BLOG

As fires rage in Los Angeles, I've been praying disaster prayers with rare authenticity.

Jesus, the penniless Messiah, is our sustenance.

A review of my friend Chad Holley's stunning debut novel, Shield the Joyous.

National Public Radio (NPR) covered my Los Angeles Times article on beef and the Colorado River crisis.

Some fiction writers say you can't make art writing from an outline. I say, "let one hundred flowers bloom."

How did recently-retired coach of Liverpool Football Club, Jürgen Klopp, charm me for eight-and-a-half years?

After six months training, were we ready to hike the Grand Canyon Rim-to-rim trail in a day?

On average, Americans eat three half-pound hamburgers a week. If we ate one less, it could (almost) rescue the Colorado River.

Christ's resurrection determines the meaning of Easter. But what is the significance of that resurrection?

Is desiring to publish mere hubris? And why do I want to publish so badly?

The multitude of angels wasn't a choir. It was an army.

What are we (Advent) waiting for?

Sometimes it feels like a problem that my 22-year-old daughter with autism still lives at home. But was I really promised an empty nest?

Was the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki justified? Evan Thomas's new book THE ROAD TO SURRENDER did nothing to quench my doubts.

A eulogy for my twelve-year-old dog, Hazel.

A healthy work ethic requires a healthy rest ethic. But what exactly is rest, and what makes it good?

Wendell Berry's novel, Jayber Crow, gives clues about how to find your calling.

Five problematic New Testament passages tell slaves to obey masters but also contain surprising glimmers of justice.

Author interview at Lake Forest Church on Paul's letter to Philemon, slavery in the New Testament, and my novel, Neither Slave nor Free.

Bible readers rightly worry over Paul's view of slavery. However, the emancipatory passages in his writings complicate the story.