An Excerpt from “Sacred Belonging”
We got the news late one Sunday morning in mid-July that my father-in-law had died unexpectedly.
The phone rang loudly that day. Not only did the noise startle my spouse, Taylor, and me as we prepared to hea...
Do Not Worry: A Communal Approach
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ -Jesus (Matthew 6:31)
Don’t worry about what you’ll eat. Don’t worry about what you’ll drink. Don’t worry ...
During My First Year in Seminary
Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. That takes a lot of work – and the work is letting go in order to see what is. Letting go of the expectation that the world be free of darkness. Letting go of our indignation that the darkness exists. The darkness is there; we have to live in it, deal with it, and see the light in the midst of darkness.
An Open Letter to His Holiness Kirill from US Christian Leaders
“In this moment, as the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, you have the holy opportunity to play an historic role in helping to bring a cessation of senseless violence and a restoration of peace,” the US Christian leaders wrote in their letter. “We pray you will do so, and our prayers will accompany you.”
Radical Forgiveness and Ableism in the Church
While the disability experience is not a monolith, by & large caregivers and disabled people are familiar with the feeling of being excluded from environments that seemingly welcome their presence but not their belonging. And I have to wonder if our churches are not fully FOR the least among them first, then who are they really for?
The Best Defense…
What if we were to attack instead of retreat? What if, in place of despair or even a secure defense, we were to perpetrate an all-out offensive on the things that threaten to divide us: antisemitism, racism, domestic (what a word) violence, the prevalence, and ease of acquisition of guns, America’s preferred instrument of destruction?
Single and Ready to…Rethink Church, Family, and What It Means to Belong
It can be less lonely simply not going to church than going and trying to be a part of something that largely was not designed for you.
Transcending Boundaries as People of Faith
God’s love, if we believe it, is unlimited and crosses every human-made boundary.
Drawing My Own Map in a Post-Evangelical World
For someone who thrives on order and stability, drawing my own map is more than navigating uncharted territory. It’s calling me to trust myself, trust God, and believe that the journey towards my own healing is worth the effort.
Dazzling and Cruel Transitions Out of Homelessness
There is an aspect of health and wholeness that cannot be defined by Maslow or medicine or psychology during transitions like this.