While we continue to live in a society that unjustly rewards some at the expense of others, the Gospel exposes and crucifies such circumstances, and in doing so, we are set free from the lures of privilege and set free for the sake of others. Read more
I am, said God to Moses from the burning bush. Before Abraham was, I am… I am the light of the world… I am the way… I am the door… I am the vine… Said Jesus, who held up bread and said it was his body, and wine, and said it was his blood. And when his body and blood were spent, When the light went dim, When the way was run, And the door was closed, And the vine... Read more
Yesterday I interviewed Patheos blogger and acquisitions editor Tony Jones about the new adult faith formation video resource called animate.Faith from Sparkhouse. One of the sparkling gems of animate is the captivating artwork that runs throughout the series, from the video sessions to the facilitator guide, to the elaborately illustrated personal journals. Behind the ornate graphics of animate is San Antonio-based illustrator Paul Soupiset. I first “met” Soupiset at the Emergence Christianity 2013 Conference earlier this year in Memphis. He and his art table full... Read more
The new adult course animate.Faith is a welcome breath of fresh resource air for Christian pastors, teachers and small group leaders in the contemporary church. Featuring seven of the leading voices of Christianity today (Brian McLaren, Shane Hipps, Nadia Bolz-Weber and Bruce Reyes-Chow to name a few), animate.Faith presents seven conversation “kick-starter” videos, animated with compelling cartoon-like graphics, on the central questions of the faith such as God, Jesus, Salvation, and the Bible. Produced by the innovative publisher Sparkhouse, a division of Augsburg... Read more
God is all without being any thing while being the all in every thing. God is the perhaps at the edge of every moment of choosing. God does nothing but nothing does without God. God is the freedom to do and the urge to act. God does not exist because God is existence. God is change, God is flow, God is relationship: In, with, and through. God is love: silently attracting, never compelling. God does not have power because God... Read more
Before Jesus died for my sins, Did he catch cold for them, too? Did he sniffle for my pettiness? Did he cough for my pride? Did he sneeze for my anger? When Jesus stubbed his toe, Who was forgiven, and for what? When he scraped his knee, Whose load of guilt was lifted? When he cut his finger, What little evils were washed away By that half-teaspoon of his blood? What layers of resentment Were peeled away, and from whom,... Read more
By the Rev. Rich Cizik, President of the New Evangelical Partnership and national spokesperson for the Good Steward Campaign Who hasn’t heard the charge that “God is going to burn it all down, so let’s all drive an SUV”? If you haven’t heard it, you’re not paying attention. Indeed, a statement along those lines is attributed just a few days ago to Evangelical pastor Mark Driscoll. My suspicion that this off-the-cuff comment was more a joke or political commentary than it was a statement... Read more
We can grow closer to God and deeper in compassion – and we can understand our own traditions better – through more intimate awareness and experience of the world’s religions. Pluralism Sunday, May 5, is a time when churches around the world celebrate elements of other world faiths in sermons, litanies, and music. Many feature speakers and singers from other faith traditions. Some congregations have exchanges with other faith communities, going to each other’s houses of worship. Pluralism Sunday is... Read more
A few years ago, I discovered an unusual use for a pressure cooker. I took a thin copper pipe, flared one end slightly, curved the pipe into a “U” shape, and fitted it over the top vent of a pressure cooker. I put water in the cooker and brought it to a boil, and used the steam coming out of the copper pipe to froth and heat a cup of hot chocolate. A cheap alternative to an expensive espresso machine!... Read more
Last week I attended a conference at Esalen Institute near Big Sur. It’s hosted by Esalen’s Center for Theory and Research. It’s focused on peacemaking among the Abrahamic faiths. After the first day of the meeting, I got into a rich conversation with Esalen’s co-founder, Michael Murphy, two rabbis, and a medical doctor with Talmudic training. For hours we talked about resurrection, reincarnation, and the far reaches of human spiritual and physical capacities. Then I went alone for a walk,... Read more
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