The ancient Hebrew language didn’t have a world for “spirituality.” Apparently that category didn’t exist in ancient Hebrew thought because they believed that all of life had the potential to be “spiritual.” This is very different from our dualistic worldview that separates the world into two categories: the spiritual (sacred) and the material (secular). In […]
The Felt Presence of God pt. 4
Life is this simple. We are living in a world that is absolutely transparent, and God is shining through it all the time. This is not just a fable or a nice story. It is true. If we abandon ourselves to God and forget ourselves, we see it sometimes, and we see it maybe frequently. […]
September 27, 2006 by 4 Comments
The Felt Presence of God pt. 3
It’s entirely possible to say I believe in God and I believe Jesus is His son who died for my sins and never really feel the presence of God in your life. We can affirm the theory of Christianity without experiencing the presence of God in such a way that it makes a difference in […]
September 26, 2006 by 10 Comments
The Felt Presence of God pt. 2
What if a scientist told you that atoms exist? Would you believe him, even though you have never seen an atom yourself? What if he told you he could teach you how to manipulate atoms in order to release incredible amounts of energy into the world? If this is something you wanted to do, would […]
September 14, 2006 by 15 Comments
The Felt Presence of God
According to a Newsweek poll, 92% of Americans believe in God. Six percent do not and two percent say they don’t know. Philosophical atheism is not a problem in our culture. What is a problem is that most of the 92% who say they believe in God don’t exhibit behavior that backs up their belief. […]
September 13, 2006 by 12 Comments
Five Years Later
On Sunday, September 9th, 2001, I told the church I was working with in Bellingham, Washington that I was resigning at the end of the year and probably getting out of professional ministry. I was going to get my real estate license and get busy buying, selling, and developing property. I was disillusioned, depressed, and […]
September 11, 2006 by 15 Comments
Christians in Politics
Tomorrow morning, I’m leading the discussion at the Tulsa Emergent Cohort. Here’s what we’ll be talking about (pdf alert). These are notes I took from a podcast I listened to from Greg Boyd’s church when they were discussing his new book. I thought it was a helpful summary and should make for a good discussion. […]
September 6, 2006 by 8 Comments
A Solemn Vow
I have just taken a solemn vow to never use the word “postmodern” in a sermon or article again, unless the article (or blog entry) is about why I refuse to use the term. The reason for the vow is that using the word is totally unhelpful. Say “postmodern” and some people hear “relativism” and […]
January 31, 2003 by Leave a Comment
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons