I have been thinking a lot about how Jesus pushed the boundaries. He broke right through the spiritual fences religious leaders had put up to keep people out, to keep people away from their God. As I read through the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life and ministry I cannot help but notice what a boundary […]
When my daughter was young, she had a ruthless Eastern European piano teacher. Ruthless. My girl was learning to overcome some shyness and self-consciousness, and we had hoped learning to play the piano would instill confidence. Not with this instructor, though. Our daughter practiced and practiced, playing the same song over and over again until […]
As Christianity in America has been hijacked by people for political gain, the great message has been lost. Throughout history, from the time of Constantine on, this has always been the tragic fallout of the unhealthy merging of political power and faith. When this happens, the simple good news gets lost, it gets marred and […]
Good Friday is dark. The compassionate, merciful, God-man dies a criminal's death at the hands of religious and political leaders. The Messiah, full of despair and feeling deserted by God the Father, cries out, "My God, why have you forsaken me?" Even the earth wept and quaked. Yet somehow, we call it good. Emil Brunner, […]
Confession: I am still in my LL Bean flannel pajamas in front of a roaring fire. It is well past morning. I am thinking about a concept called "idleness aversion." Idleness aversion is something the German sociologist Max Weber called "one of the core ingredients of the modern soul." Oliver Burkeman defines it as "not […]
So much of life is spent trying to gain acceptance from others - our parents, friends, colleagues, children, even strangers. We all want to be seen, known, and accepted, flaws and all. Too often, acceptance feels elusive. And so we try to achieve it. We fit ourselves into molds that will gain acceptance from one […]
