Posts
The Tragically Short Lifespan of Outrage
“True… lengthy, but true.” I received this comment on one of my blog posts this week. The post was less than 700 words long. That’s 5 Tweets. The stranger’s sentiments worried me when I saw
The Bible's Rough Neighborhoods: Navigating The Scary Stuff In Scripture
Many years ago, as part of my freshman orientation during the first week of college in inner-city Philadelphia, someone from the school took out a map and showed us all the “rough
A Prayer Of Lament To A God Who Seems Late (Charleston, Ferguson, Uganda…)
I need to confess something: I don’t know what to pray today. I’m a Christian. I’m a pastor. I get it. I know all the Scripture passages. I know
If Your Straight Marriage Is Threatened By Gay Marriage, It’s Time To Check Your Marriage
Recently, a straight Christian couple in Australia vowed to divorce if gay marriage is legalized there. While few people go to such extreme and public lengths in protest, they aren’t
The Destructive Lie of ”God’s Favor”
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45 Sometimes the lies we believe are so subtle
When Your Loved One Dies Again
My father died today. This wasn’t the first time, though. I initially lost him almost twenty months ago, and when the news first reached me it literally brought me to my
Jurassic Church World: The Nearing Extinction of Dinosaur Christians
Dinosaurs still walk among us; those loud, lumbering, living relics of the distant past. They spring from the shadows every once in a while, in furious, blustery fits meant to
When Father’s Day Hurts
For most people Father’s Day is made of sugary sweetness; of crayon-adorned cards and handmade gifts, of close embraces and tender words, ugly ties and lazy lunches and unapologetic kisses. For most people it is
To My Son’s Teacher, And All Those Ordinary Superheroes Saving Kids Today
Comic books have lied to all of us. Heroism isn’t capes and costumes. It doesn’t come from radioactive spider bites or metal suits or gamma rays or distant planets. It isn’t
Thoughts On The Gay Community, Humanity, And Why I’m Not An LGBTQ Ally
A year or so ago this blog post, about how I’d respond if I learned that my children were gay totally blew up, allowing me an almost instant audience with millions
For Those Who Struggle on Sundays
Sunday. For many people that means going to church; a place where they can find community and grow in faith and be cared for and feel at home. It’s a
How To Talk About Your Religious Beliefs (And Not Be A Total A**hole)
I’m going to Hell. I know, because several times a week someone (usually a relative stranger) alerts me to this fact. Now, most people would take offense at another’s announcement
The Duggars, The Jenners, And The Growing Exodus From Christianity
Sometimes revelation comes in just 140 characters. Tonight I had another Christian tell me on social media that he was okay with Josh Duggar fondling young girls “because he repented”, but has
I Will Call Her "Caitlyn."
One of the greatest gifts you can give another human being is to really see them. Not who you wish them to be, not the version of themselves that makes
The One Thing The Modern Church Needs To Prevent More Leadership Failures
This past week, Dallas megachurch The Village Church made headlines for its poor handling of a moral failure within its community, most notably the prolonged bullying and intimidation of the man’s wife
Why Everything Does Not Happen For A Reason
That phrase. We’ve all received it personally gift-wrapped by well-meaning friends, caring loved ones, and kind strangers. It usually comes delivered with the most beautiful of intentions; a buffer of hope raised in
In A Storm With My Daughter, Dancing In The Crook of God's Arm
My 5-year old daughter is a force of nature. She has this wild, frenetic energy that seems to propel her effortlessly through her young life. At times that unpredictable combustion can be a
Matt Chandler, Village Church, Acts 29 Network, and The Long Overdue Funeral For Frat Boy Christianity
UPDATE FROM JOHN: As of this writing, Matt Chandler and The Village Church have issued a lengthy statement regarding these events, which can be read in full HERE. In
Waking Up On Memorial Day
I woke up this morning thinking about you. My eyes opened and I immediately began the usual involuntary inventory; of what I might do today, the assorted plans I have:
Why Religious Hypocrisy is Unavoidable (And Why It's Unacceptable)
Lots of people say that all Christians are hypocrites. I agree with those people. I’m both a Christian and a hypocrite. I greatly wish that I were only one of
Here Are Some Lessons All Christians Can Learn From The Duggar Family Situation
As news has begun filtering out about the sexual abuse within, and the subsequent mishandling and cover-up by the Reality TV-starring Duggar Family, Christians of all theological perspectives should take note
5 Ways Churches and Their Leaders Can Love Single People Well
Recently I published this apology on behalf of myself and my fellow pastors, church leaders, and staff members for the way we have unintentionally damaged single people within our communities as we have
When Mean, Scared, Scary White People Have Stolen My Jesus
Some days I feel like filing a Missing Persons Report for Jesus. I survey the media landscape of what so many identify as representing Christianity in my country and it feels like he has
A Pastor’s Apology To The Single Community
This is a message to all those who are single or who have spent any years in the Church as a single person. As a pastor who has served in local church
