A Christian voting reminder

I have some thoughts to share as a Christian as we in America brace for the results of another presidential election. First, while it’s true that the writers of the New Testament had no direct familiarity with voting as a way of running a civil government (and therefore Paul’s admonition in Romans 13 to be […]

Seeking authentic church

I’ve mentioned several times over the years how I’ve struggled with (and have now reached a point where I’m pretty tired of) “doing” church like most Americans do. What I mean by that is I have a hard time with how most American worship services are structured and how the different aspects function. As I […]

I’m Sorry: My mistakes as a church planter

If your experience as a Christian isn’t a humbling one, you might be doing it wrong. Over the many years now I’ve been journeying with Christ and the Church, the most consistent single theme that seems to resurface for me are the varieties of ways I’ve been wrong: I’ve been wrong about how spiritually and […]

When the thrill is gone: Coping with midlife

One of the main reasons I like to write is it helps me process the emotions I feel and the challenging situations I stumble through day to day. By being open about what I experience and how I think, I hope something I say resonates with others going through similar circumstances. That said, I’ve been […]

When friends abandon you

“My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me. Fear and trembling beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, ‘Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would […]

The weight of being single

Anyone who knows me well (or has read my book – buy and/or review it here) knows I’ve been single my whole life, and that fact used to depress me a lot. When I was younger, I was obsessed with being married, and I thought my happiness was contingent on it. For many reasons, though, […]

“I Love Jesus, but I Hate the Church”

Man, can I relate to this sentiment. I’ve had a rocky relationship with a handful of churches. Several of my friends have been abused in a variety of ways by different ones – emotionally, relationally, spiritually. Physical abuse by churches is often plastered on the news. Many (maybe even most) churches are broken. When we’ve […]