Hello Friends.
This has been a simply unbelievable year in Blogville. I cannot express how grateful I am for you and for every read, share, and comment that’s come in.
Many of you may be relatively new to the blog, so I’ve compiled all my 2014 posts here in order, for your reading, re-reading, and bingeing pleasure.
A few more posts still to come this year, but for now, enjoy where we’ve been!
Blessings and Peace,
John
Valley Lessons: When God Doesn’t Come Through
Moms and Dads: Time to Unfriend Your Teenager
Complain And Abstain (“Noah”, And Why Christians Fail In The Multiplex)
This Grey Faith: Prayer, Truth, The Bible, And Other Muddy Paths For Christian Pilgrims
A Pastor Taps-Out On Fight Church, Tough Guy Preachers, And Macho Jesus
In The Width Of A Breath: The Thinness of Life in The Grief Valley
Cutting Words: Hallway Bullying, Invisible Christians, and Sins of Silence
We See You: In Appreciation of Quiet Children
Mirrors and Windows, Sins and Needs, and Christians Reflecting Poorly On Jesus
Attrition and Amputation: Losing and Limping in the Grief Valley
Church Impossible: Why Christians Could Really Use Robert Irvine Right Now
Perception, Reality, And The Mathematics Of Relationships.
The “Meh”ssiah: The God Of Those Living In The Middle
The Dad Shadow: A Message For All Fathers
My Wife Is NOT Hot: A Challenge To Men In Ministry On Social Media
Personal Jesus: Remaking A God In My Own Image
Young Men, Sex, and Urge Ownership (And Why It’s Not The Girl’s Problem)
The Photographs I Missed, Of A Day That I Didn’t
Guy-nocology: The Fallout From A Man, Challenging Men To Be Men
The Church Worth Coming Back To (A Message For The Left-Out)
Protecting Your Heart From The Soulmate Lie
The Other Side Of Our Absolutes (Why Everyone Else, Might Not Be The Problem)
Charlie Brown, Plot Twists, Worse-Case Scenarios… And Faith In A Recalculating God
Blood Breaks Through The Skin: Another Lesson In The Grief Valley
Why More Christians Should Pray Less (The Sin Of Substitutionary Prayer)
A Faith In Blood and Bone: A Message To Those Hurt By The Church
Hugging The Porcupine (A Meditation on Tough Love)
Becoming Parents Worth Picking
Love The Lines: Living A #NoFilter Life
To My Hurting Friend: You Are Robin Williams
Church, Here’s Why People Are Leaving You. Part 1
Slinging Stones At Giants (Why It’s Perfectly Fine To Celebrate The Fall Of Mark Driscoll)
Whitewashed Dreams: Why Ferguson Is My Fault
Church, Here’s Why People Are Leaving You. Part 2
The Pretty Prison: The Father Of A Daughter, Ponders The Weight Of A Word
The Jesus Mafia: Christian Intolerance To Criticism (And Why You Never Go Against The Family)
Moments To Impact: Life, In The Seconds Before All Hell Breaks Loose
Confronting The Sin Police: Selective Christian Brutality Against A Fallen World
Church, Here’s Why People Are Leaving You. Part 3
Franchised Faith: The Closing Down Of ‘Mom-And-Pop’ Churches
The Great Unraveling: Faith, Doubt, And The Thread We All Hang By
Into The Second Closet: Christian Parents With Gay Children
The Faith Of Least Resistance (Why You, Me, And Most American Christians Are Really Joel Osteen)
Pint-Sized Superheroes: When Your Kids Save Your Life
Prayer: Divine Conversation… Or God’s Kickstarter Campaign?
Does Your Dogma Bite? (Why Jesus’ Theology Was More Than An Altar Call)
9/11: Celebrating The Power of Radical Extremism
A Year To Life: My First 365 Days In The Grief Valley
Falling Upward: The Stumbling Journey Toward ‘Disorganized Religion’
Pink Jerseys And Black Eyes: The NFL’s Abusive Relationship With Women And Children
If I Have Gay Children: Four Promises From A Christian Pastor/Parent
Something In The Place of Love (The Mistake No Christian Should Ever Make)
While They Can Still Hear (The Case For Living Eulogies)
Distorted Love: The Toll Of Our Christian Theology On The LGBT Community
The Lost Christian Art of Giving a Damn
The Church, The Church, and The Church (And Why It’s Totally OK To Criticize All Three Of ‘Em)
Christian, Stop Being Scared Of Halloween
Words About The Ocean: 5 Things I Wish Christians Would Admit About The Bible
I Just Want You To Know, It’s Gonna Be OK.
Mom And Dad, You Suck At Parenting (And Here’s Why That’s Just Fine)
Why Catcalling Guys And Guys Defending Catcalling Guys Are Wrong
My Week With Superheroes: A Tribute To Military Teens on Veterans Day
How We Built The Queerest Youth Ministry In Town
Kirk Cameron’s Dreaming Of A White, (Male-Dominated) Christmas
The Problem Of Sin (And It’s Not The One You Think) Part 1: Definitions
This Is What Modern Christians Really Fear Most
Why Maybe Gay People Should Stop Coming Out
This Whole Damn Country Needs A Hug… And Here It Is
Why We Kill Our Young Black Men Twice In White America
Giving Thanks For Terrible Things: Losing My Father, My Job, My Plan… And My Fear
Ferguson, Immigration, LGBT Rights, And The Destructive Myth Of ‘Them’
Weapon Of Choice: An Open Letter To Christians Who Believe That Sexuality Is A Decision
Injustice, Poverty, Pain, And Our Proximity Prejudice
The Continued Crucifying Of Rob Bell, And What It Says About The State Of Modern Christianity
When Their Hands Were Small: A Message To All Parents Of Prodigals
Dear God, Please Save Us From This Awful Thing You’ve Done To Us (An Angry Song)
Oh, There’s No Place Like Homesick For The Holidays
Plumber’s Cracks In The Grief Valley
1o Cool Gifts Christians Can Give Baby Jesus For His Birthday