Deus Absconditus

While studying for a course final at Fuller Seminary, I stumbled across a great devotional nugget in a surprising place: my lecture notes from a class in Medieval and Reformation Theology! Our professor was discussing how Martin Luther saw the hiddenness of God within revelation, as well as outside of it. Luther argued that, quite… Continue reading Deus Absconditus

Rejected

So I am frustrated. I attended my denominational school, for both my undergrad and the beginning of my seminary education. During my years there I received a distinct calling to bear the good news to what many would consider to be unbearable places, and I have followed that call from Chicago to Spokane to Portland… Continue reading Rejected

Who is the enemy?

This past year my brother-in law began organizing neighbors on my block to form a block club in response to the increasing violence we were experiencing on our streets. We have met the first Friday of every month at the home of some good friends. Neighbors have come, many fearfully, to meet with our Senior… Continue reading Who is the enemy?

For my Oprah tells me so…

Okay, so I have been known to quote Oprah Winfrey on occasion. Just last week I actually caught myself saying to my fitness-conscious brother: “well, Oprah told me I should give up white foods and eating after 7pm.” While it is rare that I watch her show (when are the two kids EVER both asleep… Continue reading For my Oprah tells me so…

Lessons in the sand

Since Mercy has decided that after a month of living at Newman Lake, Tillamook and Grammy and Pop Pop’s backyard, our little apartment is terribly boring, we spent most of yesterday afternoon at our local park. Doug and I always joke about what it’s like to let our kids play at this park, especially in… Continue reading Lessons in the sand

How white is “the Street”?

Someone made a comment to me recently about how there are no white people in the Sesame Street DVD we have (this person is white). Not having realized that or noticed, I paid attention the next time around and saw that in fact there were white kids and adults present throughout, though they were by… Continue reading How white is “the Street”?

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Categorized as Culture

Missional?

I regularly read Scot McKnight’s blog, and this past week he profiled some discussion about the closure of Axis, an age-specific worship gathering within Willow Creek, the famous first megachurch in Chicagoland. This ministry began while I was a student in Chicago, and I remember friends talking a great deal about it. I also new… Continue reading Missional?

Irony

Yesterday I met a woman about my age who lives around the corner from us with her husband and two darling children. They were walking home from the store and we were out front doing our best to escape the heat (with some help from Paul’s sprinkler). I was holding Aaron and her little boy… Continue reading Irony

Jessica

Today marks a monumental day for someone I hold very dear. A young woman I have known and loved since she was the age of my sweet Mercy leaves the comfort of friends, family and home to move into a tough New York City community where she will, for two years, serve as a teacher… Continue reading Jessica