Hello my friends, In today's newsletter, I wanted to respond to the deeply disturbing rhetoric that was said by several pastors here in Idaho during a CNN interview. Rhetoric that was especially disturbing regarding women, women leaders, and women's rights. My hope is that you will find my responses meaningful and helpful in your own conversations with others on this topic. Housekeeping: Rebecca is due on the 19th to have our third child, a little boy! I wanted to let you know not only so you...
3 days ago • 11 min read
Hello my friends, I hope you're doing well. Before we get to today's newsletter, I wanted to ask for your feedback. I'm thinking of developing a free email course on the topic of church history, specifically looking at the Christian movements that fused themselves with the empires of this world and the Christian movements that resisted them. I think looking at this topic could better equip us for what we are facing today. If you feel the same, respond to this newsletter with "course" in the...
10 days ago • 10 min read
Hello my friends, I hope this finds you well. One of the clear trademarks of our time is the demand for allegiance. Especially unquestioned allegiance. Whether it is towards a political figure, a nation, or a belief system, we are witnessing, and have been for sometime now, a constant demand to conform. So today, I wanted to focus on this topic, how the Bible navigates this, and how we might go about opposing this practically as well, beginning with ourselves. Recommended Resources: -The Sin...
17 days ago • 9 min read
Hello my friends, After reading so many of your replies from last week's newsletter, I noticed how a lot of our grief and betrayal centers around those who claim to follow Jesus, especially those with immense power, justifying not caring about certain groups of human beings. So, today I wanted to invite us to ponder the Biblical context of the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" and how we are witnessing that question being asked today. I then want to end by giving us language to...
24 days ago • 10 min read
Hello my friends, Thanks for being here today. Many of you have sent in questions about how to navigate conversations with loved ones who are indifferent to the suffering we are seeing around us. So, I wanted to process that with you all today and think together about some possible ways of responding productively. I hope you find it helpful. Recommended Resources -What Makes Us Free? by Throughline. The conversation over what the government's role actually is has only intensified. I think I...
about 1 month ago • 13 min read
Hello my friends, I have had such a heavy heart lately and from the messages I've gotten recently, so many of you are feeling the same way. In the midst of this heaviness, it can be so hard to keep moving forward in hope, to be present with ourselves and others, let alone constructively address the issues that are causing this heaviness in the first place. So, today I want to ponder this heaviness together, name a few things it does to us, and then process a way forward together. I hope it...
about 1 month ago • 8 min read
Hello my friends, I got several questions from my last article, "Clarifying Our Moment," about how the economy relates to competitive authoritarianism and fascism. So, I wanted to write a "part 2" to briefly answer this question historically and how it is playing out in our country today. I hope it brings clarity. Capitalism and Authoritarianism: A Historical and Contemporary Critique Capitalism, at its core, is an economic system defined by private ownership, markets, and the pursuit of...
about 1 month ago • 7 min read
Hello my friends, I hope you had a safe and peaceful week, all things considered. I know from the many who wrote me that so many felt deeply grieved, angered, and scared over the passing of HR-1, otherwise known as the “Big Beautiful Bill.” I felt similarly and still do. I am heartbroken and fearful for all those who will be so harmed by this measure. It made for such a somber and lament filled 4th of July. In light of this, I wanted to share some distinctions of how we might define our...
about 2 months ago • 12 min read
Hello my friends, One of the passages I get the most questions about is in John 8:11, where Jesus is shown saying to a woman accused of adultery, "go and sin no more." This phrase also appears often in negative comments on my online writings about the need for compassion in our world. It is so often used as a way of justifying the calling out and condemnation of sinners by Christians, because that is what Jesus did. So today, I want to explore this passage, its context, and how using Jesus'...
about 2 months ago • 12 min read
Hello my friends, I want you to know I really struggled on what to write about this week. There were so many things I wanted to process with you. So, because of this, I included a few bonus articles below. One is a theological reflection on selective prayer when it comes to praying for the president and the other is on how End Times theology is impacting American perception as well as policy when it comes to the Middle East. I hope you find them helpful. Today I wanted to process with you...
about 2 months ago • 10 min read