The body as a temple

It’s another New Year and another occasion for many of us to make resolutions. Change can be very good for us, and a common resolution for many is to either eat better or exercise more frequently. My feelings about my body have been touchy since I was a boy, as I seemingly have been genetically […]

When I’m not even sure how to live

I’m an expert at over-analyzing things, especially when it comes to myself. I’ll pick apart in detail how I reacted in situations in order to determine if I responded in the most ideal ways. I’ll beat myself up over and over again regarding mistakes I know I’ve made and over things that may have not […]

How to feel God’s love

If the only power Christianity had to offer was either psychological or philosophical, I’m pretty sure I’d have abandoned it several years ago. But I’ve experienced what I understand to be tangible effects of God’s presence and His love, and because of that the person I am has changed. I’ve mentioned this before, but I […]

Thoughts on worship music

I’ve been involved in church worship music for 16 years, which is almost half of my life. I began learning to play bass guitar at age 18 with a good friend of mine in the hopes of putting together a musical group that would perform on special occasions at our church, a small United Methodist […]

Letter to politically conservative Christians

To politically conservative Christians in America, Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to you in the spirit of St. Paul for two reasons. First, just as Paul appealed to the Philippian church not to put confidence in the flesh by listing his own qualifications for […]

The only reason I remained a Christian

Around the age of 27, I’d finally had it with Christianity. I’d unintentionally sabotaged myself four years previously when I became disillusioned with ministry and the church as I knew it, trying to take my happiness in my own hands because I felt burnt out and underappreciated by God. I’d become bitter with God and […]

That the Church would be one: why we desperately need each other

The trouble is we’re all wrong while we’re also all right. Jesus is quoted as saying in John 17:20-23 (NIV), regarding those who would be His disciples based on the message the apostles delivered: I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as […]