(H/T) We all have our struggles. Some of us procrastinate. Some of us eat too much. Some of us drink too much. Some of us are greedy. I’ve become increasingly aware that my biggest struggle is with other Christians. Seriously. There are few people or things in the world that get under my skin more easily or spark my anger more quickly than other Christians. Jesus said “love your enemies” as a challenge to his followers, but to be honest,... Read more

Did you ever see The Blair Witch Project? I remember being stuck in the middle of a row of a theater with my head buried between by legs, sure I was gonna puke at any moment and panicking because I couldn’t get out to the bathroom. Ugh, shaky cameras. Anyway, The Blair Witch Project started the so-called found footage genre of movies, films that claim to be compiled of actual footage discovered after some crazy (usually scary) real life incident.... Read more

(H/T) I was going to do a year in review post, but I figured 1) it’s more than a bit cliche and 2) trying to predict the future is a lot more fun. So, I’m gonna try something a little different. I’m going to tell you everything (American Jesus related) that’s going to happen in 2014!! More or less. I will keep with the cliché, though, and offer up a year appropriate amount of predictions, but to keep things interesting... Read more

Just about this time two years ago I was getting ready to meet the pope. Ok, not technically “meet” so much as just watch him walk by. But still, I was pretty excited After several months of waiting and string pulling (by my Benedictine monk father-in-law – seriously, I’m not making that up, he’s really a monk ), my wife and I were in Rome when she got a phone call. We were getting tickets to the Midnight Mass at... Read more

My Facebook page and Twitter feed are still clogged with people fuming over Phil Robertson’s suspension. I’m guessing yours is the same. The anger seems to be split between “He’s defending Christian values!” and “It’s a freedom of speech issue!” Except in all caps, of course. Since, I don’t think either statement is true and since I’m tired of dear old Phil being held up as a martyr for Christian virtue, I thought I would offer a compromise by way... Read more

I’m in the midst of frantically trying to finish my final paper before Friday. (How you’d you like that alliteration??) But, I wanted to offer just a few very brief thoughts on the plight of Phil Robertson. Emphasis on brief. My Twitter feed and the news feed on my Facebook page is quickly filling up with reactions to what the Duck Dynasty star had to say about homosexuality in his new interview with GQ. I say “reactions” because all that’s... Read more

Ever been to a living nativity? You know, where actors stand in place of plastic figures to reenact the scene of Jesus’ birth. I remember there was a church in Nashville when I was growing up that went all out and recreated the whole story of Jesus’ birth in a drive through experience. They had tons of actors, elaborate sets, even camels. But you know what they didn’t have? You know what every living nativity scene is missing that would... Read more

(H/T) My first semester at Yale I took a class called “History of Christian Theology to 451.” It was a class in patristics, or the theology of the early church fathers (and mothers). Like so many others, I have always been one of those people (by which I mean most people) who claim to love the early church fathers, but who have never, you know, actually read much of what they wrote. So, it was great to finally immerse myself... Read more

You may remember that story a while back about a bakery in Colorado that wouldn’t sell a wedding cake to a gay couple because, the baker claimed, it was against his Christian faith. Not surprisingly the dispute went to court and last Friday a judge finally ruled that despite the baker’s claim of First Amendment protection, he did, in fact, have to serve the couple because commercial activity is subject to state discrimination laws. Constitutional debate aside, here’s the thing... Read more

So, I’m genuinely curious what you think about this. Yesterday, the associate pastor of Solid Rock Church in Ohio, Lawrence Bishop, “tamed” a wild horse in the middle of the sanctuary during his sermon to teach an object lesson about overcoming obstacles. var p = new anv_pl_def(); p.config = {}; p.config.width = 640; p.config.height = 360; p.loadVideoExpressV3 var p = new anv_pl_def(); p.config = {}; p.config.width = 580; p.config.height = 300; p.loadVideoExpressV3(‘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|1000011|SPS’); I say “tamed” ’cause Wild Hearts Can’t Be... Read more