Jason Lief

More than once over the last few weeks I’ve been asked if I “believe the bible”. What they mean, I think, is whether I believe the bible is the true word of God. Of course my answer is yes, but…

My spiritual formation students are reading The Thirst of God: Contemplating God's love with Three Women Mystics by Wendy Farley. The book explores the life and faith of Mechthild of Magdeburg, Marguerite Porete, and Julian of Norwich. Our conversation as…

Yesterday, during a NW Iowa blizzard, a friend and I went out for a beer. Sitting in the warm glow of sports television we talked about "stuff". Not just any stuff, but heavy stuff we usually discuss over cigarettes and…

With unadulterated joy, I watched as a pass by Drew Brees fell into the arms of a defender. This was matched by the elation of watching a 57 yard field goal sail through the uprights in overtime, sending the New…

I spent this afternoon on a train with a gazillion other people in the heart of Bangkok. My big body and beard made me seem like Sasquatch standing in the midst of the Thai people. Last week, while traveling in…

All of the lectionary readings for Advent were blatantly political. Maybe a better way to put it is they were all anti-establishment. Every text was imbedded within a chapter that begins with a reference to the powerful. Luke 21 begins,…

I'll admit, I got duped into signing up for Audible a few months back. I always sign up for promotions and then forget to cancel. A few weeks ago I discovered I had accumulated "credits", so I purchased a lecture…

Christianity can falsely be made so severe that human nature must revolt against it in order to cast it or thrust it away. But Christianity can also be made so lenient or flavored with sweetness that all attempts to perk…

This past week I took my son and daughter to see Gary Clark Jr., a blues guitarist from Austin Texas. The timing was fitting, it was the day after the election. There I was, in Omaha, NE, listening to the…

"Sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it." This is what the Lord says to Cain. Cain is angry; he’s preparing to rage. His offering wasn’t good enough. He worked the ground,…