Posts
Christians, We Need to Get Out of People’s Bathrooms (and Bedrooms)
Surveying my news feed lately, I can’t help but think that most people doing the same thing would be hard pressed not to come away with the conclusion that all
The Near Death Experience of Living
Things change in the time it takes to breathe. – Sass Jordan Two years ago my father died in his sleep while on vacation. It was, as my mother described
Maybe the Table Really Isn’t Big Enough
Being an optimist is hazardous duty these days. I’ve been a pastor in the local church for the better part of two decades. For most of that time I’ve believed that the
How A Youth-Obsessed Christianity is Discarding Its Elders
A few years ago, I was midway through the candidacy process for a staff position at a bustling megachurch here in the South. As is standard with these processes, my weekend was packed with a
God is Not Out to Squash You (A Progression of My Christian Faith)
I grew up believing that God loved me dearly. I also grew up believing God was very angry with me. I was taught that God personally created me and was immediately displeased
How Love Wins: Moms of LGBTQ Children Share Their Stories, Part 2
One of my great joys is serving as honorary pastor for a private Facebook group of over 1,000 moms with LGBTQ children. These amazing women (who refer to themselves as “Mama Bears”)
How Love Wins: Moms of LGBTQ Children Share Their Stories, Part 1
One of my great joys is serving as honorary pastor for a private Facebook group of thousands of moms with LGBTQ children. These amazing women (who refer to themselves as
You Need to Know: You’re Doing Just Fine.
Yesterday I said something careless to my ten-year old son, Noah. He’d been playing outside with his six year-old sister and she’d gotten hurt. In my knee-jerk response to her sobbing I
6 Ways The Church’s Treatment of LGBTQ People is Actually Damaging the Church
The Church is hurting and as all too often is the case, this wound is self-inflicted. It’s familiar friendly fire; an injury we are doing to ourselves over and over and over
I’m a Follower of Jesus—and You’re Damn Right I’m Angry
The other day a good friend said to me, “You seem really angry lately.” The tone and delivery of his words implied that this must simply be a perception management issue, a message
Easter, When You’re Losing Your Faith
Religious holidays are difficult when you’re deconstructing your faith. When your beliefs begin to shift or when doubt creeps in, those dates on the calendar that used to bring such joy, that
Dear Terrorist, You Lose.
I’m really hoping this reaches you. I’m praying that the global social media network does what it often does so very well: connect people who would otherwise not cross paths. So
A Letter to An LGBTQ Teenager, From Someone Who Loves You
Dear Friend, I was thinking about you today, as I often do. And as I did (as with each time you come to my mind) I once again remembered. I remembered how
Call Them While You Can (Grief and The Stuff We Need to Say Now)
Yesterday my daughter did something really funny during dinner—like spit take funny. (This is rather commonplace in our home these days). Not long after finishing the dishes I grabbed for the
Why An Apolitical Christian Faith Doesn’t Exist (If You Listen to Jesus)
You should stick to preaching the Gospel and stay out of politics! – A reader I get this frequently, especially in an election year. I’m not sure what “Gospel” this nice
Acknowledging Our Grief Anniversaries
I always struggle on sunny Saturday mornings. It was a brilliantly blue-skyed September Saturday four years ago, when I bounded down the stairs on the way to the gym and noticed my
The Parable of the Lousy Samaritan
So in the Gospel account of Luke, Jesus tells a parable (this kind of spiritually loaded word picture), which even if you’re not a particularly religious person you’re probably vaguely familiar
Maybe You Should Stop Calling Yourself a Christian, Christian
People love to advertise themselves as Christians; on Facebook posts and in t-shirts and through tattoos, in Presidential campaigns and after football games and on bumper stickers. The Church regularly stands upon a soapbox to claim
No Christian, We Don’t Deserve Hell (And We Probably Needn’t Worry About it)
So there I was on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the local dog park, gingerly tiptoeing through an eclectic minefield of canine care packages and discussing the eternal destinations of our souls with a
If the Good People Would Be Loud
Where’d all the good people go? I’ve been changing channels I don’t see them on the TV shows. —Jack Johnson At times like these it can seem like the darkness is
On the Day I Die
On the day I die a lot will happen. A lot will change. The world will be busy. On the day I die, all the important appointments I made will be left unattended.
Christian, Let My Transgender People Go! (When Bigotry Uses the Bathroom)
Some days you read the news and you wonder how we’ve managed to survive as a civilization for millions of years without blowing it all up. Today is one of those days
Breaking Bread With Heretics: The Table of God’s Hospitality
I live just down the street from a very conservative Southern Baptist seminary. I often sit at the nearby coffee shop and just observe people, listening as the conversations waft
Donald Trump is a Christian Leader. The GOP Says So.
