Christian D.I.D.

As a follower of Jesus who values a holistic approach to life and worship (and I am convinced the Bible values, assumes, and even demands the same) I view everything through the lens of my identity in Christ. As a person who is a whole, I cannot divorce my mind from my body nor separate […]

Hiding from Papa

It’s hard to believe, but our “new” baby girl is getting close to a year and a half old already. Evelyn is a sweet and active girl, smart and in love with reading books. She is astoundingly patient, inquisitive, happy, and almost always fusses or cries because of some legitimate reason. She seems perfect—though I […]

An Old Song with a New Dance (Part 2 of 2)

“…the restoration of the church will surely come only from a new type of monasticism which has nothing in common with the old but a complete lack of compromise in a life lived in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount in the discipleship of Christ. I think it is time to gather people together […]

An Old Song with a New Dance (Part 1 of 2)

Calvin Miller’s The Singer is a narrative poem retelling Jesus’ story in the context of the Middle Ages, and the main character is a bard who sings a song that changes lives. The book is beautiful and poignant, and it communicates in ways an essay or a speech could not. Yet, the Singer’s song is […]

The Adventures of Being a Man: Hiking the Trails through Portland’s Diverse Terrain

This post was originally posted in May 2011 as part of a collaboration. It was organized and posted by Chris Goforth on Goforth’s Journal. Visit his site to see other posts that celebrate Portland. ………………………………………………………………………….. I have a confession to make. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’m not a native to Portland. There, I said […]

Learning from Eve – Part 2

As I continue to share my thoughts about women and God, I want to clarify my intentions. I am writing about the beauty of God to be found in women and the wonder inherent in all daughters of Eve. I am not trying to lay out the different roles appropriate for men or women, biblical […]

Learning from Eve – Part 1

As many of you know, my wife and I are about to meet our first child, a little girl, any day now. I can’t really imagine how my life is about to change, but I can only think it will be for the better. As her arrival has come closer, I have been thinking about […]

Grieving for Bin Laden: Why the Death of a Terrorist is a Cosmic Tragedy

As I encounter almost endless commentary about the recent demise of the mastermind behind thousands of deaths, having watched Obama’s announcement, and seen footage of mass celebration outside the Whitehouse, the uneasiness in my soul continues to grow. Osama bin Laden deserved to die. He was a twisted, evil man, darkened by unimaginable sin and […]

The Best Laid Plans

Tina Lips led the discussion on Matthew 6:19-34 today at Evergreen as we continue to go through the Sermon on the Mount. There was a lot of good discussion on the whole passage, talking about what treasures we set our hearts on and where we leave our priorities. The section of the passage that got […]

Love and Rejection, A Tale of Missional Living

This morning I went to church early to rehearse with the band, and Chrissy went to do homework at a nearby coffee shop until it was time to join us at the Lab. While she was there she overheard a conversation involving the two baristas and a patron that came in for a few minutes. […]