A few winters ago, my 6th grader and I stumbled upon a British detective show called Father Brown. The show’s protagonist, Father Brown, is an English priest in a mid-20th century parish. Not only is Father Brown passionate about the spiritual and soul health of his parishioners, he is also a curious-minded and accidental sort of detective when it comes to crimes of murder. In most episodes we see him pedaling furiously through the English countryside on his bicycle with his long black cassock flowing out behind him (never getting caught in the wheels). It seems he’s always trying to find the guilty party before the local police inspector can. See, the inspector is interested in locking someone up, but Father Brown’s concern is redemption. He races to give the sinner an opportunity to unburden themselves of their crime, repent, and be made right with God.

As a society,  I think we recognize that confession and remorse can be cathartic, and that it’s a gateway for social support. It’s why organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous and Sex Addicts Anonymous exist. Many times, celebrities will willingly confess or express remorse for their behavior and receive outpourings of support on social media.

But Christian confession, confession that's done by Christians within the context of Christian community, takes any obvious social and psychological  benefits of confession to the next level. Here, the practice of confession moves us in the direction of inner (and sometimes physical!) healing and wholeness by God’s grace; it becomes a gift by which we experience the redemptive work of God in our lives.

Check out the podcast for the full message here or on your favorite listening platform.*

*This message was originally preached to CityChurch in downtown Iowa City on February 13, 2022.

Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, podcaster, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe to this Dear Exiles newsletter in the subscription box above. Fun fact: I’m also the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and the host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.

But have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness, for the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Spiritual growth is not a competition. We don’t practice spiritual disciplines to earn more of God’s love for us, but to make space in our lives for the grace of God to transform us so that the life of Christ flows out of us in every situation.

For more on the purpose of spiritual disciplines and the way we should approach them, check out this latest message.*

*Originally preached at CityChurch in downtown Iowa City on February 6, 2022.

Dear Exiles is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, podcaster, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe to this Dear Exiles newsletter in the subscription box above. Fun fact: I’m also the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and the host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.

Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

We think we’re reading the Bible, but the Scriptures might be reading us.

Its stories and truths sinking inside us when we meditate, ponder, or wonder.

Like the Israelites hearing the reading of the Book of the Law for the very first time (Nehemiah 8:1-12), we might find ourselves cut to the heart or moved to tears—all work of the invitational Spirit of God.

*Preached at CityChurch in downtown Iowa City on January 30, 2022.

Dear Exiles is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, podcaster, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe to this Dear Exiles newsletter in the subscription box above. Fun fact: I’m also the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and the host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.

People feast on the bounty of your house; you let them drink from your river of pure joy…In your light, we see light.

Opening ourselves to God through prayer is done for love’s sake: to be transformed by God’s love, to be a conduit of His love for others. It sounds kind of mystical, but so is the Christian faith. We rely on a good deal of Spirit, burning hearts, and inexplicable joy and comfort to guide us in the way of Christ.

I offer you part one in the series, Opening to God. This message* is all about tasting and drinking of God’s goodness through prayer and contemplation.

*Originally preached on January 16, 2022, at CityChurch in downtown Iowa City.

Dear Exiles is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, podcaster, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe to this Dear Exiles newsletter in the subscription box above. Fun fact: I’m the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.

Some of us have been taught un-Christlike doctrines about faith, money, and God that leave us feeling we’ll never get Christianity “right.” These exhausting demands of “religion” can leave us broken, ashamed, and alienated from the Church. However, traveling light with Jesus and helping to build Christian community where others can travel light is a path toward healing the Church’s wounds.

Listen to the full audio message above or search “Dear Exiles” wherever you listen to podcasts. This message was originally preached on October 10, 2021, at CityChurch in Iowa City.

Scripture Passage: Matthew 23:1-15

Heather Weber- Dear Exiles is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. Find out more about coaching at www.heatherweber.org. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe to this Dear Exiles newsletter in the subscription box above. Fun fact: I’m also the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and the host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.

