I’m not sure, but I think my daughter, Zoe, is Jesus. For a couple of reasons. But before I talk more about her, let’s talk about me. You know, since I’m not Jesus and I like talking about myself. I hate failing. Really hate it, even when it’s partly out of my control. Just a few days I wrote about how, for My Jesus Project month in which I’m working on “Jesus the Ascetic,” I was fasting from solid foods.... Read more
Most of my life, I’ve heard people preface some sort of argument they want to support with the preface, “The Bible clearly states…” I’ve come to believe, however, that this is a phrase Christians should eliminate from their vocabulary, for a number of reasons: There’s no such thing as un-interpreted scripture – Legendary preacher and theologian Fred Craddock famously noted that, even if one believes the Bible is inerrant, perfect or directly handed to humanity from God, there’s still no... Read more
I felt like I was preparing to punish myself for the month of March, the focus of which is “Jesus the Ascetic” during My Jesus Project, my year-long effort to more deeply understand what we really mean when we talk about following Jesus. I’ve consulted with a dietician, talked with my mentor, Reba Riley (author of “Post Traumatic Church Syndrome,”) and bought a trunk full of raw produce for my liquid-only, mostly raw food, and all vegan (save for some... Read more
I thought Jesus the Radical was hard. At least I didn’t fast from solid food and alcohol, give away half of my stuff or sit in the lotus position until my legs fell asleep. In March I’m working with mentor Reba Riley, author of “Post Traumatic Church Syndrome,” as she guides me through my month of learning some new ascetic practices. These include mindfulness, contemplation, embodiment, simplicity and even self care, in some new and (maybe to some people) weird ways. Reba is a... Read more
Back in the saddle, getting back to a weekly schedule, many important questions are answered. For instance: Does Amy really eat human poop powder? Does repentance mean you have to feel like shit? What words with baggage can be reclaimed? Christian announces the CultureCast’s first live event at 6pm April 28th at Marmoset in Portland, with Doug Pagitt, Stephen Chalke, other notables, and live music. The interview is with Sara Miles, author of City of God, and founder of The... Read more
We’ve all heard the sidewalk preachers and TV Evangelists quoting the Gospels, telling us to “repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” It’s a claim that is generally intended to strike fear and trembling in the hearts of many. We’re supposed to straighten up, do right, and atone for all of our heinous, sinful ways. If you went to my kind of church growing up, there wasn’t a sermon that went by that you didn’t hear the pastor... Read more
The following is part of “My Jesus Project,” a year-long quest to better understand what it means to follow the life, teaching and example of Jesus in prayer, study and action. To read more, or to join the conversation, visit the website. I’m intrigued by the fact that, in spite of my explanation that this project is more about delving into who we are and what we do, rather than focusing as much on what we think or believe, many... Read more
Four out of five Americans claim to be Christians. That’s more than a quarter billion people in the United states alone who claim, in one way or another, to follow Jesus. But what does that really mean? Is it more like a one-and-done deal, like lifetime membership in a club? Is it the default response when people ask about religion, just to play the odds and keep from having to deal with more questions of judgment? Is it about claiming... Read more
Well kids, we’ve got good news and bad news… On a sad note, we bid a fond farewell to Andy Campbell on the good ol’ Homebrewed Christianity CultureCast, who is taking leave to focus on his family and his awesome new gig as a professor at George Fox. He has been a great partner and friend of the show, and he has an open invite to come back and sit in any time he has something on his mind to... Read more
After nearly two decades serving within the denomination known as the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), Rev. Adam Phillips and his new year-old new church start, Christ Church, Portland, found themselves without a denominational home, a facility to worship in and $90,000 of funding, promised to them by the ECC who charged them with the new church start-up. Phillips served three congregations over the years and attended seminary under the care of the ECC, all the while with the leadership’s knowledge... Read more
Christian Piatt
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