The Woodlands: A Place for Exploring the Spiritual Life

Some choices aren’t between right and wrong, but about how best to love. When what love requires isn’t clear, how do we know what to do?In this episode, we explore how the risen life of Jesus forms our hearts to discern and act with faithful love.Spiritual Practice: Learning What Love RequiresRead the passage slowly. First out loud. Then quietly.“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16–17a)Sit with that for a moment.Bring to mind a situation in your life where it’s not clear what love requires.Don’t try to solve it.Just notice it.What makes this situation complicated?Where do you feel pulled in different directions?What feels most important to you here?Now, gently ask:What might love look like in this moment?Stay there. Don’t rush to an answer.Trust that you are not alone in this.When you’re ready, take one small step in the direction of love.Close with this prayer:Come, Holy Spirit. Teach me what love requires. Give me the wisdom to take the next step. And the courage to follow where you lead. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” But what does that mean when life actually falls apart? This episode explores a different way of living—not a life we achieve, but one we receive and learn to give away in love.Spiritual Practice: Letting GoRead the passage slowly. First out loud. Then quietly.“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)Sit with that for a moment.Where do you feel the pressure to hold your life together right now?What are you trying to control or secure?Notice what happens in you as you hear Jesus say, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”Where might you be invited to remain open and present, rather than withdrawing or grasping for control?Stay there for a few moments.When you’re ready, close with this prayer:Jesus, you know how easily my heart becomes troubled. I find myself trying to hold things together on my own. Teach me to trust you. Help me to let go of what I cannot control and to receive the life you are giving. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

We are always being addressed by many voices. In this episode, we explore discernment as the practice of learning to recognize and trust the voice of Jesus amid the noise.Spiritual Practice: Listening for the Shepherd’s VoiceSet aside some time to sit in a quiet place.Begin by listening to what is already moving through your mind. What voices are speaking? Pressure, worry, self-criticism, striving? Don’t argue with them. Just notice.Now turn your attention to Jesus. Read this phrase slowly. First out loud, then quietly:“He calls his own sheep by name.” (John 10:3)Sit with that for a few moments. Let a word or phrase stand out to you. If your mind wanders, gently return to the words.After a few minutes, ask yourself: Which of the voices I’ve heard today sounds like this one?End with this prayer:Jesus, you know us and call us by name. Teach us to listen for your voice in our hearts and to trust where you lead. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Dear listeners, this post is not like the usual message from The Woodlands. It’s a pastoral response to the murder of eight children in Shreveport, Louisiana. That’s within the Diocese I serve. While I believe that the message is for anyone who has experienced grief and trauma, and nothing graphic is said here, I do want to urge you to listen with care. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

We are shaped by what we practice every day. Those habits can open us to Jesus—or keep us from seeing him. Conversion is a change in what and how we love.In this series, we’re not only thinking about the spiritual life—we’re learning to notice how Jesus is already present and at work in our lives. I’m including in Substack—and also in the Apple and Spotify show notes—a simple way to begin. Try it today and consider trying it for a few minutes each day this week. I would love to hear from you about your experiences and insights.Spiritual Practice: Meeting Jesus in the OrdinarySet aside 10–15 minutes.Read this portion of the Emmaus story slowly. First out loud. Then quietly:“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”Sit with that for a moment.Where in your life are you simply going through the motions right now?Work. Home. Conversation. Prayer.Don’t analyze it. Just notice it.Now ask:Where might Jesus already be present in that place?Stay there for a minute or two. No need to force anything.Then choose one ordinary action you will return to today—a meal, a conversation, a task—and receive it as a place where Christ meets you.End with a simple prayer:Lord Jesus, meet me in the ordinary rhythms of my life. Open my eyes to recognize you. Shape my heart to love what you love. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

