I’ve been talking so much about exile lately; it seems like it’s a constant theme with me and my friends. Not only was it a theme for folks in the 1st century, it’s an applicable concept today. “Exile is what happens when all the questions no longer apply; it’s the place where nothing makes sense.” … Continue reading
Maybe we just talk way too much. It’s not surprising, considering out environment… How quiet is the space you’re in, right now? How much music is there? How loud is the traffic? Is the TV on? Do we even know what “silence” is? (Never mind what it can actually do in our lives). A few months ago, I was … Continue reading
I’d like you to think about becoming a professional Christian. Do those two words even belong together? What does that look like? A televangelist? A faith healer? A church shopper? A person who takes faith and turns it into something legalistic and dead? It seems like a far cry away from the idea of loving … Continue reading
Sorry it’s been a while. I’ve been busy getting reacclimatized to ministry after a 3-month Sabbatical. In the upcoming weeks I want to start unpacking my vision of how to create a Gospel-shaped life. This week’s installment is about how we might deepen our corporate worship experience. I’m assuming here that you share my belief … Continue reading
As I’ve written before, contrary how most of us experience Easter, it’s actually a season of the Church, and not merely a day. It’s not meant to be blown by and then remembered in the rear view mirror by its exhaustion (hello, church-workers), chocolate consumption (or Peeps), and communal meals. Just as Lent prepares us … Continue reading
What the resurrection means (at the very least)… That Jesus was/is the Christ, the Messiah That love really does win (Relatedly) That evil, death, and violence do not have the last word That doubt on Saturday is a part of life, but can give way to faith on Sunday That God is almost always unexpected … Continue reading
What he liked about his brother, he said, is that he made people become what they didn’t think they could become. He twisted something in their hearts. Gave them new places to go… His brother believed that the space for God was one of the last great frontiers: men and women could do all sorts … Continue reading
I’m probably alone in this, but sometimes I feel like Jesus has a funny way of healing people. To my eyes and ears, Jesus’ healings have a hard edge to them. For instance, we are told that one time Jesus heals a man with a “withered hand” on the Sabbath, and the religious experts are … Continue reading
Jesus’ mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood near the cross. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that time … Continue reading
I’ve been so excited to get this book, and so far it’s been pretty rewarding. I’m actually not a huge David Byrne fan, but I just love people who pursue—and think and write about—creativity with few borders and labels. Byrne’s career has been awesome to watch, while he veered from New Wave and Alternative with … Continue reading
