There are places in this world that are “thin.” It is a label given to places, in the Celtic understanding, where the barrier between the human and the divine, heaven and earth, is nearly imperceptible. A place where we experience the divine more readily. In biblical history, we see a number of these “thin places”…
Practicing Our Religion in Public
By some accounts, yesterday morning I did exactly the opposite of what Jesus tells us in Matthew. Some of us gathered at a local coffee shop, a public place, to pray and impose ashes and remember we are merely human. We were out there, practicing our religion in public. I always find this passage from…
What can thrive here? #growrule
Last year I took four weeks of spiritual renewal leave and wanted to focus on cultivation… in relationships, in my spiritual life, and literally, in my back yard. I had far more intentions than time, but I was able to manage to clear out one entire section of the retaining wall (seen behind the…
Look. See. Live. #growrule
As part of my Lenten disciplines, I’m using a tool from The Society of Saint John the Evangelist called “Growing a Rule of Life.” As Marjorie Thompson writes: Certain kinds of plants need support in order to grow properly. Tomatoes need stakes, and beans must attach themselves to suspended strings… human beings are much like…
Momentum for Life: Eating & Exercise
About ten years ago, I was living in Nashville and was in the middle of my seminary journey. I was overwhelmed by studying and coursework and I was working full time at a local church as a part of an internship. I was burning the candle at both ends and learning a lot… but I…
A Spotlight and a Platform
Martin Shkreli, the man who raised prices on various life-saving drugs purely for profit, testified before Congress recently: What really struck me in this video, was the plea of Mr. Cummings. He lifted up the truth of the impact of Mr. Shkreli’s actions, but did not merely question or shame or condemn him. Instead, he…
Momentum for Life: Vision for Immanuel
God spoke: Write this! Write what you see! Write it out in big block letters so it can be read on the run! And when God gives a vision aids our momentum. It paints a picture of the future that drives us forward because we can’t wait to get there. God’s vision aches for…
Blogging as a form of Public Theology
I just spent the last couple of days in Washington, D.C. exploring what it means to be a public theologian. Over the last year, I have been part of the Lewis Center’s Community Leadership Fellows Program. We have gathered for three day sessions together at Wesley’s downtown campus in order to reflect upon the role…