I come from a long line of Texas Baptists, growing up in a world where there may have been a few closet Democrats but not many. One of my greatest influences has been my grandfather, who grew up during the Great Depression and ended up being successful in the oil business but has always dressed and lived like he was still a poor country boy from Premont, Texas. So when people stereotype Texas Republicans as being cigar-chomping fat cats with... Read more
OK, I admit it. I used Michelle Bachmann’s name in the title of my blog post to get more hits. But her response to the question about whether she would submit to her husband if she became president reveals what an enormous shift that conservative Christianity has undergone in my lifetime. If you didn’t see the quote, here’s what she said: Marcus and I will be married for 33 years this September 10th. I’m in love with him. I’m so... Read more
Sermon preached at Lifesign, Burke UMC, 8/13/2011 Text: Genesis 37:1-24 I wanted to be Joseph. It was my senior year and it was my turn to be the star of the spring musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream-coat. I remember rehearsing the songs and practicing my Joseph swagger in the mirror. I thought I had nailed the audition. I scoped out my competition and felt pretty good about my chances. But then this guy named Jesse rolled in. (more…) Read more
We continue our journey through the book of Ephesians at the Wednesday morning Lamb Center Spanish Bible study. This week we covered Ephesians 2:11-22, where Paul talks about how Christ has destroyed the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind as a privileged white person doing a Bible study with Hispanic homeless guys are all the cultural and socioeconomic walls that separate me from them. But that topic never really came up... Read more
Psalm 119:73-80 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word. I know, LORD, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have humbled me. (more…) Read more
Today I took a walk through the woods as I do most Mondays. I went to Lake Acotink, which is a little more beautiful and a bit longer hike than Burke Lake. I find it exciting to follow a creek as it gets larger and larger and becomes a river that opens out into a lake. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t matter how many times I do this hike — my heart always leaps when I reach the... Read more
Sermon preached at LifeSign, Burke UMC, Sat 8/6/2011 Text: Genesis 32:22-32 Jacob hadn’t been surprised when he saw the figure approaching him in the dark. He had not joined his wife and kids in crossing the river that night because he knew that there was someone or something he needed to face. “Brother, is that you?” called Jacob. The person didn’t answer. “Esau?” Jacob said. The man walked closer. “Friend, please tell me who you are and what I can... Read more
I had an epiphany while I was reading Kurt Willem’s Red Letter Christians article on being a Christian disciple rather than doing Christianity. It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve heard people talk about being rather than doing. It was very trendy among the writers we read in seminary to talk that way. But this is the first time I thought of these two words as being analogous to works-righteousness (doing) and justification by faith (being). And so I... Read more
Last month, I watched the movie Tree of Life with some young adults from our church right before going on a trip with my family to Texas. We ended up coincidentally staying on a ranch 10 miles from Smithville, TX where the movie was filmed! So I went out with my sons to take this picture in front of the house that was used in the movie. Tree of Life is a story about three boys growing up in a... Read more
I was originally thinking about going after Mark Driscoll’s complementarianism by comparing him with Juan Gines de Sepulveda, the 16th century Spanish theologian who argued that the massacre of the Indies was justified because of the divine ordenamiento de mandar y obedecer (ordination of command and obedience) by which humans are divided by God into masters and slaves. I still plan to write at some point about the “divinely ordained” racial complementarianism of the colonial New World and how 16th... Read more
Mercy Not Sacrifice
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