A Beautiful Execution
| |

A Beautiful Execution

What do execution, cross-stitching, and beauty have in common?

When I say “Christian,” you say…
|

When I say “Christian,” you say…

In 2018, what words come to mind when the average non-Christian in America hears the term Christianity? Bigotry, hate, homophobia, hypocrisy, misogyny… abuse, power, politics…excusing or ignoring or dismissing unChristian behaviors? We’re familiar with the research, not to mention many headline-making high-profile cases, that demonstrate this, right? (Some of the studies are discussed here.) I confess…

Without Hope or One in Christ?
| | | |

Without Hope or One in Christ?

“We sang “God Bless America” and believed that God wanted us to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We saw no conflict between capitalism and Christianity, the American dream and the cost of discipleship. Faith was a correct system of beliefs, and religion was defined by where you spent Sunday morning and whether you avoided…

Give Me Some Jesus
|

Give Me Some Jesus

She grabbed the communion goblet with both hands, wrestling it awkwardly out of the officiant’s hands, and took a big gulp. Her teenage daughter followed suit. This happened recently as some friends and I had gathered for a church service before a preaching conference. After we had lots of laughs over their “mistake” of not…