Thanks to a dear friend, I’ve been on a Diana Butler Bass kick for a moment. This friend gifted me the book, Grateful: The Subversive Practice of Giving Thanks, last week and I haven’t had a chance to start because of an unusually busy Advent season personally, professionally and in my responsibilities at church. I… Continue reading Advent and a Different Rhythm for Life
Did Jesus Fulfill Prophecy?
Many of my friends are Christians because they believe Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy. In their system, Jesus matches up to all the old predictions in scripture about the messiah. It proves Christianity is true. I’m not here to criticize. I’m a Christian because I believe I’ve had direct experiences of the living Christ,… Continue reading Did Jesus Fulfill Prophecy?
How Evangelical Christianity is Unraveling from Within
Robert Preston Morris started Gateway Church, a prominent megachurch located in Southlake, Texas, in 2000, and served as its senior pastor. Morris was a member of a 25-person evangelical executive advisory board for Donald Trump’s winning 2016 presidential campaign. He also welcomed Trump to Gateway Church in June 2020 and was present at the White… Continue reading How Evangelical Christianity is Unraveling from Within
Faith is a Long Walk, Not a Checklist
If you listened to a lot of the loudest Christians in the world today, you might think that Christianity is a program with an exacting checklist to follow. Perform these rules and rituals in exactly the right way and you can be part of the chosen. This is historically and even ethically wrong. I’m not… Continue reading Faith is a Long Walk, Not a Checklist
Christianity Should be Easier Than This
One of the most important challenges to Christianity is the complex story so many people tell about it. It usually goes something like this. God created humans in God’s image. Those humans disobeyed and that caused every other human to inherit original sin. This makes God mad — after all how dare we allow ourselves… Continue reading Christianity Should be Easier Than This
Is Hell’s door locked from the inside?
I often hear hopeful universalists quote C.S. Lewis that, “the doors of Hell are locked on the inside.” In other words, individuals only remain in Hell because of their own choice and not because of a divine decree from a vengeful god. This seems to imply that people are not sent to Hell but instead… Continue reading Is Hell’s door locked from the inside?
What Would You, O God, Have Me Believe And Do?
Although I am the president of council for a local Lutheran church, I consider myself a Congregationalist first and foremost. Yet, marrying into a Norwegian family and helping lead an ELCA congregation has lured me toward the study of some prominent Lutheran thinkers. I recently stumbled on a profound essay by John P. Milton, “How… Continue reading What Would You, O God, Have Me Believe And Do?
Do You Have an Escapist Faith?
Tomorrow is election day in much of the USA. But that’s not why you came here. You just wanted some time to think about a Bible passage or two. I get it. You want to escape from a broken world. We all do. I’m sick of seeing President Baby Hands and his sycophants destroy democracy,… Continue reading Do You Have an Escapist Faith?
Some Brief, Personal Reflections on the Apostles’ Creed
I’ve been putting off writing about our Christian creeds because I’m not sure how original any of my thoughts would be and to truly address them would require several books of material. But recently I’ve had a few questions come up regarding the Apostles’ Creed and I also recommended Karl Barth’s Dogmatics in Outline to… Continue reading Some Brief, Personal Reflections on the Apostles’ Creed
Faith Should Be Uncomfortable
A lot of Christians I meet understand their faith as a series of truth claims, whatever, “truth,” might mean to them. They receive a checklist of doctrinal agreements that give them some kind of assurance that their faith is figured out for them. Like the preflight instructions on your next plane trip, the installation instructions… Continue reading Faith Should Be Uncomfortable