Barry talks about the importance of perspective. The first step is to admit we are flawed perceivers. However, once we do that it doesn’t mean that we are wrong, that nothing can be known, or that someone else is right.     Link/Article: Target scales back on its LGBTQ+ merchandise ahead of Pride Month 2024, Target […]

Barry talks about political orientation and the workplace. Since so much of our lives can be devoted to our work, it is worth taking a moment to become aware of our sense of belonging and our level of intentionality about both our work and our coworkers.     Article: Effects of person–occupation political orientation misfit […]

Barry talks about Psalm 94 and sees the inevitable couple of hope and no hope. Hope shows up on the side of God’s people as he opts to use hardship to perfect them, and no hope hangs over those who make themselves his enemy. God is powerful enough to use all the things he will […]

Barry takes a moment and a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning to talk about the things he appreciates most about America. Having the freedom to do what we want may be one of the best things about our country, but it also requires giving up some of what we want. Poem: How Do I Love […]

Barry talks with Dr. Allan Peetz about the varied experiences that make up the life of a trauma surgeon. While surgeons are often hailed as heroes by those of us who need them (and they are), the field automatically comes with a potential downside. Our guest states, “You have this great hour to help people, […]

Barry covers our 5th and final Psalm of Ascent, which takes us in a new direction. Aside from being beautifully elegant and inspiring, this psalm is challenging and a bit of a comeuppance. Often when we think of worshipping God, we visualize a sacred space with little distractions and a lot of awe. However, this […]

Barry covers another Psalm of Ascent, a reminder of how and why we worship. Psalm 132 turns the idea of coming to worship on its head as we are not approaching God, hoping to get his attention so he will care about the things we care about. Instead, we find that God has already promised […]

Have you ever wondered why we pray? We say that God knows everything before it happens, and we believe he is always good (to the level of perfection, in fact), so why do we show up asking for things to change at all? In Psalm 130, our third Psalm of Ascent, Barry talks about the […]

The next Psalm we sing to one another, Psalm 126, as we climb up to worship God together encourages us to use our past to find hope in our future. Looking at God’s work in our life can bolster the faith we need to endure our present. Sometimes it can be easier for others to […]

Barry begins our next summer series, for the month of July, back in the Psalms. This time we focus on the Psalms of Ascent. These particular songs were used as the people of God left the land of their various tribes and homes to come to a central place of worship, high up on the […]