I’ve been amused by the idiotic controversies sparked by the He Gets Us Super Bowl commercial. Although the makers of the ad certainly intended to provoke debate, most of the reactions proliferating social media and even news reports seem to be missing the point. And even if taken at face value, the commercial itself lacks a fundamental truth that should not be avoided. Just so we are on the same page, here is the ad in question: Knee Jerks... Read more
Because the church doesn’t understand sin very well, we don’t forgive very well. It’s actually worse than it sounds. The church has become a self-appointed gatekeeper, denying grace to individuals and groups who act, identify, or feel in ways we label “sinful.” Under misguided attempts to establish orthodoxy (right ideas) and orthopraxy (right practices), we have sometimes failed at orthocardia (right-heartedness). When the church decides what is and isn’t sinful, we become legalists. And since the church has made sin... Read more
Faith on Film is a monthly feature that is published on the last Sunday of every month, starting with this article. I ran across the film First Reformed again while I was browsing around for a movie to watch, and after five years of abstaining, I decided to watch it again. It is truly one of my favorites, in my personal top three alongside Paris, Texas and Five Easy Pieces. Though the plots and characters of each of these films... Read more
Yes, you read that title correctly: God is not powerful. I don’t write such words lightly. I realize that many will not actually read beyond the title, so for those of you still with me, thank you. Of course, some might call it semantics, or perhaps perspective. I believe our expectations of “power” differ in ways both small and great from who God actually is, how God relates to us, and how we ourselves function in this universe. By the... Read more
Many people, especially Christians, consider God strictly in terms of power. This is a mistake. Not that God isn’t powerful (a topic I explored last year while reviewing one of the most insightful books I have ever read). But when we choose to approach our relationship with God primarily in terms of power and abilities, it can lead us to distort our understanding of who God is. I mean, how good is your relationship with someone you don’t really understand?... Read more
The novelist John Irving once wrote, “An epilogue, in the disguise of wrapping up the past, is really a way of warning us about the future.” I found myself reflecting upon this as I considered everything that has impacted my relationship with God and others over the past calendar year. There are critics who I am positive would rush to comment that God is unchanging. Without immediately addressing that digression, I will simply maintain that there will never be a... Read more
MISSED PART 1? CLICK HERE TO START FROM THE BEGINNING. When popular pastor Rev. Selden Dee Kelley suggested that the church should engage in dialogue with the LGBTQ+ community, leaders in his denomination set out to revoke his ministerial credentials and have him fired by placing him on trial. As the turmoil surrounding his controversial prosecution and its aftermath continues to intensify, both church members and clergy have grown increasingly polarized. Disagreements over LGBTQ+ affirmation, essential doctrine, and limitations of... Read more
A highly-respected pastor suggested that the church should encourage conversation rather than conflict when considering LGBTQ+ affirmation. In response, his denomination demanded he resign immediately, surrender his credentials, and then charged him with teaching doctrine out of harmony with the church and conduct unbecoming a minister. His prosecution and trial are ground zero not just for LGBTQ+ inclusion, but what should or shouldn’t be considered essential doctrine, and how church judicial policies can be corrupted to silence dissent and expel... Read more
The following is Part 2 of an ongoing series exploring gender roles in the Church. In my previous article, I shared how roughly three out of every four American churches have beliefs and policies that restrict women from taking on certain leadership roles reserved for men. Oppressive complementarianism remains so prevalent only one in every seven U.S. clergy members is a woman, and in nine out of ten Evangelical households men are the ultimate authority. I also detailed how relying... Read more
The following is Part 1 of an ongoing series exploring gender roles in the Church. A recent study by Church Clarity showed that in the United States, 76% of the 100 largest churches believe in ideas like complementarianism, a doctrine that assumes women are less equipped to serve in leadership roles than men. That also means that in these churches, women are not allowed to preach. Ideas such as these are widespread in the church at large. A landmark 2018... Read more
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