“You know that line, the line where they tell you anything is possible. You can do anything you want when you grow up…it’s a lie.” I have had the conversation multiple times with youth and young adults. I’ve had it…
Searching for Sunday: A review
When I was fifteen, I was called into ministry. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God wanted me to be a minister. There was only one problem. I was a Southern Baptist who happened to also be…
Letting go – moving on (The metaphorical meaning of an Easter story)
In the story world of John’s Gospel Jesus tells the disciples that he is going away, but he would not leave them without his presence. How could that be? Most spiritual truth is paradoxical in nature. The Father, says Jesus,…
Scripture addressed social issues before they were cool
Let me begin with a confession: I am not that cool. Plastic-frame glasses would slide down my nose. Facial hair would make me look messy. V-neck shirts would look awkward on me. And I have neither the courage nor the…
Bearing resurrection
Stay up to date with the latest News & Events from The Alliance by Molly Brummett Wudel Here we are again: Eastertide. A time when Good Friday is consumed by Easter morning and the resurrected Jesus continues to bewilder the…
When God changes His mind*
It wouldn’t be the first time, you know. If Fox News wants to see what “fair and balanced” looks like they should check out National Public Radio. You know the folks at the helm are left of center, but they…
Religious liberty, Easter, and fear
I’m no legal expert when it comes to religious liberty. Not like Brent Walker or Holly Hollman. Neither am I a political pundit or a talking head who takes an extreme view in order to satisfy the base. I write…
“Surely not me”: The death of Jesus and corporate sin
Last night, Jesus once again gathered with his disciples, washed our feet and called us to love, and then shared the unthinkable news that he would be handed over by one of his own. No sooner did the words come…
Surprise!
In the 1970s the British comedy troupe Monty Python performed a sketch which turned a common expression of exasperation at an unwanted series of questions into a comic refrain. In the sketch a man and woman are having a conversation….
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday … What’s Saturday?
Maundy Thursday. “Maundy” is derived from the first word of John 13:34 in Latin: ” Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos ut et vos diligatis invicem.” “A new command I give you: Love one another. As…
Same-sex marriage and the intractable knot of freedoms
Same-sex marriage has tied American society into a seemingly intractable knot. Advocates of one great value pull a thread that ultimately tightens and restricts another cherished principle. And vice-versa. Human rights vs. religious liberty.
Good power/bad power (The nonviolent Jesus versus the apocalyptic Christ)
It is vital to our spiritual health to understand the difference between dominant power and spiritual power. Dominant power is the power to externally influence behavior by the use of force, coercion, threat or promise, reward or punishment. Spiritual power,…