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Imagine for a moment that you live in a place where the rule of law is explicitly intertwined with religion, such that even beliefs, the content of your mind, if judged to be an error by religious authorities, could lead to your torturous execution. Now imagine further that you find yourself imprisoned for…

In talked about the following interview in my sermon Sunday, but I thought it was worth repeating in blog form… The late Charles Templeton was an evangelical minister turned agnostic and was well known for his falling away from the Christian faith. Templeton was a good friend of Billy Graham and toured with him frequently until a nagging skepticism tore him from faith and rationally compelled him to denounce belief in an Abrahamic God. When he brought these very real concerns to the floor of Billy Graham’s life, Graham, though shaken, prayerfully determined that he would continue in faith. Templeton, though

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Here is the familiar the Parable of the Mustard Seed: Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.” The common interpretation of this passage seems only common sense. The kingdom of God is represented as this small and seemingly insignificant seed that grows into a fullness that is by orders of magnitude greater than the meek smallness of its beginning. This interpretation finds convenient manifestation in the

“In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.” – 1 Samuel 3:1 In seminary, I had to take a class on prayer and I remember being incredibly scared. Scared, as it were, of the painful reality of God’s conspicuous silence. I have often characterized my spiritual life in evolutionary terms – inasmuch as it is not so much marked by sudden and complete changes as it is by slow and gradual processes. So when I first read the syllabus for this class and saw that I was pressed to seriously consider the matter

For more on this topic, please listen to our series of sermons on Comfort. Dictionary.com defines suffering as follows, “[to] experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant).” If Dictionary.com is right, then suffering is as universal as it is unquestionable. That infamous serpent of long ago slithers through the lives every conscious being, eating dust and spitting out suffering in return. The sigh of a heavy heart and the echoed footsteps of a teenager all alone. The tears of those who mourn for all that they have lost and the child who hides behind the couch because her parents are

Yesterday afternoon as I was walking in the Pearl District when I was approached by a man from Green Peace. I could tell he wanted to tell me about his cause so I pretended not to see him. It didn’t work and he quickly said, “I only need a minute.” I let him know that I was in a hurry, thinking that this would free me from listening to his pitch. It didn’t work. “I’ll walk with you, if it’s ok” he responded without hesitation. We walked up the street together and he began to tell me about Green Peace. When he said

I have been drinking a lot of water lately because the experts say that this is good for me. I can attest that it does almost always make me feel better. The only exception to this is when there is not an accessible bathroom. Last week I drank 32 ounces of water then had to kill a few hours downtown near Pioneer Square. I “held it” as long as possible, but eventually, I could no longer take the pain of waiting. Knowing that there was not a plethora of easily accessible public bathrooms around I darted into the nearest department store and rushed

Ephesians 3:10-11, “10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Usually, in the spring, around the time of Pentecost, I do a series of sermons on the church. In the past three years I have preached Church 101, Church As…, and 7 Churches. This year I planned to do the same; my intent was to focus on the teachings about church in the book of Ephesians. My head, heart,

Ephesians 2:19-22, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Usually, in the spring, around the time of Pentecost, I do a series of sermons on the church. In the past three years