Today Richard's guest is Russell Levenson, author and retired Episcopal minister. Russ shares: The longer I live, I've found I'm still kind of turning things over to the Lordship of Christ. And that is tough. And that requires humility. What am I doing with my time? How am I interacting with others? Does my relationship with others speak of one who walks in Christ? Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. The primary purpose of prayer is to bring us into a life of communion with the Father. That by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are increasingly conformed into the image of the Son. Deep down in every human heart, there's a knowledge of God. And deep down in every human heart, there's a desire to communicate with God. Prayer is the main way in which we develop a relationship with our father in heaven. >>Watch on YouTube Russ Levenson, Jr. was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama before a call to ministry in the Episcopal Church. After over 30 years of full-time service in congregations in Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida and Texas, Russ retired in June of 2024. His last post was Rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. With over 10,000 members, St. Martin’s is the largest Anglican/Episcopal Church in the western hemisphere. Russ attributes his pastoral style and traditional evangelical theology to several mentors over the years including Bishop Furman Stough, The Reverends John Claypool, Massey Gentry, Fleming Rutledge, Paul Zahl and his long time friend and mentor, The Late Rev. Dr. John R.W. Stott. Russ is the author of several books including Witness to Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H.W. And Barbara Bush, with a Foreword by Jeb Bush, In God’s Grip: What Golf Can Teach us About The Gospel, with a Foreword by Jim Nantz, Witness to Belief: Conversations on Faith and Meaning, which includes personal interviews with Denzel Washington, Amy Grant, Condi Rice, Sam Waterston, Nikki Haley, Jane Goodall and others, and was named a "top ten read in religion and spirituality" for 2025 by Publisher’s Weekly. His forthcoming novel, "The Seal," (Sunstone) a spiritually-themed thriller deemed "not for the faint of heart," is scheduled for release in the late summer of 2026. He and his wife, Laura, of over 40 years have returned to Birmingham and three adult children and two grandchildren. >>Check out Russell's books
