It’s difficult to tell from Pete Ward’s richly ambiguous title whether his new book is an examination of celebrities at worship (like Kanye West), the worship of celebrities (like Beyoncé), or worship leaders as celebrities (like Joel Osteen). Spoiler alert: it’s all three, and then some. Celebrity Worship is more a study of religion than a theological work—although for Ward the two have long been intertwined. In his earlier book Participation and Medi­ation: A Practical Theology for the Liquid Church,... Read more

Blessed are you, holy God. You are the creator of the waters of the earth. You are the fire of rebirth. You poured out your Spirit on your people Israel. You breathe life into our dry bones. Your Son Jesus promised to send the Spirit to us that the world may know your peace and truth.  Pour out your Holy Spirit, and breathe new life into those who are baptized. By your Spirit adopt us all as your children, through... Read more

In other words, in some ways, we’re all monastics now. Historically, those who took vows for the monastic life committed to chastity (social distancing), poverty (no eating out), obedience (follow the rules), and stability (stay home). Dear Church, I’m asking you to find time in the next couple of days to read this whole e-mail (yes, it’s kind of long) and then as you are able, send me your responses and insights. I think we need collective wisdom on our... Read more

Although some traditional board games still dominate the market (Chess, Checkers, Backgammon, Scrabble, Monopoly, Clue, Othello, Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary, and Risk as the top ten), table top games have seen in recent years a resurgence, a diversification, and a deepening. A couple of theories. First, I think many Eurogames have finally come into the mainstream. Eurogames, which for a long time were indie games in the United States, only found in hobby stores or on-line, have now made their way... Read more

Reverend Jonathan W. Barker was kind enough to send a copy of his book, Jesus Would Demand A Green New Deal: The Story Of Why One Christian Pastor Went On A 12 Day Fast For A Green New Deal, just in time for this 50th anniversary of Earth Day. A few things about the book worth noting up front. First it is VERY brief, coming in at just under seventy pages, with wide margins. This is, in this time of... Read more

It started with Hearthstone. After a lengthy (twenty year) hiatus from role-playing or video game play, I got back into it a few years ago. A friend sent me a link to the new strategy card-playing game that Blizzard, creators of World of Warcraft, had launched. Reminiscent of wildly popular deck-building games like Magic and Android Netrunner: The Card Game, the attractions of Hearthstone were many. It is free (although to move forward with better decks you have to grind... Read more