Disclosure Day
It’s worth asking yourself: how would your neighborhood, church, school, work, or family respond to the next big disruption? Even better, ask how you would respond when the news reports an unavoidable new truth.
A Church of Dictionaries
Those 7000 voices should matter to us. Thousands of stories, songs, jokes, and histories answer the question of what it means to be human and alive. As a traveler, I’ve come to appreciate the value of understanding is in gaining a new perspective on life.
Idols and Yellow Brick Roads
…It’s a grief because many of us have known for a long time that religion is behind the curtain, turning knobs and convincing billions throughout the ages that it’s great and powerful.
Forged Faith Cheques
This commandment directs us not to project our own interpretations onto divine will to justify or elevate ourselves. Another way to say it is that we should not be in the business of writing our own checks from God’s account and forging his name to authorize them.
Pain Has No Mystery
it's clear that people have a hard time connecting the dots between the miracles. I often do. We’d all love to see and experience them, but they are difficult to grasp. Pain is the complete opposite; there is no mystery to pain; we all feel it. In this way, Good Friday becomes the place where life and faith intersect.
Bill C-9 & Palm Sunday
The central question for us today is whether Christians are committed to modeling Jesus’ path of discernment and peace, or whether they are tempted by the call to judgment and arms.
The Fence I won’t Jump
Discovering that faith, hope, and love have been tended beyond our old limits can be a source of joy. For some, crossing this fence is easy; for others, it’s hard because we've been conditioned to see truth as only thriving within our familiar religious or cultural borders.
I’m the Drummer Boy
Pressure reveals the substance of our faith. The drum has been used to organise armies in a militaristic display of power. In the song of the Little Drummer Boy, the drum leads us gently to a scene that welcomed lowly shepherds, astrologers from the East, and a little baby whose army would one day wave palm branches and not swords.
Sandals in Snowdrifts
The qualities of grace are metaphorical pairs of sandals being used to walk through snowdrifts.
Where Others have Gone Before
There are times in life when we think we're unique, brave pioneers, but after some sober-minded reflection, we realize our journeys are rarely exceptional. Over time, others have joined us on this lonely highway of discovering new paths in the journey of life and faith.
How we Mend
We rarely identify with Zachaeus, a wealthy tax collector who used the system to steal from his neighbors. After reading Mend: An Invitation from Jesus to Return to Land-Based Repair by Jodi Spargur, I see a parallel story of Zachaesus and modern settler Canadians. The story of his redemption could serve as a template for us in our own repentance as a country and in mending the relationship with the First Peoples of the land.
Eyes, Teeth & Charlie Kirk
Critics of the faith often cite scripture passages to invalidate the idea of a loving God and creator. There are several passages for them to choose from, one of them being, "Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise," found in the Hebrew scriptures in the book of Exodus.
The Races We Quit
Longevity is admirable, but it can also become an idol that doesn't deserve as much attention as it gets. If you're running a metaphorical marathon ordained by religious or partisan adherence, take a breather, step off to the side, and take a good look at the race as it keeps going around and around in circles.
Safe to Share?
One of the most satisfying experiences I've had as a leader is having a team member share their goals and aspirations after working with me. I’m pleased because they feel safe to do so. Obviously, I'd like that person to stick around forever, but I'm happy to be seen as a person who's safe to share dreams with.
The Good Kind of Explosions
I'll be honest, I'm often overwhelmed by what's happening in Gaza and Ukraine. I feel powerless, frustrated, and angry. I’m furious at the lack of imagination in addressing these conflicts. The acceptance of violence is the greatest failure of humanity.
John MacArthur was Late
In many ways, we're all late to the party of grace. We all waste a lot of time building exclusive lists that include the names of people who we believe "get it" and pass our doctrinal purity tests.
Pentecost and DEI
There are three triggering letters in the alphabet that evoke strong reactions among some in the circles of conservative Christianity. Those three letters are D, E, and I.
Religion Management
Love is much more difficult because while it doesn't rely on the science of judgment, it follows the path of art. How do you know when you've achieved what you're intended to experience?
Route to Heaven
A Parable…
Wide is the freeway driven by many… A road chosen by multitudes of kings and queens who ride solo in steel carriages, separate from the rest of the world.
Easter and the Impossible
Easter is also a challenge. Jesus rising from the dead is a miraculous starting point. It's not the end of the story. We are invited into the story to create life wherever we go. There's a saying from the black church tradition, "Wherever you go, leave a little heaven behind you."