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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You Uphold My Life
My gracious God and Father, you who uphold my life by your almighty power, keep me through all that this day brings.
Your Goodness and Mercy
A prayer based on Psalm 23 for those who struggle to believe that God cares for them.
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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Humor, Grace, and the Human Condition
Christian Wiman reflects on the existential reach of humor.
Poetry Makes Reality Real Again
Christian Wiman on poetry’s power to rouse us from the slumber of familiarity.
The Privilege of Stillness
Noel Crowe, a 78-year-old man, reminisces about his life in a small Irish village nearly 60 years before. He marvels at the strange new acquaintance sitting beside him all those many years ago.
A Church You Could Bear
Rainy, the narrator in Leif Enger’s novel I Cheerfully Refuse, throws a birthday party for his wife, Lark. Friends, neighbors, and even strangers have gathered at Rainy and Lark’s home to celebrate. While his band performs for the gathering, Rainy reflects on what he once hoped the church might be like.
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.
