I speak and write frequently about being free of motive, or, in more vulgar terms, agenda, plan, vision, and goal. This is one of the most difficult concepts for us to understand, especially when we are in the people and religion business. So I want to share with you a quote: The evangelicals I’ve felt the most fond of, the most comfortable around, and the most commonality with– regardless of political, social, or philosophical differences– were the ones who never... Read more

I refuse to concoct plans for people’s lives. I refuse to concoct a plan for the life of my church. I realize I’m going against the flow, like a salmon swimming up an impossible gush of watery onslaughts. But I just won’t do it. So fire me! I used to do it. I used to pray and wait and then articulate the vision and set out a one, three and five year plan with great gusto and with leadership and... Read more

One of the problems I see happening across the board is that God, Jesus, the Spirit, and the Scriptures are being co-opted by all sides. You read almost any book, study any denomination, listen to any preacher, understand the attitude of any church… and on a broader scale, study the underlying attitude of any country, religion or race and you will see that the habit of co-opting the divine and the scriptures to support their existence, identity, meaning and agenda.... Read more