Spiritual Formation

"God has slowly but surely revealed to me that my endless striving for love and admiration has been in vain, and that if I continued after it, it would also be an ever-smoldering oven, constantly needing to be fueled and fed. It was an idol."

Sabbath can include doing anything that doesn't feel like an obligation or work. 

Step with me into the Nativity scene for a moment.

Most of us are Christmas veterans, so the image should come to our minds with ease: worshipful shepherds bunched by the manger, wise men huddled with their gifts (though, historically speaking, they came later), meandering animals (though maybe not in a stable), angels overhead, a protective Joseph standing by his wife. 

In 1998, Albert Hsu received a call that his father had committed suicide. Here, Albert reflects on grief, the current statistics around suicide, where he finds hope, and how we can help those who might be struggling with suicidal thoughts.

I realized that I had taken up space in the church, consumed the resources of the church, and even recognized the faces of people in the church, but I’d never actually gotten the most out of my Sunday morning. Three questions can help keep you from making the same mistake.

I knew I needed to change my actions. But it wasn’t due to anxiety. Or fear. Or shame. Those motivators were much more familiar to me.

In college, I got a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation and leisure studies. I avoided anything and everything that was hard.

The closer we resemble Jesus, the closer we are to being truly humble.

Now that I’m in midlife, I find Sabbaths all the more important.

As a creative person, my Sabbath involves items that draw me closer to the presence of God in creative ways.