It tends to be the same every year: Soon after the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers is consumed, I sit down at the piano to plunk through an archaic collection of Christmas carols. Without fail, “O Holy Night” has long…
6 books that push back against black-and-white narratives of faith
When I left full-time ministry nearly 15 years ago, I remember feeling stymied by all the unread books on my shelf. I wanted to pick up a book, and while the shelf boasted plenty of Christian books to choose from,…
In conversation with Zach Lambert
Zach Lambert is a writer, public theologian and the founding pastor of Restore Austin. His new book, Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing, catalogs the ways the Bible has been…
There are better ways to read the Bible
“Your son is disruptive, disrespectful and dishonoring to God. He asks too many questions during Bible study, and it’s causing the other students to doubt their faith. I’m sorry, but he’s not welcome here anymore.” My youth pastor said this…
Texas pastor posts ‘I Voted’ selfie and gets smacked down by the religious right
Last Friday morning, Texas pastor Zach Lambert tweeted a selfie of him with his “I Voted” sticker with a 13-word description: Straight, White, Male, Lifelong Texan, Lifelong Christian, Local Church Pastor, Kamala Harris voter.” Before he could deliver a Sunday…
Now they’re going after Bluey for being woke
“We can’t know whether Bluey will one day go the woke way of Peppa,” The Gospel Coalition’s Brett McCracken wrote two years ago in response to the cartoon Peppa Pig introducing “a character with ‘two mummies.’” According to McCracken, “Pressure is immense and relentless for…
Christianity without love
One of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with…
How a medical emergency during worship showed love in action
We had a medical emergency last Sunday during our gathering at Restore. It was one of those “they don’t teach you this in seminary” moments. I was in the middle of preaching when I looked over and saw that someone…
How a 5-minute phone call changed my view of being a pastor
A five-minute phone call completely changed the way I think as a pastor. Every Monday in our church staff meeting, one of our team members leads a devotional before our collective time of prayer. On this particular Monday, one pastor…