The other day, my wife wanted to go on a date. Every so often, we go out to spend a little bit of time with each other in the midst of our hectic family life. An activity like this poses an interesting dilemma for a modern monastic. On the one hand, I really enjoy going out with my wife. On the other hand, I know that…

There are a number of reasons why I choose to spend lots of time with God. The most important reason is sheer delight. I have discovered that spending time with my friend, Jesus, is a great joy and a great delight. This discovery didn’t arrive right away. It took me months…

Years ago, I was having a conversation with a group of friends who also happened to be ministers in the Lord. I recall mentioning to the group that I was spending about two hours each day in prayer (I had a good prayer season several years ago that lasted a while before reverting back to old ungodly patterns). I recall them responding with some apprehension. Some retorted that…

I often get asked how I could spend so much time connecting with God each and every day. Three to four hours of prayer and meditation is a lot of time to be just sitting around. And if all one does is just sit around, then yes, that’s a lot of time and it will feel very much so. First of all, I consider myself to be a modern monastic. I live a modern life and…

When I met my neighbor who lives across from me for the very first time, we naturally shared about our careers. He mentioned that he worked as a public health inspector within the restaurant industry. He had some very interesting stories to share. I mentioned that I served as a clergy within the Christian tradition. My stories were not as interesting. A few weeks later, I encountered him again along with his six-year-old son outside their home. This time around, his son was the one who asked me what I did for work. Before I could respond, his father chimed in, "You know, Barnabas* talks to God every day." On the one hand, it was…