The Tragically Short Lifespan of Outrage
“True… lengthy, but true.” I received this comment on one of my blog posts this week. The post was less than 700 words long. That’s 5 Tweets. The stranger’s sentiments worried me when I saw
The Bible's Rough Neighborhoods: Navigating The Scary Stuff In Scripture
Many years ago, as part of my freshman orientation during the first week of college in inner-city Philadelphia, someone from the school took out a map and showed us all the “rough
A Prayer Of Lament To A God Who Seems Late (Charleston, Ferguson, Uganda…)
I need to confess something: I don’t know what to pray today. I’m a Christian. I’m a pastor. I get it. I know all the Scripture passages. I know
If Your Straight Marriage Is Threatened By Gay Marriage, It’s Time To Check Your Marriage
Recently, a straight Christian couple in Australia vowed to divorce if gay marriage is legalized there. While few people go to such extreme and public lengths in protest, they aren’t
The Destructive Lie of ”God’s Favor”
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45 Sometimes the lies we believe are so subtle
When Your Loved One Dies Again
My father died today. This wasn’t the first time, though. I initially lost him almost twenty months ago, and when the news first reached me it literally brought me to my
Jurassic Church World: The Nearing Extinction of Dinosaur Christians
Dinosaurs still walk among us; those loud, lumbering, living relics of the distant past. They spring from the shadows every once in a while, in furious, blustery fits meant to
When Father’s Day Hurts
For most people Father’s Day is made of sugary sweetness; of crayon-adorned cards and handmade gifts, of close embraces and tender words, ugly ties and lazy lunches and unapologetic kisses. For most people it is
To My Son’s Teacher, And All Those Ordinary Superheroes Saving Kids Today
Comic books have lied to all of us. Heroism isn’t capes and costumes. It doesn’t come from radioactive spider bites or metal suits or gamma rays or distant planets. It isn’t
Thoughts On The Gay Community, Humanity, And Why I’m Not An LGBTQ Ally
A year or so ago this blog post, about how I’d respond if I learned that my children were gay totally blew up, allowing me an almost instant audience with millions
For Those Who Struggle on Sundays
Sunday. For many people that means going to church; a place where they can find community and grow in faith and be cared for and feel at home. It’s a
How To Talk About Your Religious Beliefs (And Not Be A Total A**hole)
I’m going to Hell. I know, because several times a week someone (usually a relative stranger) alerts me to this fact. Now, most people would take offense at another’s announcement
The Duggars, The Jenners, And The Growing Exodus From Christianity
Sometimes revelation comes in just 140 characters. Tonight I had another Christian tell me on social media that he was okay with Josh Duggar fondling young girls “because he repented”, but has
I Will Call Her "Caitlyn."
One of the greatest gifts you can give another human being is to really see them. Not who you wish them to be, not the version of themselves that makes
The One Thing The Modern Church Needs To Prevent More Leadership Failures
This past week, Dallas megachurch The Village Church made headlines for its poor handling of a moral failure within its community, most notably the prolonged bullying and intimidation of the man’s wife
Why Everything Does Not Happen For A Reason
That phrase. We’ve all received it personally gift-wrapped by well-meaning friends, caring loved ones, and kind strangers. It usually comes delivered with the most beautiful of intentions; a buffer of hope raised in
In A Storm With My Daughter, Dancing In The Crook of God's Arm
My 5-year old daughter is a force of nature. She has this wild, frenetic energy that seems to propel her effortlessly through her young life. At times that unpredictable combustion can be a
Matt Chandler, Village Church, Acts 29 Network, and The Long Overdue Funeral For Frat Boy Christianity
UPDATE FROM JOHN: As of this writing, Matt Chandler and The Village Church have issued a lengthy statement regarding these events, which can be read in full HERE. In
Waking Up On Memorial Day
I woke up this morning thinking about you. My eyes opened and I immediately began the usual involuntary inventory; of what I might do today, the assorted plans I have:
Why Religious Hypocrisy is Unavoidable (And Why It's Unacceptable)
Lots of people say that all Christians are hypocrites. I agree with those people. I’m both a Christian and a hypocrite. I greatly wish that I were only one of
Here Are Some Lessons All Christians Can Learn From The Duggar Family Situation
As news has begun filtering out about the sexual abuse within, and the subsequent mishandling and cover-up by the Reality TV-starring Duggar Family, Christians of all theological perspectives should take note
5 Ways Churches and Their Leaders Can Love Single People Well
Recently I published this apology on behalf of myself and my fellow pastors, church leaders, and staff members for the way we have unintentionally damaged single people within our communities as we have
When Mean, Scared, Scary White People Have Stolen My Jesus
Some days I feel like filing a Missing Persons Report for Jesus. I survey the media landscape of what so many identify as representing Christianity in my country and it feels like he has
A Pastor’s Apology To The Single Community
This is a message to all those who are single or who have spent any years in the Church as a single person. As a pastor who has served in local church