Let me give you a scenario. It’s the 1800s in the United States. On the ballot is a presidential ticket which is for the freedom of slaves in the antebellum south and on the other ticket are folks who are for keeping slaves with their masters. Obviously there are other issues to vote on, but this issue is the headliner. We’d all agree it’s important. The people who are for keeping the slaves say things like: “If you don’t want... Read more
For those of you that don’t know, I enjoy writing. Not only do I enjoy writing for this platform, but I also write poetry. I’ve fancied myself a poet since about senior year of High School. Just typing this out makes me feel old! Regardless, I’ve been reflecting on the state of Youth Ministry in America and can’t help but think that maybe we are missing the mark a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, I think there many faithful... Read more
” Worship. It’s something that every Christian strives to do with their lives. In one of Paul’s exhortations to the Church, he writes to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice Holy and pleasing to God. We are to offer ourselves, every bit of ourselves, to the Lord. And yet, there is a way for us to do so that honors the Lord, and there is way to attempt to worship that is not. Have you ever thought about how... Read more
Have you ever been told that anger is bad? I sure have. When I was little, I remember watching a show on the History Channel (I forgot which show it was so forgive me). In this show, the narrator sought to explain the 7 deadly sins. One of which, of course, was “wrath.” In my own ignorance I thought that wrath was the same thing as anger. For instance, anger over not getting what I wanted for dinner was deadly.... Read more
Who hasn’t seen the family of 4 at a restaurant? 2 siblings fight each other over something so trivial that only a child can imagine the seriousness of its offense. The parents bicker back and forth over something else. And meanwhile the visitors simply try to enjoy their meal. We’ve seen the sting of divorce. The sting of abuse (emotional, physical, and mental) in relationships runs rampant. Abandonment, cheating, and avoiding responsibility is all too common. Dysfunctionality has become commonplace... Read more
We Survived… Take it from the mind of G.K. Chesterton when it comes to discussions around politics. “I never discuss anything else except politics and religion. There is nothing else to discuss.” Some of you may roll your eyes in disdain and sarcasm. Others may soberly nod and agree. The fact of the matter is, there are 2 things that impact everybody: Religion and Politics. They need to be discussed. At the dinner table, in small groups… Yes… from the... Read more
I’ve Heard it Said… … that a good argument against theism is that the default for humanity is atheism. The argument goes like this: If the default position for humanity is atheism then theism cannot be true. The default position for humanity is atheism. Therefore, theism cannot be true. Said in simpler terms, one only believes in God because they were told to. We were indoctrinated to believe in God by our parents who were indoctrinated by their parents, and... Read more
Whatever Comes Through That Gate… In Peter Jackson’s film-adaptation of Tolkien’s work, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, there is a tense scene at the Battle of Minas Tirith. Gandalf is beckoning the guard to the gates to prepare for the hoard of orcs that are posed to flood through. Grond, a terrifying wolf-shaped battering ram beats at the hallowed gates of the White City. It is in this moment where one would expect encouragement from... Read more
Reflection For whatever reason, I began reflecting on my years working on my undergrad in education. At the height of the Covid lockdowns, I, and many lucky students around the U.S. engaged in online courses in order to act like nothing was happening. In the front room of my mother’s house, I sat at the piano bench, laptop on top of the piano, in a Zoom class with the professor and 8 or so other students. My professor opened up... Read more
If You’re Anything Like Me… You’ve stayed awake at night before, eyes wide-opened, staring at the ceiling, wondering “What if I don’t make it?” It’s a terrifying feeling. To be clear, my teachers and preachers growing up went to great lengths not to use Hell as a fear tactic. They genuinely cared for us and only sought to inform an accurate picture of the afterlife for us. Yet, I do think the conversation around Hell in many pockets of the... Read more
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