No one can celebratea genuine Christmaswithout being truly poor.The self-sufficient, the proud,those who, because they haveeverything, look down on others,those who have no needeven of God – for them therewill be no Christmas.Only the poor, the hungry,those who need someoneto come on their behalf,will have that someone.That someone is God.Emmanuel. God-with-us.Without poverty of spiritthere canContinue reading “A Reading for Advent – Oscar Romero”
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More Than Half
I turned 41 in October. My wife, Emily, who celebrated her birthday today (11/17) is right behind me. While we were at dinner this afternoon, it occurred to us that we’ve celebrated more birthdays together than we celebrated apart. We’ve finally tipped the scale and have spent more than half our lives together. Our relationshipContinue reading “More Than Half”
A Refreshed Site!
I’ve been blogging on WordPress.org since 2004 and blogging since at least 2001 (a Xanga site for those of you keeping track). Recently, I came across my old blogroll (a set of links of blogs you followed, supported, wanted to give props to), and 8 out of 10 of the link were dead. I couldn’tContinue reading “A Refreshed Site!”
The Banality of Evil
Recently, I was listening to a podcast from OnBeing about Hannah Arendt who spoke about what she called “the banality of evil.” (“The Banality of Evil” is covered in her 1963 book about the Jerusalem trial of Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann). The Ardent scholar on the podcast, Lyndsey Stonebridge, explains that the “banality of evil”Continue reading “The Banality of Evil”
Revelation and Resisting Empire Event Next Week
I was invited to speak on the subject of “Revelation and Empire” at Providence Baptist Church of Greensboro by my good friend, Rev. Darryl Aaron on 6:30pm on September 9-10. These are themes covered in my recent book “Resisting Empire” from Barclay Presshttps://amzn.to/2YhSxio. Following these presentations each night, Rev. Dr. Luke Powery, the Dean of Duke University Chapel,Continue reading “Revelation and Resisting Empire Event Next Week”
Have Your Lamps Lit: The Practice of Growing in Awareness
I’ve been reflecting on the passage from the Gospel of Luke 12:35ff this week where Jesus says the words, “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him asContinue reading “Have Your Lamps Lit: The Practice of Growing in Awareness”
Thinking Core Stories
Core Stories To state the obvious: all organizations have life cycles. That is true whether we are thinking about faith communities, businesses, non-profits, schools, etc. We could think of organizations as a collected and sustained series of stories over time. It might be easier to think about the role of stories in our personal livesContinue reading “Thinking Core Stories”
It Is Closer Than You Think
Is faith always a long reach out of hand? I wonder when I see people searching, struggling to find God if the thought is the more distant the revelation, the greater the conversion? One of the underlying practices in certain parts of the Christian Church is to praise those who have had the most dramaticContinue reading “It Is Closer Than You Think”
Discerning Endings
New beginnings are hard. Endings may be even harder. It is hard to say goodbye. It is hard to see all the hard work, all the investment evaporate before our very eyes. It is hard to know when to let go. Some endings are not hard. Some endings are more like heroic escapes in theContinue reading “Discerning Endings”
New EBook is Out! Resisting Empire: The Book of Revelation as Resistance
Hi Everyone, I’m so excited to announce that my new EBook from Barclay Press on the book of Revelation is now out. It is available through Amazon.com. Check it out!