A Case for Christian-ese
Every culture has a language. I am not only referring to the languages people speak and write within an ethnic or geographical culture but also to the languages of subcultures. I have been reminded in recent months of the reality of culture and language through working out at a gym and joining a Pilates club […]
3 Reminders From the Brief Moment When Adolescent Mental Health Improved
In Jean Twenge’s most recent book, Generations, she offers research-based insight from different generations currently living: Silents, Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. In the chapter on Gen Z, she shared research I had not seen before about the mental health of adolescents during the pandemic—namely that mental health improved during the first three […]
Why I Don’t Use “The Good Kind of Deconstructing” Language as a Pastor
A year after I became a Christian, I went off to college. A few guys from my high school called me a Jesus freak—and they didn’t mean the statement as a compliment. When D.C. Talk, a Christian band, released the song “Jesus Freak,” it was so good for my soul. A cool band was celebrating […]
Spiritual Disciplines and Striving to Be Weak
Just as my wife has never been content to just move into a home without redecorating it, God does not move into our lives just to leave us as we are. The apostle Paul reminded Christians in Colossae that they have “the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of […]
ALS and My Dad and Doubts as Antibodies
Tim Keller compared doubt to antibodies—that when your faith is given some doubt and you work through the doubt, you are stronger because of the doubt you worked through. You are better prepared to handle the onslaught of future struggles. Like many, the biggest intellectual struggle for me within the Christian faith has been suffering. […]
A Better Way Than “The Big Rocks in First”
Leadership author and speaker Stephen Covey had a famous illustration where he would bring an audience member on stage and ask them to decide what rocks to put in a clear bucket. The rocks were labeled with things like: Romantic relationships. Career. Development. Community. Service to others. Hobbies. Fitness. Faith. Rest. The bucket was also […]
Immaturity and Inconsistency Are Not Hypocrisy
We are frustrated with the hypocrisy of the politician who sets policies but does not live by them or the business leader who pushes for environmental restrictions while flying a private jet. But it is religious hypocrisy that is most damaging, because while God cares about politics and business, He ultimately created people for Himself […]
The Epidemic of 2012 Before the Pandemic of 2020
There has been a lot of talk about the pandemic’s impact on mental health deterioration. Stay at home orders and social distancing reduced both time with others and physical exercise, which adversely impacted mental health. The decline in mental health as a result of the response to the pandemic has been well-documented and discussed. But […]
Love Your God More, Not Your Country Less
When you love something or someone, you are tempted to love that thing or person more than God. Because we are prone to idolatry, we can easily take good things—blessings in our lives—and give those blessings our worship. I can do this with Kaye, my daughters, my role, and so many things. C.S. Lewis wrote […]
Election Year and the Kingdom You Belong to That Will Not Be Shaken
Ah, another presidential election year in the United States of America. And of course, another election that is “the most important election in our lifetime,” as each one has been called since I can remember. Among Christians, we will hear all kinds of comparisons from within the biblical narrative. Some will liken our choices to […]