Donald Trump is a Christian leader. America’s GOP voters are confirming this. Never mind that his life and campaign are devoid of anything remotely resembling the Jesus of Nazareth we find
Christians, We Need to Get Out of People’s Bathrooms (and Bedrooms)
Surveying my news feed lately, I can’t help but think that most people doing the same thing would be hard pressed not to come away with the conclusion that all
The Near Death Experience of Living
Things change in the time it takes to breathe. – Sass Jordan Two years ago my father died in his sleep while on vacation. It was, as my mother described
Maybe the Table Really Isn’t Big Enough
Being an optimist is hazardous duty these days. I’ve been a pastor in the local church for the better part of two decades. For most of that time I’ve believed that the
How A Youth-Obsessed Christianity is Discarding Its Elders
A few years ago, I was midway through the candidacy process for a staff position at a bustling megachurch here in the South. As is standard with these processes, my weekend was packed with a
God is Not Out to Squash You (A Progression of My Christian Faith)
I grew up believing that God loved me dearly. I also grew up believing God was very angry with me. I was taught that God personally created me and was immediately displeased
How Love Wins: Moms of LGBTQ Children Share Their Stories, Part 2
One of my great joys is serving as honorary pastor for a private Facebook group of over 1,000 moms with LGBTQ children. These amazing women (who refer to themselves as “Mama Bears”)
How Love Wins: Moms of LGBTQ Children Share Their Stories, Part 1
One of my great joys is serving as honorary pastor for a private Facebook group of thousands of moms with LGBTQ children. These amazing women (who refer to themselves as
You Need to Know: You’re Doing Just Fine.
Yesterday I said something careless to my ten-year old son, Noah. He’d been playing outside with his six year-old sister and she’d gotten hurt. In my knee-jerk response to her sobbing I
6 Ways The Church’s Treatment of LGBTQ People is Actually Damaging the Church
The Church is hurting and as all too often is the case, this wound is self-inflicted. It’s familiar friendly fire; an injury we are doing to ourselves over and over and over
I’m a Follower of Jesus—and You’re Damn Right I’m Angry
The other day a good friend said to me, “You seem really angry lately.” The tone and delivery of his words implied that this must simply be a perception management issue, a message
Easter, When You’re Losing Your Faith
Religious holidays are difficult when you’re deconstructing your faith. When your beliefs begin to shift or when doubt creeps in, those dates on the calendar that used to bring such joy, that
Dear Terrorist, You Lose.
I’m really hoping this reaches you. I’m praying that the global social media network does what it often does so very well: connect people who would otherwise not cross paths. So
A Letter to An LGBTQ Teenager, From Someone Who Loves You
Dear Friend, I was thinking about you today, as I often do. And as I did (as with each time you come to my mind) I once again remembered. I remembered how
Call Them While You Can (Grief and The Stuff We Need to Say Now)
Yesterday my daughter did something really funny during dinner—like spit take funny. (This is rather commonplace in our home these days). Not long after finishing the dishes I grabbed for the
Why An Apolitical Christian Faith Doesn’t Exist (If You Listen to Jesus)
You should stick to preaching the Gospel and stay out of politics! – A reader I get this frequently, especially in an election year. I’m not sure what “Gospel” this nice
Acknowledging Our Grief Anniversaries
I always struggle on sunny Saturday mornings. It was a brilliantly blue-skyed September Saturday four years ago, when I bounded down the stairs on the way to the gym and noticed my
The Parable of the Lousy Samaritan
So in the Gospel account of Luke, Jesus tells a parable (this kind of spiritually loaded word picture), which even if you’re not a particularly religious person you’re probably vaguely familiar
Maybe You Should Stop Calling Yourself a Christian, Christian
People love to advertise themselves as Christians; on Facebook posts and in t-shirts and through tattoos, in Presidential campaigns and after football games and on bumper stickers. The Church regularly stands upon a soapbox to claim
No Christian, We Don’t Deserve Hell (And We Probably Needn’t Worry About it)
So there I was on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the local dog park, gingerly tiptoeing through an eclectic minefield of canine care packages and discussing the eternal destinations of our souls with a
If the Good People Would Be Loud
Where’d all the good people go? I’ve been changing channels I don’t see them on the TV shows. —Jack Johnson At times like these it can seem like the darkness is
On the Day I Die
On the day I die a lot will happen. A lot will change. The world will be busy. On the day I die, all the important appointments I made will be left unattended.
Christian, Let My Transgender People Go! (When Bigotry Uses the Bathroom)
Some days you read the news and you wonder how we’ve managed to survive as a civilization for millions of years without blowing it all up. Today is one of those days
Breaking Bread With Heretics: The Table of God’s Hospitality
I live just down the street from a very conservative Southern Baptist seminary. I often sit at the nearby coffee shop and just observe people, listening as the conversations waft
Donald Trump is a Christian Leader. The GOP Says So.
Donald Trump is a Christian leader. America’s GOP voters are confirming this. Never mind that his life and campaign are devoid of anything remotely resembling the Jesus of Nazareth we find