Nazism and Christianity had a fraught and tangled relationship in Hitler's Germany. Though we would be hard-pressed to call Hitler a Christian, he sprinkled his speeches with all kinds of references to both God and faith. He pressed for something his government called "Positive Christianity," which was grounded almost totally in Germany's National Socialism, and […]

I have been fascinated by the German "Confessing Church" (1934-1948) for years. The Confessing Church was the movement within German Protestantism during Hitler's reign that withstood intense pressure by the Nazi government to take over the German church in order to create a united national church obedient and submissive to pro-Nazi authority. The Confessing Church […]

As most of my readers know, I left a church I loved almost 2 years ago after preaching and teaching there for 23 years. I left because I followed Jesus right into officiating the marriage of two of my dearest young friends. Two of the best people I know: Kind, genuine, faithful, humble, loving women […]

I am in the midst of re-reading one of my favorite books, The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality, by Ronald Rolheiser. I seek out Rolheiser's writing when my weariness about the American church and its unhappy romance with politics causes me to feel despair. I ground myself in the deeper truths of […]

60% of Americans under the age of 30 who leave the church leave because of the church's anti-LGBTQ messages. SIXTY PERCENT! Churches who maintain their oppositional stance toward full affirmation and inclusion of gay people into their life and leadership are going to face very hard choices in the future. The data tells us that […]

Almost two years ago when a couple young friends asked me to officiate their wedding, I knew it was time for me to do some serious work. I needed to lean into the experience and knowledge of those who had gone before me, who had paved the way, who had done the work, who understood […]