I was listening to some Bob Dylan the other day when I ran across his version of Black Cross, a poem by Joseph Newman in 1948. I jumped out at me most likely because I’m currently reflecting on the Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. This poem/song is really intense and deeply theological. It capturesContinue reading “Bob Dylan and the BLACK CROSS (HEZEKIAH JONES)”
Category Archives: The Theological
Community of the Holy Spirit: Repentance as a Way of (Dis)believing
This past Sunday we looked at Peter’s Sermon in Acts 2. I struggled over this text for a while. How do I preach a sermon on a sermon and keep it interesting? Actually, I’m trying to avoid using words like “preach” and “sermon” because they feel less participatory and Quakerly. I really am interested inContinue reading “Community of the Holy Spirit: Repentance as a Way of (Dis)believing”
We Too Need an “I’m Sorry Day”: Concerning the Recent Abortion Murder
Jarrod McKenna’s posted on the God’s Politics Blog about the “I’m Sorry Day” Australian’s celebrate every year as a remind that “there is no future without confessing and seeking to heal the pain of the genocide of Aboriginal peoples and the evils that created the stolen generation.” It’s a good short post and he linksContinue reading “We Too Need an “I’m Sorry Day”: Concerning the Recent Abortion Murder”
GiL Video: Resistance and Simplicity: Reflections On Swimming Upstream
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4468240&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=FEF52D&fullscreen=1 Resistance and Simplicity from wess on Vimeo. In this video I discuss some of the questions I have around using words like “simplicity” when it comes to living out the Gospel in a consumer culture. With a nod to early Friends history, John Woolman, and some contemporary examples of the greening of capitalism, IContinue reading “GiL Video: Resistance and Simplicity: Reflections On Swimming Upstream”
Unless a Grain of Wheat Falls: The Church in 25 years
Scott McClellan emailed me a couple weeks back and asked me to imagine what The church might be like in 25 years and write it in 150-300 words: It’s for an upcoming article for Collide Magazine (a magazine largely dealing with church and new media, an emphasis you will hear in my thoughts). So inContinue reading “Unless a Grain of Wheat Falls: The Church in 25 years”
The Kingdom Call and Practice of Resistance
I have been thinking a lot about “practices of resistance” lately, not just the theology and philosophy behind this but also how to incorporate them into my routines more. So over the next few posts I want to try and develop some thoughts around this as well as explain a couple practices I’m attempting (andContinue reading “The Kingdom Call and Practice of Resistance”
Discussions on Plurality 2.0
Adam Walker Cleveland, the author of Pomomusings.com, is conducting a series of guest posts on his site around the subject of pluralism called Plurality 2.0 and I have a guest piece on the subject today. Here’s what he writes about the series: I think issues of pluralism, ecumenism, the exclusivity/inclusivity of Christ and everything elseContinue reading “Discussions on Plurality 2.0”
Barclay Press Post: Repetition and A Non-Liturgical Liturgy
Here’s my latest installment at Barclay Press. As you’ll notice I worked at weaving a number of ideas I’ve had together and tried to initiate a forward step in a Quaker understanding of “liturgy.” More on this to come. What Quakers were against wasn’t forms but rather things that became objects and ultimately obstacles forContinue reading “Barclay Press Post: Repetition and A Non-Liturgical Liturgy”
Virtual Desire and a New York Police Officer
There’s a really interesting article in the New York Times today about a police office who was being charged with brutality in a criminal case. The suspect was caught carrying a gun and was purportedly punched by the officer while he was in cuffs. The Times reports that, “Officer E. said he has never beenContinue reading “Virtual Desire and a New York Police Officer”
The Ironic Gesture of the Church
Ryan Bell, the pastor of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Hollywood, invited philosopher/theologian Peter Rollins to do a two day conference called “Beyond Evandelism” at their church building (You can read Bell’s recent post on Rollins talk last night). In his talk Peter Rollins discussed a number of things important to the church: theContinue reading “The Ironic Gesture of the Church”
Gathering in Light 