I’m riding my bike to work on a frosty morning this winter when I encounter a couple, dressed in poverty, arguing intensely on a street corner. Their words do violence to each other until he finally storms away, hurt and raging, while she’s left crying, waiting for the light to the change. Both of them are dressed poorly; tattered sweatshirts (hood up on this cold morning), inadequate shoes, denim. They have bags, small backpacks. As we go our different ways,... Read more
David Brooks recent NY Times article entitled “The Great Divorce” speaks of what is becoming on of the largest issues of our day, not just because it’s an election year, but because it’s a real issue. Brooks reveals the dramatic shifts in American culture between 1963 and the present, noting that, while there’s always been a gap between wealth and poverty, in previous eras that gap wasn’t accompanied by a behavior gap. Brooks writes, “income gaps did not lead to... Read more
It’s common theme these days, a point of conversation among people in every age group, from ‘just out of college’ to those near retirement. “I hate my job”, or “I can’t wait to do something different”, or “I’m counting the days…” It’s a subject worthy of book, because the reality is that there’s a time to stay, and a time to leave, and that the real challenge is knowing what time it is. Leave prematurely, and you’ll fan the flames... Read more
Last week I posted some thoughts about a recent survey by George Barna, which offers insight into the reasons people between 18 and 30 are leaving the faith. I addressed the first three reasons in that post, which could be summarized as: 1) churches are overprotective 2) the experience of God and spirituality offered in churches seems shallow and 3) churches come across as antagonistic towards science. This post looks at the final three complaints, along with some closing thoughts... Read more
The Barna group has recently released a book entitled, “You Lost Me”, and this article offers a succinct summary of six main reasons that young people are leaving the church. I’m grateful that church I lead in Seattle is generally swimming upstream against this trend. We’ve grown from around 300 people to 2500 over the past 15 years and most of our growth has come as people between 18-30 have found our church, some of them returning to church life... Read more
This Sunday, I’ll be starting a new series at our church entitled, “Every Square Inch: Blessing the World through Culture Reading and Vocation”. In this series I’ll be preaching from the book of life, a book that’s declaring eternal truth, every day, all around us. In spite of this constant revelation, the reality is that our hearts and minds are so fragmented that we usually don’t hear what God is saying to us through culture. We’re grown up believing that... Read more
If history tells us one thing, it’s that humans are good at saying NO to systems that don’t work. If our species were a single body, we’d have an excellent immune system. When oppressive regimes arise, it’s only a matter of time until they collapse. The weight of their own corruption weakens them until an uprising from the masses leads to regime change. The toppling of empires is nearly always welcomed with fanfare. We like burning flags, and effigies, and... Read more
“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us.” Steven Pressfield The words of Jesus percolate down into the soil of my heart: “to whom much is given, much is required”. I take stock of my health, education, access to clean water, abundance of shelter, opportunities for travel and global worldview, healthy marriage, great children, and material wealth. “Yes” I say to myself, “that’s me”. I’m part of the group of which much... Read more
When you’re climbing a mountain, it’s vital that you stop along with way and compare your location with the map. You do this by using your map, compass, altimeter, and line of sight. Occasionally you’ll find that you’re off course and when that happens its vital that you make your adjustments lest you find yourself precisely where you don’t want to be, which is in the land of the lost and clueless. The same thing is true in life, and... Read more
Cancer. Unemployment. Relationship implosion. Addictions. Family tension. Uncertainty over the future, and all the anxiety that attends that. Financial crises. These are the kinds of things that fill a sheet of paper every Monday morning for our pastoral staff as we gather to pray over requests offered by our congregation here in Seattle. We pray over them and then destroy the page to assure confidentiality, but what remains, is the sense in our collective hearts as pastors, that we who... Read more
Fibonacci Faith: Changing Everything
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