God of Light and Life,
As we prepare our hearts this Advent,
at the end of a trying year…
My high school art teacher, Dave Pawl, was very instrumental in my initial skill development and shaping how I was thinking about the role of art in the world, giving me the courage to be experimental as well as look to art history. In college one particular professor…
Read MoreSix months into my seminary internship year, if you could’ve seen my thought bubble it would read, “I think I’ve said everything that I can think of saying.” I started to worry about where I would find material for decades of preaching. I’m not worried anymore. If I was…
Read MoreIn this episode, Blake sits down with storyteller, Andrew Strother. They discuss his time as a sports photographer, podcaster, and his love for Dungeons and Dragons…
Read MoreWords & Music by Paul Elliott & Kip Fox
Read MoreOh, come, ye unfaithful
Broken and polluted!
Oh, come ye, oh, come ye…
I feel like I was always drawn to music, but my first desire to take piano lessons was when I first heard the pianist at this church we started attending when I was about 7. I knew enough about music to realize she was playing much more than what was notated in the hymnal and I wanted to know, learn and understand…
Read MoreBaby Christian was followed closely by Baby Annika who was followed more closely by Baby Samuel. When we found out that Baby Peter was following even closer, the Call from Trinity seemed like a Godsend for a very down-to-earth reason: we would be geographically closer to family.
Read MoreIn this episode, Blake sits down with writer, Jared C. Wilson. They discuss the influence of his elementary school teachers as he evolved into a writer, working with an agent, and the importance of getting the words onto the page.
Read MoreRejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. We sing in full voice, though it be in a minor key. We sing rejoice. Lord Jesus, quickly come. Amen.
Read MoreMusic is something I have always been interested in, and for some reason, I am drawn to its creation and not just its performance. I grew up in a musically inclined family (especially my mother who plays piano, and uncle Chris who played the guitar) and I distinctly remember as a child…
Read MoreFor some reason, I was under the impression that it was a promotion to minister to adults. Youth and family ministry was an entry-level position. Gain some experience and someday you could become a real pastor. How misguided…
Read MoreIn this episode, Blake sits down with battle rapper, Loso. They discuss his creative process, how he went from classroom teacher to international recording artist, and the importance of surrounding yourself with honest people.
Read MoreMusic and adaptation by Matt Preston
Words Aurelius Clemens Prudentius
tr. Henry Williams Baker & John Mason Neale
Advent conceives a hope in the heart:
Creation reborn, a brand new start.
Eden becomes the trough of the beast…
I've always liked the idea of documenting things around me. When I was in middle school, I almost always had a disposable camera on me that I would carry around. I moved when I was in middle school from Wisconsin to Florida…
Read MoreSomething is wrong when more people expect to find grace at Cheers Bar in Boston than at First Church on Main Street. Cheers is where everyone knows your name. First Church has a reputation for being where everyone judges your failures…
Read MoreIn this episode, Blake sits down with painter, Mako Fujimura. They discuss his process of slow art, culture care, and his new book, Art & Faith: A Theology of Making.
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