How churches manipulate us

It’s really hard for church leaders to recognize when they’re wrong. If you’re a pastor or any other kind of leader within a church, chances are good that you have very noble intentions and believe the things you do and say are motivated from a place that honors and respects God and the church. Because […]

I’m starting a church

We all know life often throws us curve balls we weren’t expecting, but sometimes those curve balls lead us to make choices that result in us surprising ourselves. I’ve wrestled with a call to be a pastor for several years now, but I really didn’t think that would wind up with me planting a church […]

The wrong Jesus: A Christmas Meditation

He’s almost certainly not exactly who you think he is, and to know him, you have to be open to change.

Why the American Church is failing

The Christianity practiced by the American Church has made it largely impotent and a shadow of what it is supposed to be. Lord, where to even begin? I guess the first place is to note that, while this critique is aimed primarily at the White American Church, there is no version that is blameless and, […]

Why we need Christmas

The seasons of Advent and Christmas are my favorite times of year when I let them be. I’m pretty much a grump by nature, so the joy of the holiday season doesn’t come naturally to me. My mood beginning in late October and early November is one of fussiness, because it is then that I […]

Competing Christian visions of America

I have been writing in this blog space for over seven years, and a very small number of people have faithfully and lovingly followed much of what I’ve said over that time. I write for many reasons, but primarily it’s one of the few ways you can really get to know someone short of having […]

Why hope matters

Depression comes in many varieties. There’s the subtle type that most of us deal with off and on, a slight melancholy that hits us throughout the day for different reasons and passes quickly. There’s the all-consuming experience of panic, which can make you absolutely desperate and tempt you to make drastic choices for any kind […]