Taking my title one step further we read James Finley’s words: “As this soaks into me, what are the implications of this in the way I act in the world, in relationships with other people?” Such is life. We travel across the ocean to see the eiffel tower’s dazzling lights This very same afternoon as we strolled the belgian blocked, pedestrian-only streets, apple tarte tatin in hand we came upon a walking skeleton of a man. He didn’t speak... Read more
Do you believe in slavery? Would your church hire a pro-segregation minister? Would you be part of a spiritual community that banned attendees of a different race? Would you attend a church that refused to allow inter-racial marriages? I’m guessing that not only would you answer “no” to these questions, but that most of you have a hard time imagining that there was a time when the Bible was used to justify and support such notions. Thankfully, almost all Bible teaching today comes... Read more
Spoiler Alert: If you have not seen Disney’s Inside Out, this post contains the basic plot of the story but without giving away the ending. I’d like to introduce you Riley. She is the blond, 11-year-old girl who stars in the animated hit, Inside Out. The story of Inside Out revolves around the adventures of the emotions that make up who we are, and what happens when they start to change. In the movie we not only see Riley as... Read more
Heritage, Not Hate. I’m from the South. Virginia, born and raised. I love it. This is a beautiful place that reminds me of how creative and extraordinary God is as its creator. When I picture heaven, I see the Blue Ridge Mountains. I am thankful for my life here. I am proud of my Southern Heritage. My ancestors built the South. We planted, harvested, grew and expanded it. My family tree’s roots are found in African Slaves, and Native Americans... Read more
The thought that our minds can play tricks on us, that problems in processing can cause us to be self-destructive, fall prey to addictions, misunderstand what is really happening in our lives, or get utterly caught up and lost in sadness, fear, or rage is scary. I know it scares the hell out of me. But for too long the societal fear of mental illness and those who suffer psychological problems has prevented most of us from even talking about it. I think a lot of us with a diagnosis are afraid of what other people will think of us, or say about us, if they knew. We’re afraid people won’t hire us, won’t trust us, will start to avoid us, because they won’t know what to say. Read more
First of all, I am sorry. I’ve been gone for, oh, five months? In my defense, this happened: Yes, my dear, sweet, brain-eating zombie baby was born in April, and thus I have an excuse for everything. Or not. Whatever. But, right, yes, I came here to say something, didn’t I? I jumped ship from the S.S. Christianity a while ago. This is not a secret. Yet, no one seems to know how to make sense of this. I’ve heard everything... Read more
How We failed at Successful Church Planting I sat with middle aged white men in a room decorated by someone infatuated with browns and oranges. The paintings seemed vaguely reminiscent of French vineyards and Italian streets, yet I was closer to crop dust, cotton and Crepe Myrtles in Macon, Georgia. The inquiry began after a couple of jokes and a word of prayer. I crafted my vision of the Church of The Misfits, sharing with conviction about contextualizing... Read more
I’ve read enough about the Emergent Church to ask the question, “What does emergent mean” in the context of a parish church? A dictionary defines emergent as something that is either coming into being or coming into prominence. Another dictionary defines emergent as newly formed and arising unexpectedly. A business dictionary defines emergent as only being knowable when the whole system is seen and understood. This Emerging Voices blog describes itself as a voice of Emerging Christianity, “riding a new... Read more
El Camino: The Sacred Path What is pilgrimage? Wikipedia, our new god of definition, defines it as: a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. What is pilgrimage? Is it leaving the world behind or is it carrying it on your back? Is it both? Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a land called Venice Beach, on my mutual birthday with one of my closest friends we took a pilgrimage to Los Angeles and found our... Read more
Tonight Great Spirit said,’ your story is ready to be birthed. Your peace has been lodged in the birth canal and is fading from lack of inspiration. Breathe forth!!!’ Two years ago I dreamed of a paper with two paths drawn— one labeled ‘wounded healer’ and the other I could not decipher but knew it said the same thing. I lie in the French Broad River of North Carolina in early July and expose my palms announcing, pleading really, ‘Open... Read more
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