What if Jesus isn’t asking us to give up our lives, but to stop trying so hard to possess them? In this episode, we look again at Matthew 16:21-27, at Peter’s struggle with a Messiah who refuses to play by the rules of power, and at Jesus’ provocative question: What good is it to gain the whole world and lose yourself? A conversation about control, ambition, presence, freedom, and the strange possibility that sometimes the way to find your life is to loosen your grip on it.

What if Jesus' question, "Who do you say I am?" isn't a theological question at all? In this episode we look again at Peter's famous confession and discover something personal: as Peter begins to discover who Jesus is, Jesus begins to tell Peter who HE is. Along the way we get to play with some keys, some questions, and the possibility that faith is less about having the right answers and more about becoming people who open doors rather than lock them.

Outsider women, and dogs, and crumbs, and silence, and arguments, and mind changes, and enlarged tables, and a healing. This passage has it all. But have we missed the deeper truth it holds? In this episode, we open up a passage from Matthew 15:21-28, refuse to explain the hard bits away, dare to ask it some difficult questions, and see where it all gets us...

Why does sadness sometimes seem to deepen as we become more spiritually awake?

In this episode, we explore a question sent in by one of our Patreon community, Sara. She shared a profound struggle:

"I see beauty everywhere... but right beside it I see human cruelty."

Rather than trying to explain sadness away or offer quick solutions, we turn to the wisdom of Scripture and the Christian contemplative tradition to ask a different question:

Can sadness become a place where we encounter God?

Together we'll reflect on Jesus' tears, the mystery of the Cross, the quiet hope of Holy Saturday, and what it means to remain open-hearted in a world that holds both breathtaking beauty and deep suffering.

This is a conversation about learning to abide with God in the midst of sadness and discovering that a tender heart may be one of the Spirit's greatest gifts.

We have been exploring these themes more deeply through a Patreon series featuring extended teachings, contemplative reflections, guided meditations, and Scripture studies on sadness, grief, hope, and the transforming presence of God.

If you've ever wondered how to carry both joy and sorrow with grace, I hope today's podcast offers you companionship for the journey.

Who are you—really? In this episode of Monk In Docs, we dive deep into the question of identity and discover a radical truth: Who you are IS Christ. But what does that actually mean? Does it mean we are Jesus? Are we claiming divinity for ourselves? Or is there a deeper mystery at work?

Through Scripture, insights from theologians like Cynthia Bourgeault and Fr. Greg Boyle, and the teachings of Jesus Himself, we explore how our true identity is found in union with Christ. This oneness with Him also calls us into a profound unity with others—because to be in Christ is to be in love, to be in service, and to be in communion.

Join us as we unravel the mystery of our being and rediscover what it means to live as Christ in the world.

We are all tied up in our heads at some other place and some other time doing some other thing. And yet Jesus tried to show us that the antidote to worry and malcontent and lack of joy and so many other ills we carry every day can be found somewhere we don’t stay very often… somewhere now.

You know you’re beautiful, right? Warts and all? Time to embrace *everything* about being your true and real self…