When it became known that the poor, Greek-speaking widows were discriminated against in the daily distribution of bread, conflict broke out in the early Church. Their needs had gone unmet until their complaint grew loud enough. The apostles recognized the problem and came up with a restorative solution: put the kind of leaders in place who identified with the women in some significant way. Diversity in leadership reduced blindspots and began mending the wounds created by the early Church community’s prejudice. It still does today.

Listen to the full audio message above or search “Dear Exiles” wherever you listen to podcasts. This message was originally preached on October 3, 2021, at CityChurch in Iowa City.

Scripture passage: Acts 4:33-35, 6:1-7

Heather Weber- Dear Exiles is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. Find out more about coaching at www.heatherweber.org. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe to this Dear Exiles newsletter in the subscription box above. Fun fact: I’m also the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and the host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.

Many of us hate conflict, but sometimes conflict is exactly what is needed for the Church to be what God intended. In this message, hear how the apostle Paul confronted the apostle Peter “to his face” when Peter was causing harm and division to God’s Church.

Listen to the full audio message above or search “Dear Exiles” wherever you listen to podcasts. This message was originally preached on September 26, 2021, at CityChurch in Iowa City.

Scripture passages: Galatians 2:11-16

Heather Weber- Dear Exiles is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. Find out more about coaching at www.heatherweber.org. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe to this Dear Exiles newsletter in the subscription box above. Fun fact: I’m also the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and the host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.

For the last several years, there's been a mass awakening and dialogue happening about the fact that some Christian leaders do terrible things, that some church environments are like a cesspool of gossip, envy, and judgment, and that some of the things we were taught by well-meaning Sunday school teachers were actually more harmful than helpful for our spiritual formation. We see this awakening evident in the sale of books of  historical scholarship like Jesus and John Wayne and podcasts like “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.” But you probably also know people or have seen social media exploding with the cries of those who have been victimized and hurt, people who have been unseen and unheard for far too long.

Some can relate to those pain. Others are distressed and frustrated onlookers who feel helpless. How does healing happen?

Jesus’ Church—the community of believers around the world in history, present and future—is incredibly precious to God, even though some church communities, some Christian leaders, and some doctrines we’ve been taught have failed us. In fact, it’s been that way since the beginning of Church history. But since that beginning, God has also given guidance on how His Church can mend itself.

Listen to the full audio message above or search “Dear Exiles” wherever you listen to podcasts. This message was originally preached on September 19, 2021, at CityChurch in Iowa City.

Scripture passages: Ephesians 5:3-5, 25-27; 4:25-32

Heather Weber- Dear Exiles is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. Find out more about coaching at www.heatherweber.org. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe to this Dear Exiles newsletter in the subscription box above. Fun fact: I’m also the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and the host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.

Thomas, the disciple we dub “Doubter,” looked for God in the details. You see, Thomas was an identical twin. He knew the gravity of mistaken identity, how a freckle or a dimple or a slight stoop could make all the difference in confirming identity. So when Jesus showed himself to the rest of the disciples when Thomas wasn’t home, Thomas’s doubt demanded unique identifying details in order to be satisfied. Could he place his hands in the nail-scarred hands of Christ? Could he touch the spear-wound in his side?

So many of us are allergic to doubt in ourselves and in others. To be fair, Jesus did say “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” Certainly, those folks who believe without seeing are happier, more fortunate, less angsty.

But Jesus comes to us, as he did to Thomas, in our doubt. He knows exactly what we think we need in order to believe. And sometimes he gives us exactly that. Other times, he makes us wait for something better so that we might believe, like Thomas, that He is God.

This Eastertide, I implore you, don’t cast off faith because of the presence of doubt. Attend to your doubt. Because doubt that pays attention over time plus the presence of Jesus equals the soil out of which great faith may unfurl heavenward.

Scripture Passage: John 20:19-31

Listen to the full audio above or search “Dear Exiles” wherever you listen to podcasts. This message was originally preached on April 24, 2022, at CityChurch in Iowa City.

Hey! Thanks for being here. I’m a book-obsessed pastor, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. Find out more about coaching at www.heatherweber.org. For essays and podcasts that come straight to your inbox, subscribe at heatherweber.substack.com. Fun fact: I’m also the author of Dear Boy:, An Epistolary Memoir and the host of the Your Pastor Reads Books podcast.