The kids and I are getting a new addition to our family this Saturday: an 8-month-old yellow labrador retriever named, Albert. And we can hardly wait. It’s been a year-and-a-half since I put down my beloved, Beaumont, and I’ve wanted a dog every day since. But it’s been difficult in this time of transition to imagine how a dog would fit in the family. Now we’ve got a stable living situation, and I’ve got friends and family willing to pitch... Read more
If you read this blog, then so do others like you. Maybe others whom you’d like to inform about your website, book, product, service, conference, etc. Well, for a lot less than a magazine ad — or even an ad on other websites — you can buy some time in the right sidebar. Let me know if you want more information. Read more
For those who are just joining the conversation, here’s a brief: Soong-Chan Rah wrote about the emergent church in his book — a characterization to which I and others objected. He has now written an article on the subject for Sojourners Magazine. I said I didn’t like the cover image and title — I still don’t. I made some assumptions in the original post about Rah’s article which I have since amended and have apologized to Rah. Some commenters have... Read more
Tommy Mischke is a Minnesota legend and a treasure, though you’ve probably not heard of him if you’re not from here. He’s a singer-songwriter, but he’s mainly known as a long-time radio host, known for weird gags, drunk callers, and long periods of silence. Rumor has it that he may be returning to Twin Cities radio (and on a clear channel station, so that many of you around the country will be able to hear him from 10-midnight Central Time... Read more
I appreciate all of the thoughtful responses to yesterday’s post, “Is Sojourners for Straights Only?” While few commenters dealt with the actual question of the post (What about Sojo addressing GLBT rights as a justice issue?), many chimed in to agree that yes, indeed, the emerging church movement is not diverse enough for their tastes. I use the phrase “their tastes” purposefully, because it does not seem like there would come a time when the EC — or any collection... Read more
That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw an advertisement for the new issues of Sojourners Magazine: Actually, the first thing I thought was, Is this really the time for us to be criticizing other Christians who are on the same team as us? Really, with everything that’s going on in the world, a critique of the emerging church is worthy of a cover article? (more…) Read more
Although David Bazan was all the buzz last summer when I was at Cornerstone, I paid the buzz no heed since I’d never heard of him and had only vaguely heard of his former band, Pedro the Lion. However, enough people mentioned to me the power of his latest album, commonly referred to as his “break-up with God album,” that I purchased it. In the Chicago Reader, Jessica Hopper wrote, Bazan’s Curse Your Branches, due September 1 [2009] on Barsuk,... Read more
I have returned, relatively intact, from my first big vacation with the kids as a single dad. We covered 1446 miles in the 2004 Volvo XC 70 (never have I taken a road trip in such a comfortable car). Among the highlights were visiting long-time friends on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, staying at the Creekside Lodge in Custer State Park, touring Wind Cave, and spending many hours learning about Mount Rushmore. Among the lowlights were the illnesses that we... Read more
Originally posted May 4, 2009: As often when I’m with liberal groups, Marcus Borg’s name came up early in the conversation. And, as I usually do, I took that opportunity to affirm my belief in the actual, physical, historic resurrection of Jesus, something that Borg notoriously does not do. (I wrote about my experience with Borg in my book.) Many times over the rest of the weekend, I was approached by participants on the retreat who wanted to challenge me... Read more
Originally posted April 12, 2009: So, why a resurrection? More importantly to me, as one who is increasingly shunned by evangelicals and in the same room with liberal mainliners (and Catholics), why a real, historical, physical resurrection? Well, if you found some resonance with my previous post on the crucifixion, then the resurrection of Jesus is all the more important. In Jesus, God identified with humankind in an unprecendented way — this is why the divinity (i.e., non-mortality) of Jesus... Read more
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