Soon after news broke about the death of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, amid the flood of condolences and the raw expressions of grief and shock—came the others; the ones

Being gay is not a sin. Neither is being lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. The Bible never claims that it is. It really doesn’t. Christians should stop saying it because it’s

John McCain seems like a good and decent man, and his Cancer diagnosis is horrific. It’s the kind of news that makes you sick to your stomach; a tragedy for

During a Q & A following a session at Wild Goose Festival, a man asked if I ever considered starting a church. I answered that I didn’t think so, because most

I care deeply about people. My efficacy and usefulness as a pastor and caregiver (and as a decent member of humanity), is predicated on knowing how people’s hearts work, the

A lot can change in a day… Last week, influential Christian pastor Eugene Peterson came out in support of LGBTQ inclusion and gay marriage. It was a massive tremor in

A few times a week, a stranger (not coincidentally, almost always a Conservative Christian guy), drops into my comments sections and attempts to “out me;” sharing all manner of theories

My parents always said to be careful who you associate yourself with because you are known by the company you keep—that the people around you reflect on you and manufacture

“You should stay out of politics and stick to preaching the Gospel.” – Bill, a Christian Several times a day I’m chided by a well-meaning friend, complete stranger, or soon-to-be-disconnecting

Right now, if it really believes what it preaches, the American Church has one foot in Hell and one on a banana peel—and this God-forsaken wannabe theocracy, is that banana peel.

I’ve shed many misplaced tears recently. For a while I thought I was grieving over the loss of America; that I was missing something we used to be, a place

A reader recently shared the following declaration, and it’s one I’ve heard about a billion times—give or take a few hundred thousand: “The Bible clearly says…” He said it, as

“He/she struggles with same-sex attraction.” I’d never heard this phrase until I started working at a church. Come to think of it I still rarely hear it outside of the

I’ve started to believe that social media is slowly killing us. I think it’s killing us one Tweet at a time. I sense our hearts are all slowly bleeding out.

I come bearing good news: You’re wrong about the world. Everything is fine. Bad people are a myth. They simply do not exist. Seriously. There are no racists in the

The bullhorn-wielding sign wavers and pulpit-pounding preachers are right: Jesus condemned many things in the Bible. He condemned those who neglected the poor and the marginalized. He condemned those who

You’d have thought November 9th, 2016 actually was the date of the Rapture. In the twinkling of an eye, millions of Christians (most of them white) seemingly disappeared that day

Every day I meet more and more homeless people. It isn’t that these men and women are without a physical place to dwell, it’s that they have found themselves internally displaced. 

Carrie Fisher’s autopsy reports revealed that at the time of her death she had a cocktail of numerous illicit and prescription drugs in her system. The news, as it always

There’s a common assertion about those of us who occupy some space in the political or religious Left, by our critics across the aisle or the pew: We don’t love

Dear Friend, Father’s Day is nearly here and I was thinking about you. I was wondering what this day is like for you. You might have a really good relationship with

So, I see you’re still supporting Donald Trump.  Look, I know you have your reasons (and there are so many to choose from), but thought maybe you could narrow it

Watch the news today and notice what happens: There will be a shooting. Someone will die. There will be a national disaster. A terrorist will strike. Tragedy will befall someone. And

“Do you believe in God?” People have asked me that question for my entire life. The answer used to be simple and quick, almost involuntary. I had a tidy little