonstrated what it looks like to live in fellowship with God.

The first disciples in John 1:38 asked Jesus, “Where do you dwell?”

Jesus replied, “Come and See,” so they followed him.

To be a disciple of Jesus is to move, to explore, to grow.

But what is the destination?

That leads me to my second favorite metaphor. The Vine and the Branches.

Jesus said in John 15:1-5, “I am the vine and you are the branches…remain/dwell in me and I will remain in you, and you will bear much fruit.”

The destination of this journey is not a physical time or place. The destination is the love of God.

God’s love is infinite, therefore we will never arrive. We simply keep growing.

We go and grow in two directions.

First, we grow deeper roots to be grounded in the love of God.

Second, we grow taller and wider branches to spread the fruit of God’s love wider.

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The local church is the ideal place to grow spiritually. However, it is often difficult to do so. One of my ongoing projects is to experiment with how to cultivate spaces for people to grow spiritually. This article gives some basic outlines for how to think about this.

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