Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

Bible Study

  • Bible Study

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    5 min read

    It feels like we don’t respect the Bible. We use it as a weapon. As justification. As a tool. We use it as a litmus test and a crutch. We use it as means of separation and as a means of distinction. We use it to gather people to us and to turn them away. Our…

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  • The protagonist is Jesus, but the story is about the disciples

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    5 min read

    I love talking with my Dad about church. He’s a priest. I’m a priest. Both of us are very traditional in many ways; very untraditional in many ways. And the best part is that they don’t always match. I greatly appreciate the way we talk, argue, explore, wrestle with our mutual vocations. Our talk last night…

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  • Giving Away Too Much Power?

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    3 min read

      Pharaoh gives away his power to a man that was locked in his dungeon. Seems like a stupid move. I’m no leadership guru, but that seems like a pretty bad idea. In our weekly Bible study at St. Paul’s, we’ve been taking our time, as we walk through Genesis, one chapter per week. Last…

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  • Being the Millstone Church (Eating Scripture)

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    2 min read

    Eating Mark 9:38-50   Last week, Jesus foretold His death for the second time. And the for the second time, the disciples don’t get it. No surprise there. For me, this was always a given. From the first time I really heard Peter get rejected by Jesus for getting out of line to the first conscious recognition…

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  • Tilling the Soil

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    4 min read

    Those that have joined us for Bible Study can tell you one really important concept that comes out of our earliest creation story. It begins in Genesis 2 (chapter 1 was written later). GOD creates the earth and all of the creatures of the earth. Then from the soil (adama), the first human (adam) was…

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  • Just Cut the Church Programs

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    5 min read

    For several weeks I’ve been writing about engaging different groups in church.  Then I wrote about dealing with time constraints and what it means for planning.  Now, I am making a personal appeal for an entirely different approach: it is time to get rid of our programs. As Phyllis Tickle adeptly outlines in The Great…

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