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The Light Has Come: Seeing the Light

Teach Us To Pray

Release Date: 11/25/2025

The Light Has Come: Angels, Linus, and Why I Believe show art The Light Has Come: Angels, Linus, and Why I Believe

Teach Us To Pray

Summary Luke 2 is the wondrous story of the shepherds hearing of Jesus' birth from the chorus of angels. As we trust in this story we are formed by it; we are "made better," which is what Handel hoped would happen for those who listen to his oratorio, Messiah. Episode 64 | The Light Has Come: Angels, Linus, and Why I Believe Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer,  Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through scripture as a primary way to know, trust, and rest in God in our daily work and life. I would love to hear...

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The Light Has Come: The Darkened Between show art The Light Has Come: The Darkened Between

Teach Us To Pray

Summary Movement 9 of Handel's Messiah combines two texts from Isaiah, one which proclaims that the exile is about to be over, and one that celebrates that the exile is over. This combination of passages is a beautiful juxtaposition that orients us in betweenness, which is what Advent is all about. Episode 63 | The Light Has Come: The Darkened Between Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer,  Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through scripture as a primary way to know, trust, and rest in God in our daily work and life. I...

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The Light Has Come: Seeing the Light show art The Light Has Come: Seeing the Light

Teach Us To Pray

Summary In this episode, I explore Isaiah 9:2 and Handel's interpretation of that text in Movement 11 of Messiah. Advent is all about light, which means it is also all about darkness. This dialectic is beautifully explored by Handel in the way he juxtaposes major and minor chords. God's light is how we pray in the darkness. Episode 62 | The Light Has Come: Seeing the Light Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer,  Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through scripture as a primary way to know, trust, and rest in God in our...

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Soli Deo Gloria: God's Glory and Our Work show art Soli Deo Gloria: God's Glory and Our Work

Teach Us To Pray

Summary Psalm 127 is a wonderful and beautiful prayer about work. All of us long for our work to somehow remain, or endure, and praying this psalm is a way of praying about God's glory, which can act like the mortar for whatever it is we are building through our work. Episode 61 | Soli Deo Gloria: God's Glory and Our Work Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer,  Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through scripture as a primary way to know, trust, and rest in God in our daily work and life. I would love to hear...

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Psalm 19: The Starry Host Above and the Moral Law Within show art Psalm 19: The Starry Host Above and the Moral Law Within

Teach Us To Pray

Summary Psalm 19 brings together God's work as creator and God's work as lawgiver in a beautiful hymn of praise that not only conveys the unity of God's creative work but also invites our praise. Episode 60 |  Psalm 19: The Starry Host Above and the Moral Law Within Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer,  Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through scripture as a primary way to know, trust, and rest in God in our daily work and life. I would love to hear from you! Please reach out to me at  with...

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The Ninety-Nine and the One: Following the Good Shepherd show art The Ninety-Nine and the One: Following the Good Shepherd

Teach Us To Pray

Summary Jesus' parable of the Lost Sheep is the first of three parables in Luke 15 about lostness. This parable is abound being found by God, and also about leaving the ninety-nine and going after the one, a journey that may be costly but that also leads to joy and freedom. Episode 59 |  The Ninety-Nine and the One: Following the Good Shepherd Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer,  Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through scripture as a primary way to know, trust, and rest in God in our daily work and...

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God Loves Work: Barns and Self-Talk show art God Loves Work: Barns and Self-Talk

Teach Us To Pray

Summary Jesus' parable of the "Rich Fool" in Luke 12 is about money, and about a lot more than money. It's about what we put our store in–where we place our hope. In prayer, we can pay attention to the conversation we are having with ourselves about the barns that we are building. In prayer, this conversation can be scripted by God rather than by the culture in which we live. Episode 58 | God Loves Work: Barns and Self-Talk Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer,  Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through...

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God Loves Work: The Merciful Samaritan show art God Loves Work: The Merciful Samaritan

Teach Us To Pray

Summary Jesus' story about the Samaritan who showed mercy to the wounded man on the road is not simply about being a good human. It's actually about who God is. It's about the eternal story of God, and how we can live this story out in our lives, through prayer. Episode 57: God Loves Work: The Good Merciful Samaritan Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer,  Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through scripture as a primary way to know, trust, and rest in God in our daily work and life. I would love to hear...

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God Loves Work: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector show art God Loves Work: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Teach Us To Pray

This is the first of four episodes guided by four parables of Jesus. It is meant to be used alongside a devotional called God Loves Work: Work and the Parables of Jesus. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is a simple and convicting story that will shape our lives drastically if we do not just read it, but pray it. Episode 56: God Loves Work: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer,  Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through scripture as a primary way to know, trust, and rest...

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Fully Known and Fully Loved: Praying to the God Who Knows Everything show art Fully Known and Fully Loved: Praying to the God Who Knows Everything

Teach Us To Pray

Psalm 139 is one of the most powerful prayers in the Bible. It’s also daunting, because David prays about how God knows every thought and is present everywhere, always. In prayer, we can wrestle with this knowledge, and come to trust the God who knows us fully and loves us fully. Episode 55:  Fully Known and Fully Loved: Praying to the God Who Knows Everything Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer,  Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through scripture as a primary way to know, trust, and rest in God in our daily...

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Summary

In this episode, I explore Isaiah 9:2 and Handel's interpretation of that text in Movement 11 of Messiah. Advent is all about light, which means it is also all about darkness. This dialectic is beautifully explored by Handel in the way he juxtaposes major and minor chords. God's light is how we pray in the darkness.

Episode 62 | The Light Has Come: Seeing the Light

Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer, Denver Institute’s Vice President of Advancement and Theologian in Residence, this podcast seeks to focus on the practice of prayer through scripture as a primary way to know, trust, and rest in God in our daily work and life. I would love to hear from you! Please reach out to me at jeff.hoffmeyer@denverinstitute.org with your feedback.

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