Summary Like all poetry, the Christ Hymn of Philippians 2 is carried by metaphor and marked by distilled language. What is more, the Christ-Form is a distillation of the eternal language of love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The poetry of this hymn leads only and always to prayer. Episode 75 | God Distilled: […]

Summary The first part of the Christ Hymn in Philippians 2 teaches us that God’s eternal form, incarnate in Christ, is the form of self-giving love. Through prayer, we can not only see this form, but live it out as God trans-forms us. Episode 74 | Trans-Formed by Christ: The Christ Hymn Part 2 Hosted […]

Summary The preamble to the Christ Hymn found in Philippians 2, in which Paul calls us to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty conceit,” seems to be impossible to actually live out. But, what if every little act of selflessness, every little death of self, becomes the soil of humility, the queen of […]

Summary The phrase, “Who knows?!”, found throughout Scripture, features prominently in Joel 2:12-14. Praying this prayer is an act of childlike dependence, placing our trust in the God Who knows. Episode 72 | Trusting the God Who Knows Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer, Denver Institute’s Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus […]

Summary John 20:11-18 tells the story of the appearance of the resurrected Christ to Mary Magdalene. At its core, this story is about turning to Christ when we hear him speak our name. This is also what prayer is all about. Episode 71 | You are Named, You are Known, and that is Enough Hosted […]

Summary In this episode I continue to reflect on the story of Jesus’ anointing by an unnamed Woman in Mark 14. This woman’s understanding of Jesus is more aesthetic than it is cognitive. She longs for the form of Christ, a longing that is founded on her own brokenness. Episode 70 | Brokenness: Hers, His, […]

Summary Mark 14:3-11 is the story of an unnamed woman who anoints Jesus with costly ointment. If we pray this passage, we are opening our lives to be cruciform, to be akin to this woman’s costly and extravagant devotion to King Jesus. Episode 69 | What the Gospel Smells Like: Praying with an Unnamed Woman […]

Summary 2 Kings 22 is the little known story of the prophet Huldah, a faithful woman whose interpretation of the Torah led to a great season of repentance. In this episode I pair that story with Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, and suggest how our own repentance can be sustained by remembering and returning. […]

Summary The conclusion of the book of Genesis, with Joseph’s words of forgiveness offered to his brothers, provides a profound parallel with the death of Jesus, and helps us understand and pray about God’s redemptive work. Episode 67 | God Means to Impose Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer, Denver Institute’s Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, […]

Summary In this episode, a joyful exposition of both Genesis 28 and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” I suggest that prayer is akin to Jacob’s setting up of a pillar in acknowledgement of God’s presence. Episode 66 | Stairway to Heaven (Pt 2): The Slow Build Epic Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer, Denver Institute’s Vice President of Advancement […]

Summary In Genesis 28, Jacob, the “fleeing deceiver,” sees a vision of a ladder (or stairway) linking heaven and earth. The surprise of this story, which leads to prayer, is not about the dream itself, but in the Who, the When, and the Where. Episode 65 | Stairway to Heaven (Pt 1) Hosted by Jeff […]

No Episode This Week, But Do Not Miss This We are hitting pause for one week, but we have something special just for you! Ever wondered how Teach Us To Pray came to be? Curious about the stories, conversations, and prayers that shaped the podcast you love? This week, we are inviting you behind the […]