We’ve been trained to think the spiritual life is about effort, discipline, and control.But what if it’s more like breathing?Something given, not earned. Received, not achieved.This episode explores what it means to live from that kind of life.Spiritual Practice: Receiving the Breath of ChristRead the passage slowly. First out loud. Then quietly. Sit with it.When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit…”—John 20:19–23Imagine yourself sitting behind the locked door in fear.What fear are you carrying?Hear Jesus say, “Peace be with you.” Sit with that. Repeat peace silently, gently, and slowly.Now imagine his breath upon you.Where are you being sent?To what situation in your life?To what need of the world do you feel drawn?End with a simple prayer:Lord Jesus, you come close, breathe your life into me, and send me. Help me to receive what you give and to carry it into the lives around me. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Resurrection is often understood as a promise for life after death. But in the risen Jesus, eternal life is already at work in us, shaping our hearts and drawing us toward a fuller, more alive way of living.A Simple Practice: Listening for Jesus in Your LifeTake a few minutes and find a quiet place. Sit comfortably. Let your body settle.Take a slow breath in. Then another. Don’t rush.Now, gently bring to mind your life as it is right now—not as you wish it were, but as it actually is.Ask yourself:What do I find myself longing for right now?Don’t analyze. Just notice what comes.Sit with that for a moment.Now, in that place of longing, turn your attention to Jesus—not as an idea, but as one who is present with you.Ask:Jesus, what is your invitation to me right now?Stay there for a minute or two. You don’t have to force an answer. Just remain open.Finally, take one more slow breath and ask:What is one small step I can take today that leans toward your invitation?Let’s take what we’ve noticed here and gather it into prayer.Loving, life-giving God, you raised Jesus from the dead and are raising us to new life. Open our hearts and minds to your transforming love and draw our desires more deeply into the life you are giving. Help us to trust that your love is stronger than death and to follow you, one step at a time; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

As Lent gives way to Holy Week, we arrive at the cross. In Jesus’ Passion we see the fullest picture of a reordered heart—one open to God and willing to love to the end. The cross reveals what a life shaped by holy desire looks like in the real world.As Lent gives way to Holy Week, we arrive at the cross. In Jesus’ Passion we see the fullest picture of a reordered heart—one open to God and willing to love to the end. The cross reveals what a life shaped by holy desire looks like in the real world.A Spiritual Practice for Holy WeekHoly Week invites us to walk with Jesus, not merely to remember what happened to him. These daily practices are an invitation to slow down, pray with Scripture, and accompany Christ as the story of his Passion unfolds.Each day this week:* Read the passage aloud slowly.* Read it again silently.* Sit quietly for a few moments. Notice the word, image, or feeling that draws your attention. Remain there with God.* Close with the prayer for the day.Do not rush. Let the Scripture keep company with you.Palm SundayLet the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)Lord Jesus, form your mind within me. Where I grasp for control, give me trust. Where I seek glory, teach me humility. Make my life a reflection of yours. Amen.Monday of Holy WeekSix days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany… Mary took a pound of costly perfume… and anointed Jesus’ feet… and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:1–3)Gracious God, receive what I offer you today—my love, my attention, my whole self. Free me from holding back, and let my life bear the fragrance of devotion. Amen.Tuesday of Holy WeekThe message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)God of surprising wisdom, when I seek strength on my own terms, slow me down. Teach me the power hidden in self-giving love. Help me trust the way of the cross. Amen.Wednesday of Holy WeekLet us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely… looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1–2)Faithful God, help me release what weighs upon my heart. Give me perseverance for the path before me, and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus, who leads me into life. Amen.Maundy ThursdayThe Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread… “This is my body that is for you.” (1 Corinthians 11:23–25)Lord Jesus, you give yourself for the life of the world. Feed me with your grace, and shape my life into a gift for others. Teach me to love as you love. Amen.Good FridayJesus said, “I am thirsty”… “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28–30)Crucified Savior, you entered the depths of human suffering and did not turn away. Help me rest in the mercy accomplished on the cross and trust the love poured out for the world. Amen.Holy SaturdaySince Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention… to live no longer by human desires but by the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1–2)Hidden God, teach me the holiness of waiting. In silence and uncertainty, hold me fast. Shape my desires toward your life until hope rises in your time. Amen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

In the final episode of Reordering the Heart, I reflect on the raising of Lazarus and what it means to follow Jesus. Discipleship leads us not away from suffering but into the places where Christ is already present, trusting that the way of the cross leads to resurrection hope. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I reflect on Jesus’ healing of the man born blind in John 9 and the deeper question beneath the miracle: how we learn to see. Like cataracts that slowly cloud our vision, the stories we inherit about success, suffering, and worth can shape how we perceive God, ourselves, and others without our realizing it. Jesus challenges a way of seeing that blames and measures, and invites us instead into a vision shaped by mercy and healing. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

In Part 3 of Reordering the Heart, I reflect on the turning point of the spiritual life: moving from a self we try to achieve to a self we learn to receive. Real change begins when identity is no longer something we secure for ourselves but something we discover as gift. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

When the Heart RacesWhy does trying to “be true to yourself” so often leave us anxious and exhausted? I explore how the pressure to construct and prove our identity keeps the heart racing—and how Jesus offers a different path grounded in receiving our lives as a gift rather than achieving them.Part of my Lenten reflections on how Jesus reshapes our desires and teaches us to live more freely and truthfully. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

