I've heard a Bible verse used far too many times as a "pushback" against government assistance programs like SNAP. It's 2 Thessalonians 3:10, "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” I'm sure you have too. So let's breakdown why using it this way is wrong and harmful. Paul's Greek in this passage reads:(tis ou thelei ergazesthai), literally in English it says: "if anyone is unwilling to labor." The verb ergazesthai carries the sense of physical labor, the labor of producing food, of...
2 days ago • 3 min read
Common Myths About SNAP Myth 1: “Most SNAP recipients don’t work.” Fact: Nearly two-thirds of SNAP recipients who can work do work, often in low-wage jobs that don’t pay enough to cover basic food needs. SNAP supplements income; it doesn’t replace it. Approximately 70% of wage-earning adults in SNAP households work full-time hours, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. However, other analyses show that work is common among those who receive SNAP, with over 80% of...
2 days ago • 4 min read
Hello my friends, Many of the questions I receive revolve around the theme of what loving others well actually looks like in a world like ours today, especially those within our religious group who believe a coercive and forceful way is the way God is calling us to right now. So, today I want to ponder that theme through the lens of a conversation Jesus had with his peers over the very same topic. I hope you find it helpful. Recommended Resources -Broken Articulating Your Own Faith After...
8 days ago • 9 min read
Hello my friends, This week, I wanted to look at persisting in hope even when things feel hopeless. In the heaviness of everything that is happening right now, it can be easy to just be overwhelmed and wonder if it is even worth continuing to resist injustice. We can tell ourselves it is always worth it, but sometimes we can feel overwhelmed just the same. At the same time, we can see such great signs of hope, like our neighbors raising their voices in peaceful protest against injustice to...
15 days ago • 7 min read
Hello my friends, So much has happened this last week. It seems to be the case every week, unfortunately. It is all really heavy. One of the heaviest ongoing realities we are witnessing is the mistreatment and injustice being carried out against people in the name of immigration enforcement. So, today I wanted to process that reality with you through the lens of Luke 17:11–19 and hopefully develop a faithful response to what we are seeing in the world together. Recommended Resources -Mosaics...
22 days ago • 14 min read
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...
29 days 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...
about 1 month 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...
about 1 month 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...
about 2 months ago • 11 min read