The Story of St. Valentine – in a nutshell

Last updated on: February 13, 2018 at 9:04 am By Kurt Willems

Quoted from Common Prayer — Valentine of Rome (d. 269) A Christian priest in Rome, Valentine was known for assisting Christians persecuted under Claudius II. After being caught marrying Christian -couples and helping Christians escape the persecution, Valentine was arrested and imprisoned. Although Emperor Claudius originally liked Valentine, he was condemned to death when he tried to convert the emperor. Valentine was beaten with stones, clubbed, and, finally, beheaded on February 14, 269. In the year 496, February 14 was... Read more

The Global Immersion Project – everyday peacemakers. global conflict. #IsraelPalestine

Last updated on: February 13, 2014 at 12:10 pm By Kurt Willems

Kurt’s Introduction: Some of you may already know, I’m currently preparing for a trip to Israel/Palestine. Not only is it a dream come true to get to walk where Jesus walked, but this trip is quite intentional – learning from peacemakers in the region to become more of a peacemaker myself. For the past several years, I’ve blogged about my journey of embracing nonviolence as a Christian teaching. Teaching – it becomes easy for peace to stay exactly that –... Read more

Changing our Lenses on Crime and Punishment – a restorative justice view

Last updated on: February 12, 2014 at 5:57 pm By Kurt Willems

My friend Ben Corey wrote a great set of blogs on our justice system and the connection to theology. His blog, How a Poor Theology of the Cross Created America’s Broken Justice System, frames the discussion well…. read, read, read it! In the following blog post, I want to come alongside the great work that he did last week on Restorative Justice by pointing to the best introduction to the issue – Changing Lenses. Changing Lenses – A New Focus... Read more

When Violence Hits Home: “sparing the rod,” spanking, & peaceful parenting

Last updated on: February 18, 2014 at 4:01 pm By Kurt Willems

[Kurt’s Editor Note: The following article, written by Rachel Boldwyn, reflects my general approach to spanking. Lauren and I have no plans to spank our daughter, for the reasons listed in this article and for various other reasons. With that said, we need to offer grace and understanding in this area. I have no interest in making a blanket statement about the morality of spanking. Many of my friends and family choose/chose to spank – not out of anger –... Read more

The Beautiful Risk of Calling God our “Father” – reflections from a young dad

Last updated on: February 10, 2014 at 8:05 pm By Kurt Willems

Lately I’ve reflected on the way we use language to describe God. Naming God as “Father” is normal to me. I worship the God revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – as spoken of in the creeds, texts, and liturgies of the Church. At the same time, I recognize that God-proper, often referred to as “the Godhead,” transcends gender categories. Simply put (in the succinct words of Gungor): God is not a man […God is not a white man... Read more

Free eBook: Evolution & Scripture are NOT Mutually Exclusive – Ham & Nye are both wrong

Last updated on: February 4, 2014 at 9:50 pm By Kurt Willems

Most folks probably know that Ken Ham and Bill Nye just debated the origins of the earth. Ham, a youth earth creationist, and Nye (the science guy), an atheist, demonstrated that the old dichotomy remains in some segments of culture: the bible and science are incompatible. This is a false dichotomy – one that prompted the writing of a free eBook Evolving Evangelicalism: Inviting Church Leaders to Refine their Approach to Scriptures and Origins – ought to alarm those of us who... Read more

The Reconciliation of LGBTQ vs. Chick Fil A – why I stayed silent and the beauty of hospitality

Last updated on: January 30, 2014 at 5:10 pm By Kurt Willems

It’s no secret that I have advocated that the church stay out of marriage (in regards to imposing a “Christianized” version on the government). There should be no qualms about allowing people who love each other to marry one another under the law, especially when a marriage is ratified by a pagan state. This has no effect on Christians of either persuasion – those that are progressive (who affirm LGBTQ covenantal unions as blessed by God, based on their reading of... Read more

A Liturgical-Anabaptist Worship Gathering: our “worship script” from last sunday

Last updated on: January 30, 2014 at 2:28 pm By Kurt Willems

Many people often ask me about how Pangea Communities: a movement of peace, justice, & hope is able to be both Anabaptist and liturgical. What does this look like practically? Although we are still figuring this stuff out, I thought I’d share with you our “worship script” from last Sunday. You will notice that we draw from several sources, including The Book of Common Prayer (so thankful that this resource is in the “public domain”). The Anglicans have created a... Read more

What a “Missional Community” is and isn’t: understanding the basics

Last updated on: January 27, 2014 at 10:14 am By Kurt Willems

In what follows, I’m sharing with you what I shared with our church plant Core Team last night. The following outline describes what a “Missional Community” is and what it isn’t. Now, I’m using this language for our context, so I’m not claiming to have the corner on the MC market (so to speak). Also, I should say that although this outline is adapted for our context at Pangea Communities in Seattle, it is thoroughly stolen from Mike Breen and... Read more

The Modern Magnificat: stories of women called to ministry

Last updated on: January 23, 2014 at 12:45 pm By Kurt Willems

As you are well aware, I am an egalitarian when it comes to gender roles in the church and home. I’ve written about it numerous times. What I want to make you aware of is a great book that has compiled stories of modern women following their calls into the pastorate (and other ministry professions). The Modern Magnificat: Women Responding to the Call of God (edited by Jennifer Harris Dault) has accomplished an important task: putting human faces on an important... Read more