We like to create distance, even distance that is generated by falsity, to protect ourselves from being impacted by those we fear.
All in Culture
Why the Church Needs Feminism (Part 6)
There are three common mistakes that churches make that provide safe havens for abusers and re-victimize the vulnerable time and time again.
It's Time to Get out of the Car
I recently tried a sad kind of experiment. I tried to see if I can make it 24 hours without hearing a body shaming or food shaming comment.
Tension at the Threshold: Hospitality and Immigration (Part 3)
Every conversation about hospitality must include boundaries, and every conversation about boundaries must include hospitality.
A Missional Plea for Christian Pacifism
Historically speaking, pacifism appears the unquestioned stance of the New Testament and the early church.
Tension at the Threshold: Hospitality and Immigration (Part 2)
Fair concerns remain about risk and logistics when it comes to relearning the virtue of Christian hospitality toward immigrants and refugees.
Thinking Globally for Renewal!
This shift away from Europe and North America may not have an immediate impact on the church you attend, but I suspect that most of us can already see evidence of the decline.
Laws of the Land and Romans 13
Is it right to follow the current laws and policies of our country, or offer hope and hospitality to immigrants entering our country, whether documented or not?
Tension at the Threshold: Hospitality and Immigration (Part 1)
Some in our pews have political, theological, and experiential bricks stacked so high around the borders of their souls that they are unable to hear the cries of the immigrant.
Weary (A Poem for the Perplexed in this Political Age)
Mankind. An oxymoron? A question? One part man, less parts kind, One wonders what peace there we can find …
Making Disciples When Evangelism Is Not Your Gift
Let me suggest some ways that all of us—including preachers and church leaders—should be making disciples.
How the Church Can End Eating Disorder Stigma
The thing I am most haunted by are my clients who have been harmed by the church. The church should never be a stumbling block to recovery.
Why the Church Needs Feminism (Part 5)
We must start teaching sexual ethics with consent at the forefront of the discussion. If we don’t, we are actively teaching unhealthy sexual practices.
The Gospel and the Zombies Attacking Our Schools
All too familiar faces appeared, interviewing familiar experts who provided analysis of an all too familiar event: another school shooting.
Night of the Living Dead or the Undead in America
Zombies are all the rage these days. They are the dead who will not stay dead, the dead who feed on life, the dead who must be killed again—and again.
Loving Your Fat Friend
I can't keep sending my clients out into the world where fat is a word we spell because we are too afraid to speak it.
Same-Sex Intimacy: Nine Reflections
Now that we’ve looked at all four texts with some detail, it seems appropriate to take a step or two back and reflect on the bigger picture that has developed in our study.
Why the Church Needs Feminism (Part 4)
For the church to be effective in countering any kind of abuse, we must recognize commonalities and risk factors, and act swiftly and with purpose.
The Cards in Your Pocket ... Not up Your Sleeve (Reading the Same-Sex Ban)
I’ve learned that reading is more than objectively assessing the cards lying face-up on the table.
Texas Hold'em and the Same-Sex Ban of Leviticus
Today, we conduct Wrestle Mania II as we reexamine these cards, continue wrestling with the evidence, and seek to understand a second possible conclusion.