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.

Bring Your Emotions Before God

The Psalms invite us to be open and unafraid before God with our emotions. Dec 12, 2023 • Ryan Wentzel

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Clarence Gagnon,‌ Crépuscule D'hiver (Baie St. Paul), 1915

Until These Storms Pass

May 12, 2025

A prayer based on Psalm 57, poetry by Malcolm Guite, a pair of books I’m rereading, and more.

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Alphonse Osbert, The Solitude of Christ, 1897

A Rock of Refuge Amid the Swirling Currents of My Fears

May 04, 2025

A prayer based on Psalm 18, N.T. Wright on beauty, a poem about sorrow by Mary Oliver, and more.

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Painting by John Linnell titled 'The Cloud'

Joy in God’s Creation

April 27, 2025

Enjoy a few glimpses of beauty and words of hope for when life is crappy.

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Prayers

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Draw Me to Yourself

Anselm of Canterbury’s prayer of longing for more of Christ.

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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).

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We Give You Humble and Hearty Thanks

An extended prayer of gratitude from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

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Ineffable Sea of Love

A third-century prayer from the Syrian church.

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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.

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Commonplace

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Painting of a sunny forest valley with a stream running through it

The Church is the Home of Sinners

Martin Luther talks about the kind of church you could bear.

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Epiphanius of Salamis on Holy Saturday

"Something strange is happening — there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep…"

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