An Old Emergence

Lately I’ve been in that place again where I don’t think my faith can take another hit. I have not stopped believing in a Jesus who loves me. I have not stopped believing in a God that does in fact care about me, despite what my often cold, philosophical mind might try to have me believe. But every so often I get to a place where I just don’t think I can stand to call myself a Christian anymore. When the message that my friends hear all around them is one of intolerance and hatred, I have trouble associating myself with a belief system that has been polluted by venomous rhetoric. But every time something brings me back. This time, I was more aware of my struggle than normal. I knew what I was feeling, and I understood what caused it. And, in an effort to claw my way out my valley, I attempted to force my own reconciliation. I sent a cry of help to my pastors who responded with kindness and understanding. I wanted them to make me feel better. They did everything right, but it didn...

There are a few authors that I have had the opportunity to revisit multiple times during different seasons of my life. Among this group of authors are Zora Neale Hurston, Anne Fadiman, Brian McLaren, Parker Palmer, and Ayn Rand. Each time I encounter them, I learn something new, and often it is from reading the same text multiple times. I've had people tell me that my fascination with re-reading the same books over and over again is strange. My reply is always that normalcy is highly overrated.

I have spent the last ten days traveling. I've seen Berkeley, CA. I've spent time in Seattle, WA. I have become well acquainted with the Salt Lake City airport on 3 separate occasions. All this time I have had the opportunity to spend time with some amazing people in my life. This is spring break, a fantastic invention of the academic world for undergraduate students. This is the first of my four years in college that I have actually taken my spring break instead of working. It has been a much-needed respite from my undeniably hectic weekly schedule. Over the last week, I had the opportunity to visit with my sister and brother-in-law as well as my cousin Brian. As I live in Tennessee and they live on the west coast, it is rare for me to get to see them often. My time spent with all of them was wonderful, and it made for a perfect break. But the reason I'm writing here, is to think more intentionally about how relationships and spiritual peace can go hand-in-hand. While i...

"As we continue our worship in the daily patterns of life, may we immerse ourselves in the mystery of the Holy, and may we always seek to dwell where Love is the language most spoken and Peace is the path most taken." For several weeks, this has been the unison congregational response to our worship at Glendale, almost like a communal benediction. This response connected with my spirit for some reason so much so that I committed it to memory and pray it each day. But why? Why this particular response? I think this concept of continuing worship is what first drew me to these words. I cannot begin to count how many times I have both heard and said the phrase, "Worship is a lifestyle, not an event." We do not really have to say that at my church. We belong to a bundle of life, and we live this life through one another. And then there is this concept of "daily patterns of life." As someone who finds himself stuck in the monotony of daily schedules, reframing m...

i am struggling with what it means to be a christian in today’s world. it takes a lot of courage for me to say that. it’s something that has been building up over the last four years that i am just now in a position to verbalize (or in this case type). i look at the injustices around me and wonder what people who call themselves christians are doing in response. i wonder where we get off justifying our selectivity in encountering injustice. when did we decide that some societal wrongs are more important to pursue than others? the christian tradition i had been exposed to for twenty-one years said that there are things that can make a person a lesser member of the body of christ. it said that some things are not worth my time to care about. it said that there are more important things. i refuse to believe this. for a while i have thought that it is worth my time to care about the role of women in the church. that it is worth my time to care about the aids-affected of africa. it is worth...