Karl Barth’s wisdom for fathers (and mothers, and all children of God)
Before you had a human parent, you had a perfect one.
I was afraid to protest in Kenosha, but my parishioner needed me
The city felt like it had been sucker punched.
I go to thrift stores for the books
I almost always find something good that I didn’t know I needed.
The same old debate about the Easter story and whether or not to believe it
Accept the resurrection or don’t. Either way, you’re the boss.
5 times a day, the WeCroak app reminds me that I’m going to die
I liked this, until I didn’t.
Christian Wiman and the poetry of joy
In this anthology of poems selected by Wiman, joy comes in modest and unlikely guise.
George Lindbeck saved my Christianity
I read The Nature of Doctrine in college—and finally understood why God had seemed so vague to me.
A conversation with David Brooks about sin and beauty
“We live differently than we say we live. There’s moral judgment all around.”
God among the imperfect: The holy family didn't meet the ideal either
I don’t know what a perfect first-century family looked like, but I’m certain that Joseph and Mary didn’t qualify.
Thunderous yes: Preaching to the Easter crowds
Our guests know that resurrection defies logic. That is why they come sidling through our doors—every one of them comes hoping for it.
Shocked by grace: A visit to death row
Every time I mentioned God, David referred to God’s mercy. Bandying sacred language back and forth with a convicted murderer unnerved me.
Embrace & abandonment: A pastor and a poet talk about God
"We aren't the first people to experience God as the slice and the stitches at the exact same time. The paradox is ancient. Jesus embodied it."
Light reading in the pulpit: Texts for preaching
I read theology to understand myself and be reminded that I cannot ever hope to understand God. I get my deep meaning from reading dead Germans. Most everything else is entertainment. But it all affects my preaching.
Acquainted with grief: The church’s way with death
Regular churchgoing does not make you a friend of death. But if you sit in the pews long enough, you cannot help getting acquainted.
Take the money and run? When Hollywood came calling: When Hollywood came calling
According to my understanding of congregational polity, a pastor has the authority to turn down money. But not this much money.
Con artists at the door: The ministry of being lied to
My old office was above a soup kitchen, and its clients regularly came in to ask for money. Eventually I began interrupting each visitor's story by sliding a 20-dollar bill across my desk—a toll I paid so I could return to my work.