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 […]

A prayer of repentance to truly know God

Father, though we have sinned against you and are not worthy, we humbly beseech you to deliver us from ourselves. We have made you, your Son, and your Spirit in our image and likeness and not sought to know who you truly are. We have prophesied in your name, and in your name driven out […]

Only one hope

I stopped writing in this space months ago to focus on putting together a book that has been incredibly slow going. I haven’t given up on the book, but my progress is depressing to me. It’s easier to think of jotting down my thoughts within the confines of several hundred words here than in the […]

Accepting yourself, accepting love

I’ve struggled with self-hatred for many years. I have a very difficult time giving myself any grace or forgiveness for the mistakes I’ve made and the struggles I’ve had. I hate my character defects and the way I’ve succumbed to fear and panic; the pain they’ve caused others. Over a year ago, a good friend […]

Why you should love the church

I’ve been pretty critical of the American Church in several posts, and it strikes me that those who don’t know me extremely well may get the wrong impression regarding my esteem for the Church. It’s true that I’m concerned that American evangelicalism has essentially lost its soul chasing political power and has been consumed by […]

The point of Christmas: draw near

I’m worn out and depressed. I’ve been going through a lot of changes lately, and I’m not happy with many of the results. I lost a job and am adjusting to a new one with a long commute, and subsequently I moved apartments to cut down on said commute, so I’ve been packing and unpacking […]