For my privileged, perhaps overly comfortable children, something as trivial as our internet being down constitutes a crisis. When we do our “gratitude inventory” (aka a way to get them to reflect and pray), they rattle off things as a matter of routine that many people would only dream of. So how do I explain something as alien and complex as a state of being part of the working poor in a way they can have a at least a... Read more
If you were ever baptized, think of the three words the pastor or priest likely said to you before performing the sacred act. How about if you decided to join a church. Or when you wanted to receive communion. Or if you were confronted by another Christian about the strength or integrity of your faith. All too often, the phrase offered by the “person in power” or “person of authority” will pose a questions to you that goes something like... Read more
Could Christianity’s future lie in Buddhism’s past? This is a possibility that’s been haunting me lately, but in a good way, I think. One big critique, understandably, of postmodern views on Christian spirituality is that there’s too much time and energy spent deconstructing old systems and ways of thinking that need to be torn down or reimagined, while lacking the same effort to build up something more helpful – more Christ-like – in its place. This is true, and I’m... Read more
Where’s God in the midst of loss and suffering? How do we find hope and healing when God seems so far away? I’m honored and excited to be a part of an upcoming touring production with Wm. Paul Young (author of THE SHACK) and Reba Riley (author of POST TRAUMATIC CHURCH SYNDROME) in which we take on this question: Where is God when we’re in pain? How do we find hope and healing when we’re immersed in suffering? Through story, music and... Read more
Lots of people know about the new movie, “Killing Jesus,” premiering on Nat Geo Channel on Palm Sunday. Most everyone who has heard about it has strong feelings about it, given that it’s based – at least sort of – on the book of the same name by Bill O’Reilly. Some folks are abuzz about the fact that Haaz Sleiman, the star of the movie portraying Jesu, is a Muslim. Few know that Sleiman grew up in the midst of... Read more
(Join Christian in his year-long quest to better understand what we mean when we claim to follow Jesus at http://www.myjesusproject.com/. Have we made God into a monster? And as a result, have we taken the holiest of weeks in the Christian year and dressed it up as a celebration of bloody, violent sacrifice? If so, I’m afraid we’ve gotten Easter all wrong. I lead a small group discussion every Sunday morning at First Christian Church, Portland, where my wife, Amy... Read more
My friend, Adam Phillips, sent this link to me the other day, as it’s something we’re considering doing ourselves. The idea is simple, though would take some effort and a little courage to do well. You get artists, singers, musicians willing to go out into the streets and share their music with anyone they meet in a spirit of engagement, community and purveyors of joyfully selfless and unexpected moments. You go where the people are (sound familiar?) You have a... Read more
Well folks, we geeked out this time… First, we’re thrilled to announce a first-ever LIVE Homebrewed Christianity CultureCast! It’s happening April 28th from 6PM to 8:30 PM at Marmoset Music in Southeast Portland. Tickets are limited and already going at a healthy pace, so snap one up soon. A $10 admission gets you into the show (duh) as well as a limited-edition CultureCast pint glass (hey, that’s a near rhyme!), two adult drinks or sodas, and some cozy time with... Read more
I was invited to preach at Portland First Christian Church on Sunday, March 8th. The biblical text was from Mark 11:15-19 in which Jesus cleanses the temple by driving out the moneychangers during passover from Herod’s temple. Read the manuscript (somewhat different than the actual spoken version) below. To listen to an audio version of the message, CLICK HERE. Follow my current project, in which I am trying for a year to more seriously understand what we mean when we talk... Read more
One of the principal goals in My Jesus Project, a year-long effort to better understand what we mean when we talk about following Jesus, is to practice and embody right-heartedness, or what I call “orthopathy.” I believe that, though our beliefs (orthodoxy) and our actions (orthopraxy) are important, both are anemically informed and out of balance in a Christ-like life if the so-called heart work doesn’t come first, to inform the other two. Some prominent voices within the Southern Baptist... Read more
Christian Piatt
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