Reformed, Hopeful, Always Reforming
The Spirit came with wind and fire, so we close the windows, we put in sprinklers and smoke detectors, we have flame retardents and climate controls . . . . . . and not just in our homes. The Spirit came and transcended languages, so we erected bigger barriers, we buried our dry bones deeper, […]
Read More Pentecost, 2015It’s no secret that many churches have dwindled in size. Prominent churches and pastors are embroiled in controversy. Not a week goes by that I don’t have someone tell me that they’ve left organized religion or that they’ve walked away from Christianity altogether. There’s so much pain, so much dysfunction, so many issues. As I […]
Read More The Church Is HopelessWhat is hope if it isn’t a little absurd? What if hope for the future helps us locate faith for today?
Read More The Absurdity of HopeThe church in the United States is in decline. There is nothing particularly earth-shattering about this. It is reported nearly everywhere on a regular basis. In my corner of the Bible-belt, the reasoning that is often given for this is the increasing cultural secularization and pluralization. This, of course, likely has something to do with […]
Read More The Corporate Captivity of the ChurchThere has been a lot of online bemoaning and complaining and analysis recently about the decline of the Christian church in the northern hemisphere. Whether it is the rise of the “Nones,” the popularity of Sports culture, the fact that people no longer feel obligated to attend worship every single week, or the changing demographic […]
Read More Burning Man – Funeral pyre for the Church?I love the gospel passages for the Sundays right after Easter Sunday. The Sunday after Easter day has Jesus showing up to his disciples, but Thomas was absent. And he, bless his heart, expressed what they were likely all thinking, “‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger […]
Read More Adventures in Missing the PointWhat could make a cold and snowy winter better than watching the Winter Olympics? Sochi has been marred by every sort of controversy, from the minutiae of poorly constructed restrooms to flagrant human rights issues. However, the Olympiad itself still stands as a testament to competition and the joy the games. Last night, US Champion […]
Read More Not the Ending I Had in MindAdvent can be one of the most stressful times of year. Perhaps it all comes down to the expectations we put on ourselves and others, as April suggests. I’ll admit that a lot of the stress I feel in the weeks leading up to Christmas rise out of unrealistic expectations I put on myself to […]
Read More Advent Peace Amid Holiday StressIt’s been 22 months since I started interviewing for a pastoral position in area churches and ministries. It’s been 22 months since I looked to the church to validate my call to ministry. Twenty-two months later, I am beginning to discover that I must die to the thought that the church proclaims my worth before […]
Read More A difficult place to be: Reflections on a pastor becoming a pastor