• The Dragon or the Lamb – Power and the Church’s Grave Mistake

    The Dragon or the Lamb – Power and the Church’s Grave Mistake

      In their book The Way of the Dragon Or the Way of the Lamb: Searching For Jesus’ Path of Power In a Church That Has Abandoned It, evangelicals Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel explore how the church has wrestled with the nature of power. And as you can guess from the title, the church has more…

  • Walking on Water

    Walking on Water

    In the story, Jesus walks on water. So does Peter. He is just doing what Jesus did, offering us an option at a time of great fear. Proper 14A | Matthew 14:22-33 The first time I walked on water, I was 16 years-old. I had never done anything so intentional as that before. It was…

  • I shouldn’t have to remind you that Jesus doesn’t support nuclear war.

    I shouldn’t have to remind you that Jesus doesn’t support nuclear war.

    What’s with some Christians suddenly endorsing nuclear war? The idea pisses me off. But it doesn’t surprise me. It seems like an inevitable, given our present state. Not that war is inevitable (though I fear it may be). But that some Christians are always making it harder on the rest of us. And at the…

  • They Entered the Cloud

    They Entered the Cloud

    Following Jesus can be really hard. But in the Transfiguration, we have a story about following the path, even when it forces us to face our fears. Transfiguration | Luke 9:28-36 Jesus chose three disciples to join him up a mountain, for prayer. It must be an honor to be chosen. How special they must…

  • Why we misunderstand the real problem with corruption

    Why we misunderstand the real problem with corruption

    The original standard for corruption isn’t proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that he did it. It’s based entirely on opportunity. We’ve all been told to walk a mile in another person’s shoes. The reason, of course is that we can be selfish jerks and need to think about other people. No question. But…

  • Love Poets

    Love Poets

    Like poets, Jesus invites his followers to observe in our world those places where God breaks through so that we might revel in that joy. Proper 12A | Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 The work of the poet is discovery. After ruthless editing of course. Discovery. It begins first with discovery in the world: observation. The poet watches…

  • Compromise May Be the Answer, But Not To This Question

    Compromise May Be the Answer, But Not To This Question

    Compromise is an essential part of relating with other people. But what happens when it’s missing? And how effective are our demands for it? Compromise is one of the most essential skills for people to learn. To grow up, we need to work toward agreement with sacrifice and mutual concern. Even to get the things…

  • Even Scarier Words

    Even Scarier Words

    EVEN SCARIER WORDS The day the president insulted himself I was 8. I didn’t know anything about him except that he sold weapons to bad people and seemed OK with lying about it. But I’ve always wondered how he could say such terrible things about himself. That his being there speaking would terrify a person.…