Christian Piatt
My kids put me through the wringer for asking people to support my novel, BLOOD DOCTRINE, on Kickstarter. Read more
My kids put me through the wringer for asking people to support my novel, BLOOD DOCTRINE, on Kickstarter. Read more
I have followed, with great interest, as my friend, Ian Ebright, ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for, and then completed, his short film on American drones called “From the Sky.” It’s a sensitive and nuanced treatment of those on the receiving en of our hi-tech military aggression. This, combined with all I’ve read at Sojourners and in Time magazine, among other places about these low-risk (to us), high-efficiency (for us) killing machines, helped solidify in my mind a fairly resolute sentiment: Drones... Read more
Reaching out into the broader culture for a few Christmas fails this week. Turns out that churches aren’t the only ones capable of pulling off deliciously inappropriate signage. Yay, humans! Read more
I’ve never watched “Duck Dynasty.” I didn’t even know Phil Robertson’s name until the whole media melodrama unfolded recently. The most I knew about him was that he bore a striking resemblance to my friend, Andy Campbell, who blogs over at “The Crooked Mouth.” And now, suffice it to say that I know far more than I care to. I still never plan to watch the show, and I couldn’t care less if they stay on the air, move to... Read more
“Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” — Benjamin Franklin I was encouraged by the findings of U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon on Monday who granted an injunction to plaintiffs Larry Klayman and Charles Strange that will temporarily stop the National Security Agency from continuing their data-gathering program that mines information from our mobile phone calls. The injunction was issued because the judge believes that Klayman and Strange likely will win... Read more
We’ve created a Christmas monster: a grotesque assemblage of pagan, Christian and capitalist symbolism into something that resembles something we’re both attracted to and repulsed by at the same time. We’re fueled by an admixture of both guilt and greed, while the domestic economy pins its annual hopes on our propensity for spending far more than we have or want to spend. All in the name of baby Jesus. It seems that we have no means of escaping the vortex... Read more
I have never had any shortage of church sign fails, but since I’m in the throes of Advent, I’m feeling particularly magnanimous. So I thought I’d share some particularly awesome sings with you this week. And yeah, it’s also a little bit of penance since I’m two days late getting these out. #PiattFail Read more
Following is taken from the weekly Heretic’s Guide to the Bible lectionary study. Special thanks to David Ackerman, author of Beyond the Lectionary, for providing this study. Who is excluded in today’s church? For many years, women, people of color, and gays and lesbians were actively excluded from full participation in the church’s life. While we have made strides in our society toward inclusion, significant barriers still exist. Women are still denied full ministerial status in some Christian traditions and... Read more
Here’s a video and a short story on our most recent Beer and Hymns event (called “Hops and Handel” since we presented excerpts from the Messiah) that made Channel 6 News here in Portland. Next Beer and Hymns is on Saturday, Jan 18th from 5-7 PM at First Christian Church. The event is always free. Join us! PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — It’s no secret that people in Portland love beer. With that in mind, a local church has started mixing hops... Read more
First, the good news: After four months of preparation, I have officially started my year-long quest to more seriously understand what it means to follow Jesus, AKA “My Jesus Project.” And now the bad news: After today, I still have 363 days left of this. Turns out, Jesus stuff is hard. It’s not even that I’ve done anything that’s hard, in particular. I mean, the 30-day fast from solid food isn’t until next month, and I still have time to figure... Read more
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