Somewhere along the line, I picked up the idea that doubt was big, bad and scary. It sure would be nice to blame someone, but I don’t know who that would be. I don’t remember a conversation or a sermon or a specific church teaching. And even if I could blame someone, that might let [...]
I remember the first time somebody “got it”. They heard my thoughts on faith, doubt, belief and mystery and they understood. It was a magical experience. I didn’t feel crazy. Many times questioning is seen as challenging and is met with resistance. It doesn’t have to be that way. It’s okay to question. It’s okay [...]
I had a conversation with a guy at a bar the other day. It happened to be a place where a group of friends were gathering and I got there early. So, I ordered my traditional unsweetened iced-tea and sat down beside Dave (not his real name) and started up a conversation. He told me [...]
Disclaimer: I am aware that differences in opinion can be divisive. Division is not meant to be the spirit of this post. I hope that in all things, we recognize the shared humanity in one another. Let’s dialogue. Let’s learn from other perspectives. My prayer is this: Lord, lead us to your truth. This weekend [...]
I met a man at church a couple weeks ago. During our meet-and-greet, he was sitting alone so my wife and I introduced ourselves. After some brief pleasantries, we asked what plans he had for the rest of the day. He told us he didn’t know. He was just struggling to get through service. He [...]
It sure is nice to feel in control. It feels powerful. It feels comfortable. It promises protection. It makes everything simple and clear. It sterilizes the world from the chaos that surrounds us. As long as I have the keys to the car, I decide where I’m going. But what if control is an illusion? [...]
Plans. Dreams. Expectations. We’ve all got them. We all set out what we want life to be like. We imagine our graduation day, our wedding day, our retirement day. We can’t wait. Life is going look different. Things are finally going to go our way. The circumstances will align and utopia will be achieved. Everything [...]
There are ways of being that lead to life and beauty and vibrancy. There are ways of being that lead to darkness and sickness and depression. There are houses built on stone and houses built on sand. I’ve tried both sand and stone. For me, stone leads to life. 3 They are like trees planted by streams [...]
We’ve been in the dark for while now. It’s easy to see. You can point it out. It’s in the news. It’s on our minds. It sells. It scares. It threatens. But it doesn’t have the final word. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. - John 1:5
It couldn’t have been all roses. She had to have waddled a bit. She gained weight. She probably had stretch marks. She experienced morning sickness. Her feet hurt. Her back hurt. And then she rode an animal for 80 miles. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city [...]
