“The unexamined life is not worth living,” Socrates famously said near the end of his life. So in the midst of a different kind of trial than the one that philosopher endured, I’ve tried to pause from time to time and observe myself. Sometimes I’m okay with what I see: it turns out that I … More The With-God Life: The Waiting Soul
Hard to believe, but today marks exactly six months since The Pietist Option: Hope for the Renewal of Christianity, my book with Mark Pattie, officially came out. In that half-year, The Pietist Option has sold far more copies than the other books I’ve been part of, been reviewed by Christianity Today (very positively) and The Gospel Coalition (less so), been given … More What’s Next for The Pietist Option?
Thanks to Cheryll Fong, Joyce Denham, Pastor Matt Kennedy, and all my other wonderful hosts this past weekend at Minneapolis’ Bethlehem Covenant Church. We discussed the Pietist Option on Friday night and Saturday morning, then I preached this sermon on 2 Kings 2:1-15 at worship services on Sunday. Don’t let anyone tell you that God … More Set Down Your Mantle
I’m very happy to announce that Come Back to Jesus, our free Lenten devotional, is now available for download! This lower-resolution version (1 MB) should work well for tablets and smaller devices; if you’d like to print a hard copy, you can download a higher-res option (31 MB) from Scribd. My Pietist Option co-author Mark Pattie and I each contributed … More Come Back to Jesus: A Lenten Devotional by the Readers and Authors of The Pietist Option
I preached this sermon yesterday at Rice Creek Covenant Church in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. I was there partly to teach an adult class on The Pietist Option, but the text came from the congregation’s participation in our denomination’s Immerse Bible reading program. They’d just finished Exodus 1-24… I have to say, it’s risky to invite a non-preacher to … More God Will Speak… and We Will Die
I don’t understand how actual big shot author types survive authentic speaking tours. I’m only averaging one Pietist Option-related event per month from January through March, and even that’s enough to make me feel tired. But then, that’s partly because I’m not only teaching about Pietism, but giving sermons at three different churches. It’s been a … More Where You Can Hear Me Speak (and Preach!) This Winter
We don’t plan a massive speaking tour for The Pietist Option, but at least once a month this winter you’ll have several chances to hear one or both of us. We’ll start this Sunday morning in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, when Mark and I visit Excelsior Covenant Church. Mark will be preaching at both services (Contemporary, … More Hear Mark and Me Speak This Sunday
No more waiting: October 3rd is here and The Pietist Option: Hope for the Renewal of Christianity is available! I’m excited to hear what you all think of it. Please register your opinion at Amazon and other retailers: it only takes a few minutes, but writing a review gives us valuable feedback and helps the … More Why You Should Read The Pietist Option: My Co-Author
So look what showed up on my doorstep this morning! We’re still about four weeks away from The Pietist Option hitting bookstore shelves, but getting author’s copies from InterVarsity Press made it feel so much closer. Even more so than when I wrote this kind of post two years ago, it’s hugely gratifying to see and hold actual … More Acknowledgments from The Pietist Option
So I stumbled across this T-shirt on Amazon last month and quickly snatched it up: I’ve worn it in public a couple of times. At some level, I think I even convinced myself that it could provide subtle (subtle?!?) publicity: that people would see a word they didn’t recognize, Google it, and be led to … More The Pietist Option Is Not a Quick Fix
The Pietist Schoolman 