When I became a Christian, following Jesus seemed like the most revolutionary thing I could do. The teachings of Jesus are radical. The way the early church lived out the gospel inspires me to go deeper, give more of myself, and nurture a grander vision for what human community could be like. The more I read …
Death is one of the few guarantees. It comes for each and every one of us. Yet, not all deaths are created equal. There is the tragic death that comes in youth, and anticipated death in old age. Sudden death from accident or violence. A slow, managed death in a hospital. There is diversity in death. In another sense, …
I recently read a blog post by a US Army chaplain, who talks about his struggle with Jesus’ call to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. In a military context, he regularly finds himself asked some version of the question: “If ISIS killed your child, would you pray for them?” His …
When I was in seminary at Earlham School of Religion, I was able to spend all my time studying and pondering the nature of God, Jesus, and the community gathered around him. I considered deep questions of meaning, reflected on Quaker history, and came to a more settled understanding of the Bible and Christian spirituality. I visited …
Read more “Theology is Great, But What I Really Need is Jesus”
When I was a young man, I didn’t worry about the things I do today. I had a whole different set of concerns. As an adolescent and early-20-something, I was anxious about whether I’d ever make it to real, independent adulthood. There was so much unanswered. Would I marry? Would I have children? What would my vocation …
This is a sermon that I preached this Sunday (8/14/16), at the Washington City Church of the Brethren. The scripture readings for this sermon were: Hebrews 11:29-12:2 and Luke 12:49-56 You can listen to the audio, or keeping scrolling to read my manuscript. (FYI, the spoken sermon deviates a fair amount from the written text.) Sermon Audio …
Read more “There is a Spirit which I Feel: The Cloud of Witnesses”
What are you doing the first weekend in October? As a reader of this blog, I want to extend you a personal invitation to join me and the Friends of Jesus Fellowship for our Fall Gathering in Silver Spring, Maryland. Experience food, fun, fellowship, and Spirit-led worship with a group of like-hearted followers of Jesus. This October, we’ll …
Read more “Register Now for Friends of Jesus Fall Gathering: Oct 7-10, 2016”