Hi, I’m Ryan.
I pastor a church in Southern California. I preach, teach, and write. I sit with others in their sorrows and their joys. And I walk with people through some of life’s most difficult experiences.
On Anxiety
A feeble attempt to describe the indescribable Feb 07, 2025 • Ryan WentzelNewsletter
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The Ancient Roots of a Classic Advent Hymn
More than any other hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” signals the start of the Advent season. It’s a beautiful piece of music with its haunting tune and lyrics full of longing, anticipation, and hope. Christians have sung this hymn for centuries.
The Grace of the Morning
Zack Eswine writes, “Sometimes I greet the morning like a troubled atheist, lost in a god-empty story that cannot handle what frightens me…On such mornings, I need the name of Jesus spoken and his true story told to me afresh.”
Prayers
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Wearied by the Changes and Chances of This Fleeting Life
A prayer for weary souls from The Scottish Book of Common Prayer (1929).
We Give You Humble and Hearty Thanks
An extended prayer of gratitude from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
My Favorite Commentaries on 1 & 2 Samuel
Are you interested in studying 1 & 2 Samuel? Looking for resources to consult for a sermon series. Here are the books and commentaries I’ve found helpful in my preaching and teaching.
Commonplace
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Straining Toward the Time When God Turns Your Tears Into Laughter
Ellen F. Davis says lament clears the way for praise.
Krista Tippett on the Communal Nature of Hope
Krista Tippett says individualism cuts us off from a community of hope.
Humor, Grace, and the Human Condition
Christian Wiman reflects on the existential reach of humor.
Songs of Lament and Hope
A playlist for those who are grieving, hurting, or suffering. It makes space for both lament and hope in our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
