I met my wife, Courtney, 24 years ago at a birthday party. When I invited her to my dorm room to watch a movie for our first date, a painting on my wall would change the course of our lives.

Recently I’ve been reflecting on my three-decade journey as a weightlifter. What I think many people don’t realize is that lifting is more than physical exercise; it’s a spiritual endeavor. For me, the gym is a sanctuary, akin to worshipping in a church. My workout routine is both meditative and soul nourishing. These reflections inspired me to create a short film titled The Sculptor’s Dream as a meditation on the spiritual and artistic elements of weight training.

Did Christians in Paul's church in Corinth utilize psychedelic substances during agape feasts (the Lord's Supper), drawing from Greco-Roman mystery cults? Pastor Paule Patterson examines 1 Corinthians through this lens, revealing Paul's concern for spiritual excess and ego-driven worship. Rather than rejecting mystical experiences, Paul urges grounding them in love, humility, and communal unity—pointing to a deeper awakening through self-giving transformation.