Is It Time to Rethink Church?

Last updated on: June 16, 2021 at 2:17 pm By Victorious Living

When the Covid-19 pandemic rushed through Christendom in 2020, it rattled an already unstable system. For years, the bigger denominations have seen a steady decline in membership. Stories about people being wounded rather than edified by the church had become commonplace. An array of clergy addictions – embezzlement, adultery, deceit – were a plague on church leaders and church communities. Many were leaving the church outright. Others were reconsidering what church is supposed to be. What it looks like and... Read more

Hypocrisy and Blind Spots

Last updated on: June 1, 2021 at 5:13 pm By Victorious Living

There is a lot of partisan squabbling and finger pointing going on in the world today. I am not just talking about politics, but rival fanbases, religious denominations, and work alliances as well. The thing that is most saddening, appalling, and increasingly frustrating about this is the unabashed hypocrisy with which we approach these battles. Here are two easy examples (one from each of the political aisle): We are part of a neighborhood Facebook group that was touting its desire... Read more

A Vacation From Fear and Anxiety

Last updated on: June 1, 2021 at 11:42 am By Victorious Living

We recently went on a vacation to Wyoming. The timing was perfect; we flew out the day after our busiest stretch of the year. On fumes and in need of some fresh air (literally and metaphorically), it literally could not have come at a better time. But as all of us know, vacations are not always as simple as they seem. The phrase, “we need a vacation from our vacation” is often used by those who come home just as... Read more

The Consequences of Getting Away With It

Last updated on: June 1, 2021 at 4:52 pm By Victorious Living

When we are faced with negative consequences, one of our natural tendencies is to ask ourselves, implicitly or explicitly, “how much can I get away with?” It is subtle, as often as not. But we, like Adam and Eve, hide from our mistakes. We try to manipulate the consequences to be less painful or, miracle of miracles, finagle a way to avoid the consequence altogether. One of my most vivid childhood memories happened when I was playing by myself on... Read more

The Difference Between Emancipation and Liberation

Last updated on: June 1, 2021 at 11:35 am By Victorious Living

Before recent world events, I was one of those people who did not know anything about “Juneteenth” – what it was or why it was celebrated. Which is interesting because I am Texan (and my parents live in Galveston), where the proclamation by the Union forces (in the most remote of Confederate territories) was officially enacted. I was talking recently to a friend of mine in New York who used to be a history teacher. He pointed out something interesting... Read more

Abundant Metaphors: Lakes and Rivers

Last updated on: June 1, 2021 at 11:27 am By Victorious Living

On our recent vacation to Wyoming, we spent some time in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. The two neighboring parks press right up against one another, yet are very different experiences. It is natural, when experiencing both parks so close together, to compare the two and ask which one prefers. We are not even home from the trip and have already had friends and family ask that very thing. While there are many differences between the two... Read more

The Allure of Self-Sacrifice

Last updated on: May 26, 2021 at 7:29 pm By Victorious Living

There are few things as fascinating as the reality of self-sacrifice. Most of our movies, political speeches, and internal narratives celebrate some element of one’s ability to lose personally for the sake of the greater good. It is a pretty crazy thing, when we stop to think about it. Each of us is created with just one person to steward (ourselves, if that is not clear). We have a life to protect, a mind to feed, and emotions to foster.... Read more

Analyzing My Ability to Analyze

Last updated on: May 26, 2021 at 7:20 pm By Victorious Living

Just about every choice we make is a cost/benefit analysis. Our brains look at the situation, weighing the pros and the cons, measuring the imagined gains and the perceived loss involved. What we decide to do is the result of this analysis. But what if our scales are calibrated incorrectly? What if our measuring devices are skewed one way or another? I am constantly finding that my initial analysis does not match up with the reality of consequences. What I... Read more

Zooming Away

Last updated on: May 26, 2021 at 7:01 pm By Victorious Living

We are currently on vacation. Life in New York City can be as full of hustle and bustle as the stereotype suggests. Every summer, we try to get away into the mountains, to experience nature and breathe fresh air. To look at the stars and walk through the flowers. When we get away from the city and into these smaller towns in the heart of nature, it is always striking how different it must be to live in these small... Read more

Time and Chance

Last updated on: May 26, 2021 at 7:11 pm By Victorious Living

I have spent the better part of my life trying to figure out how this whole thing called life works. What am I supposed to do, believe, think? What is the system and how do I make the most of it? As a teenager, I took a legalistic view and tried very hard not to drink and have sex. I was confused and frequently encountered pain. Perhaps the key was to be more “free” – hold up my hands in... Read more