• ‘If you fear failure’

    ‘If you fear failure’

    An especially needed message for Lent.

  • What You Probably Misunderstand About the Culture War

    What You Probably Misunderstand About the Culture War

    A culture war? You and I have our political-church landscape wrong. And we’re making it worse. Here’s how we fix it: we speak the truth.

  • ‘Scratch any cynic…’

    ‘Scratch any cynic…’

    We often talk about the fatalism of our character. Or who we’ve become because of our experience. But there’s a beauty in this thought: “Scratch any cynic and you will find a disappointed idealist.” -George Carlin That we might actually see what’s underneath. What’s still there. Idealism never left. It got turned toward something else.…

  • Look Up

    Look Up

    There’s something hinky going on here. Jesus and Nicodemus and this late night visit. And how each of us comes to see this moment speaks to how much we trust in Jesus and how much we trust in our own experience. Who is this man, and why does Jesus give him such a hard time?…

  • Why Hating Sin Means You Hate People

    Why Hating Sin Means You Hate People

    The collateral damage of sin hunting and fighting for ideological purity We met where we normally do: the kitchen. He was making coffee for the AA group that meets in the parish hall several nights each week. I was returning for another cup. He thanked me for letting them be there: “You’re the only ones…

  • ‘All ministry begins…’

    ‘All ministry begins…’

    #servantleader #woundedhealer

  • I don’t recall

    I don’t recall

    I hate lies. But for me, it doesn’t end there. I hate when we encourage lies over honesty. How easy it is to conveniently forget. To ignore the truth. To misremember on purpose. Or just happen to not remember at a critical moment. “I don’t recall,” we say. Our brains are funny things, really. While…

  • Tempted

    Tempted

    This is the first thing after. A thousand things he could’ve done. Jesus is the Messiah, right? The Son of God. There’s probably a few pressing things God needs done around the place. The first thing he has to do after his baptism is to go into the wilderness to be tempted. Lent 1A  |…