“I don’t pray,” my ten-year-old son said the other day at the dinner table, and my heart just about stopped. “What?” I said. “What do you mean? Why not? What happened?” My head filled with even more …
Teaching Kids to Talk (and Listen) to God
I once shocked a bunch of kids while giving a children's sermon. I told them it didn't matter if they bowed their heads or even folded their hands when they prayed. That they certainly …
Daily Tasks Are Real Life
My daughter is 15 months old. What that means for my house is that there is no safe place to keep the toilet brush. That as I put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, she is joyfully unloading them …
Two Gifts of Praying with Children
It's Good Friday today, and my church has a beautiful tradition of a prayer vigil that begins after the Maundy Thursday service and continues through the night until the Good Friday service at noon. …
In Praise of “Falling Back”
It's been a couple of weeks now since we set our clocks back. I've noticed that after that first initial rush of happiness about getting …
The Champion Grudge-Holder
As I was climbing back into my car after signing my son into dinosaur camp, a woman on foot called through my window, "Can you please let me through?" I wasn't even sure what she meant at first, …
Prayer & the Laundry
It was Martin Luther who said, “Work, work, from early until late. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” I always have the same reaction to this …
In Praise of the Uncool Church
Recently I helped out with my church's new member class. One of the best parts? Hearing their stories of just why they like our church and want to join. I just couldn't get enough of these …
The Prayer of a Sick Child
A few days before Christmas my grandfather passed away, and so my dad, my sister, my two boys and I drove from my parents' house in Illinois to Ohio for the funeral and visitation. To break up the 8- …