What are you really longing for? In this first installment of Reordering the Heart, we explore how our desires are shaped by the culture around us—and how Lent invites us to let Christ reorder what we love. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I reflect on what it means for hope to become a way of life. Christian hope is not passive or wishful thinking. It is a pattern of living shaped by trust in God’s presence and promise — a hope that clarifies our actions, steadies us in uncertainty, and draws us toward love in the world as it is. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

This Lent, I’m beginning a five-part series called Reordering the Heart. Each Friday, beginning February 20, we’ll explore what it means to follow Jesus more intentionally in a culture that shapes our desires in subtle but powerful ways. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I reflect on finding hope when the odds are against you. Hope is not wishful thinking, but a way of living shaped by God’s abiding presence — even in seasons of uncertainty and loss. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

In a time when power is often mistaken for strength, Jesus speaks a different word: “Blessed are the meek.”In this episode, I reflect on what meekness truly means — not passivity or withdrawal, but a form of power shaped by humility, love, and trust in God. As the world grows more captivated by control and dominance, the way of Jesus invites us to live otherwise — faithful, courageous, and grounded in mercy. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Bishop Jake offers a pastoral reflection on the moral tensions of our troubled times. Drawing on the Nuremberg Trials and the teachings of Jesus, he explores what it means to follow Christ when law and conscience collide — and how Christians seek the way of love in unsettled days. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

In life’s most important things, we rarely know where we’re headed until we’ve already stepped out. Love works that way—and so does faith.In this reflection, we return to the moment Jesus calls his first followers and discover that faith is not about certainty or control, but about being drawn by love into a life we could not have planned. As we follow Jesus, the way does not appear all at once. It unfolds, step by step, as love leads us forward. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

What if your calling isn’t something you find, but someone you become?This Epiphany reflection explores the Christian calling to become our true selves by loving what God loves. Drawing on Jesus’ calling of Peter, it shows how ordinary lives can become places where God’s light is revealed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

We all carry a deep longing—an ache for wholeness that nothing in this world quite satisfies. In this Christmas reflection, I tell a childhood story and explore how the Incarnation meets that longing. Christmas isn’t just a date on the calendar. It’s God coming toward us, making us whole in ways we could never manage on our own. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s reflection is the fourth and final installment of the Advent series called God Draws Near. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s reflection is part three of the four-part Advent series called God Draws Near. You can read or listen to the first and second parts on Substack. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s reflection is called You Are Preapproved. It's part two of the four-part Advent series called God Draws Near. You can read or listen to the first part on Substack. The Woodlands is also available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’re starting a four-part Advent series: God Draws Near.We’ll be talking about how God never waits for a perfect moment to show up. God is present now. When we learn to notice that presence—and trust it—it steadies us, transforms us, and leads us forward one faithful step at a time.Today we’re on Part One: A Sense of an Ending This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Part 4 of the 4-part series The Heart of Things: Love and the Life of the World. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Part 3 of the 4-part series The Heart of Things: Love and the Life of the World. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Part 2 of the 4-part series The Heart of Things: Love and the Life of the World. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Part 1 of the 4-part series The Heart of Things: Love and the Life of the World. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

This is the final post in a four-part series on the dimensions of faith—its nature as a gift, its power to transform us, its practice in prayer, and its promise of salvation. If you prefer to listen you can do so here, at Apple Podcasts, or at Spotify. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

This is the third post in a four-part series on the dimensions of faith—its nature as a gift, its power to transform us, its practice in prayer, and its promise of salvation. If you prefer to listen you can do so here, at Apple Podcasts, or at Spotify. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

This is the second post in a four-part series on the dimensions of faith—its nature as a gift, its power to transform us, its practice in prayer, and its promise of salvation. If you prefer to listen you can do so here, at Apple Podcasts, or at Spotify. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

This post begins a four-part series on the dimensions faith—its nature as a gift, its power to transform us, its practice in prayer, and its promise of salvation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

God’s love makes us one—and makes us whole.This is the final part of Living Faith, a four-part series about following Jesus with authenticity, compassion, and courage in everyday life.When our daughter was seven, a psychologist told us that her way of processing the world fell within the autism spectrum. Meredith is bright and cheerful, with a quirky sense of humor and an eye for what others miss. Her contributions to conversations often come from an unexpected angle.Like most of us, Meredith wants to be herself—and she wants to belong. But social cues didn’t come naturally. So, with determination, she learned how to pick up on neurotypical signals in order to build connections.Her colleagues at work and fellow church choir members are mostly neurotypicals. But they’ve welcomed her as she is, and she belongs—not because she blends in, but because they’ve made space for her to be fully herself.That’s the kind of community Jesus calls us to become: where each of us is true to ourselves and committed to the common good. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

