A friend recently sent me a link from the official website of The United Methodist Church. Specifically, he sent me a link to a page describing our church’s beliefs about Jesus. The content I found there prompted me to offer a few reflections on proper Christology and why it matters. For those who are concerned…
At Christmas, Christians celebrate something utterly preposterous, yet utterly true: The God of all creation, who brought forth all things from nothing, and by whom all things exist, was born as a human baby. He was born to a poor young woman who lived in a backwater province on the eastern frontier of the Roman…
Well, folks, it’s almost Christmas, and to celebrate the season we have a brand new podcast up. In this episode, we talk about the the meaning of the Incarnation, Gregory of Nazianzus, John Mellencamp, Athanasius, Mary, Santa Claus, and Scott’s propensity for leaving one of his children behind on road trips. Also, Maggie tells us…
This is my son, Luke, sitting with his adoring younger brother, Sean. Luke is a good kid. He’s smart and kind, though he is developing some concerning Calvinistic tendencies as a result of his education in a Reformed Episcopal context. Like many teenage boys, he is rather aloof. He is minorly obsessed with basketball, and…
If you’re going to claim that Jesus is worthy, then, you’d better be ready for conflict. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matt 10:34). He knew what it would mean to adopt his teaching and values in the midst of a sinful world.
Last year I was at a conference where Larry Randolph was one of the speakers, and he said something that I’ve been ruminating over ever since. He said that he was praying against revival in the United States. This seemed like a very odd statement from someone who is a part of a charismatic revival movement associated…
Your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. This is what Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 15:17. Our entire salvation depends upon the resurrection of Christ. As we enter into Holy Week, there will be a number of posts in social media about how the resurrection of Christ is a metaphor…
Recently I was invited to preach at worship during our master’s intensive at United. The theme for the week was Wisdom. Prov 24:1-14 Do not envy the wicked, nor desire to be with them; 2for their minds devise violence, and their lips talk of mischief. 3By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding…
Marcus Borg has made inroads into popular mainline Protestantism in a way that few other writers have in recent decades. I remember when Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time came out. I was fascinated by this book. It was actually an important book in my spiritual development, not because of the conclusions that Borg draws, but because…