Can Theology Be an Idol?
One of my favorite classes in seminary was Christology. It was the systematic biblical study of the person of Jesus Christ (that’s a mouthful!). By collecting and summarizing passages of the Bible, we learned a...
Deconstruction’s Critics Are Those With Much to Lose
I do not take deconstruction lightly, nor do I wish for churches to die. I want the church to flourish, and flourishing requires weeding out that which is harmful.
The Mark of Cain: On Who Deserves to Live
Killing in the name of God should be the ultimate oxymoron – the most extreme self-canceling, obvious-to-all contradiction.
Seeking Wholeness: Moving Beyond the Abortion Debate
Maybe when we stop arguing over legality, we’ll be able to see the women and the children who are caught between the battle lines.
Jesus, Justice, and the Suffering of the Marginalized
Yet, where we see suffering, we often see Jesus. Jesus’ arrival in the Gerasenes shows us how he breaks into the marginalized areas of our societies where those who are suffering have been left to languish.
Violence & Victory
Violence is a byproduct of victory in the prosperity-scarcity framework, as people are subconsciously taught to seek prosperity at all costs. But seeking justice requires us to lay down our idol of victory.
Propositional Church in a Wounded World
What were those “statements of faith” in the light of tragedy? Social upheaval? Personal challenges? Difficult relationships? Crisis? Or even encounters with wonder and discovery?
Struggle is Faithfulness: Thoughts from Inside Chronic Illness
However, is God directly responsible for one person’s healing while another suffers or dies? When God gets credit for the first outcome but not the second, it leaves the second person (and/or their loved ones) invisible, insignificant, and clearly excluded from God’s circle of care.
Tired of Looking for the Exit
There are kids, teens, and adults at your church that are LGBTQ+. They’re wondering if there’s a place for them. And more will be coming. Or maybe they won’t. Not because they aren’t seeking Christ, community, and Biblical truth, but because they’re tired of being rejected. They're tired of looking for the exit.
My Breast Cancer Revealed a Mothering God
Now that I am in the post treatment phase punctuated by periodic check-ups, the everydayness of cancer has receded. In its wake, however, I am left with an indelible mark. A mark that has made all of the difference.