If you want to know what you believe, watch what you do.This is Part 3 of Living Faith, a four-part series about following Jesus with authenticity, compassion, and courage in everyday life.Sister Agnes asked the class, “Given what you think about God, do you believe there’s a hell?”No hands went up. We were freshmen. First week of religion class at the Archdiocesan High School.After an awkward silence, I piped up: “A loving God wouldn’t torture people for all eternity.”My classmates gawked. Fidgeted. Stared at their desks. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Sometimes faithfulness starts fires.This is Part 2 of Living Faith, a four-part series about following Jesus with authenticity, compassion, and courage in everyday life.After American B-2s bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, I sent out a pastoral note and a set of prayers to the people of the diocese I serve. One recipient scolded me for criticizing President Trump.For the record, I didn’t criticize Trump. I didn’t comment on the wisdom or folly of that military action. My best guess is that this line sparked the reaction:Let us remember that we follow one Lord. Neither a political party nor even a nation may rightfully claim our absolute allegiance. That belongs to Christ alone. And so, following his example and teaching, we offer prayer as the paradoxical weapon of grace and justice.What disturbed this person, I suspect, wasn’t a political critique—it was my view of how Christians relate to the state. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

You’re living a story that began before you were born.This is Part 1 of Living Faith, a four-part series about following Jesus with authenticity, compassion, and courage in everyday life. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

To start my sabbatical, I got out of town for a week. I needed to slow my internal pace, and a change of scenery seemed like a good way to start.When I told friends I was heading to Portland, they lit up—until I clarified: Oregon, not Maine. They didn’t say anything outright, but their faces said it all: Why would you go there? You won’t find what you’re looking for in that place.Well, just for the record, I did. But this reflection isn’t about the merits of the Pacific Northwest. It’s about the spiritual destinations we set our hearts on—and whether they can truly satisfy us.As I’ve discussed throughout this series, a holy longing animates our lives. We’re all on a path toward something we believe will make life meaningful in an enduring way. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Rethinking Your Spiritual PathThe woman sitting across from me was warm, sincere, and intelligent. She belonged to the church I was serving and had asked to meet so we could get to know each other better.“I’m not exactly Christian,” she said.When I asked her to say more, she explained that no single tradition—including Christianity—could claim the whole truth. “So I’ve woven together a spiritual path that fits who I am,” she said. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Modern life tells us that our worth depends on how much we produce and what we achieve. But the Christian story tells us something deeper. In the Incarnation, God crossed the universe to connect with us—and in doing so, gave our lives meaning. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

We yearn for love, meaning, belonging, and transcendence. This is our soul’s holy longing, whether we name it that or not. And we remain restless until we find what we seek. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”—William Butler YeatsThis episode is a homily preached at St. Paul’s, Winnfield. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode we discuss two spiritual pathways. Both promise to deliver a full-hearted life. One does. One doesn’t.Just a reminder that my sabbatical starts in June and runs through mid-September. A written post (with audio) will still drop every Friday. However, The Woodlands Podcast will switch to once or twice a month. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Conversion has three dimensions. It’s a turning. It’s a transformation. And it’s a process. In the end, conversion is about relationship.This is a homily preached at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Shreveport, Louisiana. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Ronald Rolheiser says that what we do with our longings is our spirituality. Longing is part of being human. So, each of us is spiritual, whether we realize it or not. However, not all spiritualities are equal. This episode is drawn from my latest book A Full-Hearted Life. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

“You have turned my wailing into dancing.” (Psalm 30:12)On May 5th eighty years ago Mauthausen Concentration Camp was liberated. My mother was one of the prisoners there. Preached on the 5th, this episode is a meditation on the liberation we find in our relationship with the risen Christ. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s episode is about learning how to walk the way of Jesus. It is drawn from my book A Resurrection Shaped Life. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

This podcast is the sermon I preached for Easter Sunday at The University of the South’s All Saints’ Chapel. The text for that day was John 20:1-18. It features Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus. I took the liberty of drawing on elements from the remainder of that chapter: Jesus’ appearance to the Apostles and then later his encounter with Thomas. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s episode is part two of a two-part discussion of the sources of our sense of self and what it means to be true to yourself. It’s the fourth in a series of talks based A Full-Hearted Life that I gave at the Clergy Conference of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa. Part One dropped last week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s episode is part one of a two-part discussion of the sources of our sense of self and what it means to be true to yourself. It’s the fourth in a series of talks based A Full-Hearted Life that I gave at the Clergy Conference of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa. Part Two (and the final episode in the series) drops next week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jakeowensby.substack.com/subscribe