Unpopular opinion: Churches work way too hard to keep Advent relevant. It's symptomatic of the Church's larger issues.
Save the Church, Let Advent Die
Asking Difficult Questions [A Prayer]
Good and gracious God, We want a deeper faith. We want to know you more fully, but we are also sometimes worried to ask too many questions, to have it seem too much like we are uncertain. May we learn to hold on to a love that is so unquenchable it is willing to ask … Continue reading Asking Difficult Questions [A Prayer]
Jesus the Activist
(Author note: From time to time, as my theological perspectives change, I revisit articles that I find important and give them new life with a new perspective. This is one such article). I have an article that I wrote about 4 years ago that is making its way around social medial again. The title of … Continue reading Jesus the Activist
Letting Go of Self-importance [A Prayer]
Good and gracious God, Sometimes to be the people we feel called to be we must do things which can feel impossible. Most of us have doubts and questions and negative thoughts about ourselves at times. Sometimes it seems humanity is just wired that way. Pride and feeling important can feel like a needed counterbalance … Continue reading Letting Go of Self-importance [A Prayer]
The Overprivileged Judgement of John 3:16
Most of us could probably quote at least one verse of the Bible and most likely that verse would be John 3:16. It has been called the greatest love story ever to be told. Martin Luther, (the early church reformer) called the verse the Gospel in a nutshell. Someone else once said that “if the … Continue reading The Overprivileged Judgement of John 3:16
Altruism and Oneness
Dr. Mohammed Basha of Gainesville, Florida tells the story of a patient of his. He remembers walking through the parking lot and says, "all I could think about was the dire diagnosis I had handed my patient Jimmy: pancreatic cancer." Just then, he noticed an elderly gentleman handing tools to someone working under his stalled … Continue reading Altruism and Oneness
On a Genderqueer God
Naming God is difficult at best, divisive even in its mildest form, and can be thought of as sacrilegious at its worst. I was confronted squarely with this reality as I entered divinity school. I can only begin to tell you how excited I was to be accepted into divinity school at Wake Forest. I … Continue reading On a Genderqueer God
Time to Dump the Dogma of a Dead God
It was 1966 and it was the first time TIME magazine used only text on its cover. The impact of the change only added to the striking question that the cover asked. “Is God Dead?” Three simple words that for a brief time created quite a stir throughout the United States. Many angry sermons were … Continue reading Time to Dump the Dogma of a Dead God
Bringing Justice [A Prayer]
Good and gracious God, Rescue us from our self-importance. Pull us from the depths of our short-sighted selfishness. Remind us of the interconnectedness of life. Convict us with the reality that a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Inspire us toward lives lived out for others -- lives that persistently shout … Continue reading Bringing Justice [A Prayer]
Dear Christian, Vote for Love
Have you ever wonder how an all-loving God condemns LGBTQ folks to hell? It's something I call the “I'm Special Confirmation Bias.” There's nothing like taking a group that the Bible is mostly disinterested in (7 or fewer verses out of more than 31,000 verse) and turning them into one of the most vile groups … Continue reading Dear Christian, Vote for Love
