Hello my friends, After mentioning the book of Jonah in last week's newsletter, I was again compelled by how powerful its message of prophetic critique is for Christianity in America today. So, I wanted to reflect with you on its historical context and the honesty in which it was written for its original audience as we navigate all that we have seen unfold in American Christianity in the recent decade and today. Recommended Resources -New Beacon Bible Commentaries Many of you messaged me the...
about 6 hours ago • 8 min read
Hello my friends, Given the heaviness of the world, I wanted to reflect with you about what it's like caring deeply in a time that is so cruel and provide some practical steps I take myself to prevent from burning out. I hope you find them helpful and encouraging. Recommended Resources: -Into The Gray Podcast. After a long break for family leave, I am officially resuming my weekly sermon podcast. I follow the lectionary and take a look at our world through the lens of the Bible and how we...
7 days ago • 8 min read
Hello my friends, In response to my recent newsletter, many of you responded by mentioning how the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk has already been pulled into the vortex of outrage. How so many of you grieve this senseless act of political violence, believe it has no place in our country, and that Mr. Kirk should still be alive today, while also grieving how it has polarized us even further, and how quickly he is being remembered as a martyr by many Christians. For those who have been...
14 days ago • 5 min read
Hello my friends, The world has felt heavy in recent years, but weeks like this are especially so. I have struggle to know what to say or if I could say anything worthwhile at all. So I decided to simply share my experience of these last few days and extend a simple invitation into lament to process our world that seems so intent on revenge. Recommended Resources -Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times by Soong-Chan Rah. The American church tends to avoid lament. But lament is...
21 days ago • 11 min read
Hello my friends, I wanted to look at a topic together today that I have been thinking about for a long time now and that is how anti-intellectualism impacts both our country and our faith today. This is also a dynamic many of you have written to me about, so I hope you find it helpful and productive in someway. RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: -Anti-Intellectualism in American Life by Richard Hofstadter. This is one of those books I read in my late 20s that I still think about today. It brilliantly...
28 days ago • 10 min read
Hello my friends, I read the news about the horrific mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school right after dropping my own children off at their school. Reports say that there were more than 20 victims and two children were killed. My wife and I just burst into tears at the thought of what those parents are going through. We both said to each other that there is just no coming back from that kind of loss. Just the thought of what they are experiencing right now is unimaginable.Events...
about 1 month ago • 8 min read
Hello my friends, I'm excited to tell you that Rebecca and I welcomed our third child on August 19th at 2:27pm! We named him MacIntyre Banks. He and Rebecca are doing very well. Thank you so much for your prayers, encouragement, and support. I'm writing to you right now as a very happy and sleep deprived dad. We chose the name MacIntyre after the Scottish-American philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre. His book “After Virtue” had a big impact on me and the fields of moral and political philosophy...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
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...
about 2 months ago • 12 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...
about 2 months 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...
2 months ago • 9 min read