The Churches of Christ are in the midst of change. Many of our congregations are moving away from our legalistic, sectarian roots in the direction of grace and ecumenical partnership. But change is hard.
(Story Day) In the Beginning ... there was Pain
I’m convinced that God was the first to flinch, the first to feel pain, while it took some time before humans had a clue what they had done to themselves and their world.
Employing Your Church Bulletin for the Ministry of Spiritual Formation
The ideal purpose of the bulletin is not only communication but also the promotion and facilitation of spiritual formation.
Why Silence? It’s Inactive (Part 3)
This is healing at its deepest place in the human soul. We are powerless to create it, control it, cause it, or even manage it.
Texas Hold'em and the Same-Sex Ban of Leviticus
Today, we conduct Wrestle Mania II as we reexamine these cards, continue wrestling with the evidence, and seek to understand a second possible conclusion.
Sunday’s Sermon as Leadership
Leadership through preaching occurs when preaching effectively posits a goal or an aim for persons and congregations.
Rage against the Machine
There is a machine that exists today that threatens all of humanity. It is a machine that we created, but now it spins wildly out of control and for the most part, we remain unaware or apathetic.
(Friday is Story Day) ... My Best Day (2)
As I lay motionless on the emergency room bed, unable to feel a thing from my toes to my shoulders, it suddenly occurred to me that we might have a problem.
Domestic Violence and the Gospel
Domestic violence is on the church’s radar. Perhaps this is due to the cultural moment we are living in, increased reporting from victims, or the work of the Holy Spirit.
Texas Hold'em and the Homosexual Ban of Leviticus
What did these texts communicate in their cultural and literary contexts? Today we examine one response
Teaching Women Effectively
Women’s studies have had a reputation of being fluffy. I am not sure exactly where this reputation began, although it may have to do with a preference for meeting “felt needs” rather than “real needs.”
"Choose Joy" and Other Ridiculous Things People Say to People in Recovery
That goal to "just be happy/joyful" is one of the biggest reasons my clients wind up clinging to disordered behavior.
(Friday is Story Day) My Best Day: 7 Years Ago this Week
By the time Dana got me to the Emergency Room, I was paralyzed from the neck down—I couldn’t move or feel a thing from my shoulders to my toes.
The Shape of Water and the Shape of the Church
There is a sort of madness in Christianity these days. And not just the fact that everyone seems to be mad.
Why Silence? It’s Hard (Part 2)
I fight solitude with all my being; I resist purposefully stopping to rest with God. Sometimes, I use excuses of all that depends on me to get done.
Gibberish or Shirebbig? Reading the Ban on Male Intercourse in Leviticus
Why bother with cultural and literary contexts when we can read scripture and understand its “obvious” meaning? In concise terms, shortcuts can be dangerous.
Will We Hold Tightly to Our Wish Dreams of Christian Community?
Sometimes Christian community and reconciliation fails because good people do nothing.
“What Is Truth?”
The question hangs in the air because the answer will come not through the words of Jesus, but through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Shoplifting and Living Forgiven
Here is what I learned that day about living forgiven, and what I am still trying to live out in my life.
Jesus, TED Talks, and Conversation
I love TED Talks. These short, informative and often witty lectures allow me to peek into the professional world of some highly influential and inspiring thinkers of our day.