There's a passage in the Gospel of John that stops me every time I sit with it. Jesus says: "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." — John 14:13–14 On the surface, it sounds like Jesus is giving us a blank check. Ask for anything and we will receive it. Done. What I've noticed is how this has created an emphasis on signing off every prayer with "in Jesus name" as though it is a magic...

There's something I've been sitting with for a while now, and I imagine if you've spent any real time in church, you've likely noticed this as well. There is a heavy and persistent focus on the brokenness of the world and humanity. The church feels like it opens itself as a spiritual hospital to reflect on your moral shortcomings and rehabilitate your soul to be more like Jesus. And just to be clear, I'm not arguing that the brokenness isn't real and doesn't need to be addressed. The world...

There is a phrase I've heard in religious spaces that never sat right quite right in my heart. I'm sure you've heard it too: We don't deserve God's grace. We are not worthy of what God does for us. Or some variation of this. It is spoken with so much conviction and sincerity, and I don't doubt the heart behind it. But something in me has always wrestled with it because when I look around at the people saying it, people I love and respect, people of deep faith, I sometimes see them shrinking...