Some Reflections Going into the newish year

“…and as your days, so shall you strength be.” Deuteronomy 33:25[1] Introduction We are in the middle of the third week of 2023, and I am sure that many of you, like me, are already feeling like you're crawling rather than running or even just walking. Some of us are still feeling the “holiday hangover” …

From the Hermitage: On Letter Writing

The lamplight drapes over the desk. The single blade shaves crescent spirals of wood and puts a point to the exposed graphite while also filling the dish with incense fodder and covering my hands in that silver powder. The legal pad looks like it would be camouflaged by the lamplight if it weren’t for those …

From the Hermitage: Not Shaming Prayer, Not Shirking Duty

Dear reader, I welcome you after a long hiatus caused by many joyous occasions: friends having children, family visits, the bustle of the end of the semester, my own graduation. It has been a joyous few week, for which I am thankful. But I write now with a blend of heavy emotions as this past …

What To Do When The Bad Gets Worse

2 Thessalonians 3:3-5 ESV But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.  And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. Introduction In …

The Healing of Confession

I recently had the privilege of preparing the corporate prayer of confession for my church at the request of my pastor. This was an opportunity for which I was greatly thankful, but it was a task that also came with great weight. I began to meditate on my own weekly sins and weaknesses that draw …

From the Hermitage: One More Cup of Coffee

From a very early age, I was acclimated to the amazing brown brewed gift known as coffee. This love of the drink began with my mother making a concoction known to many Southern children as coffee-milk. This light drink of 90% milk and 10% coffee was often the first moment of feeling grown for many …

From the hermitage: On a Bookish Life

In the recent bout of snowy days here in Kansas City, I found myself spending hours on end in my armchair wrapped in a blanket contemplating my bookshelves and the hundreds of friends I have made throughout my life only to be found in the books. I thought of a quote from Leigh Hunt thinking …

From the Hermitage: A New Column

Welcome back!  It surely has been a long hiatus between articles. And I have certainly missed the rhythm of sharing my reflections and thoughts with my gracious readers. One pattern I have also noticed, as a young seminarian and aspiring theologian is likely to do, I have been writing extensively on theological matters from a …

Grace Through The End

Since I have left home I have found both a great comfort and joy in talking to my family on Sunday afternoons. These phone calls are a space in which we recount our weeks, walk through hard topics, discuss the sermons of our churches, and fight the eternal battle of my apartment’s location with AT&T’s …

The Artist Who Needs No Inspiration: On Divine Aseity and Creativity

Introduction Theological discussion in which the attributes of God are thoroughly addressed has flooded the recent world of Christian thought. This discussion ought to be had by the church and the Christian academy until the end of time as the church continues to go deeper into the deep things of God. However, in discussion on …