It is not the task of the church to "Make America Great Again." The contemporary task of the church is to make Christianity countercultural again. And once we untether Jesus from the interests of empire, we begin to see just how countercultural and radical Jesus'...
I remember the first church I served as a student. They had a fund called the Emergency Fund and had about $100 in it. They told me I could use it at my discretion, provided I dispensed the money according to the conditions. So I said, "What are the conditions?" The...
I work in a decent sized, local, indie bookstore. It’s a great job 99% of the time and a lot of our customers are pretty neat people. Any who, middle of the day this little old lady comes up. She’s lovably kooky. She effuses how much she loves the store and how she...
If someone is falling behind in life, you don't have to remind them. Believe me, they already know. If someone is unhealthy, they know. If someone is failing at work, they know. If someone is struggling in their relationships with money, with self-image... they know....
Christians are usually sincere and well-intentioned people until you get to any real issues of ego, control, power, money, pleasure, and security. Then they tend to be pretty much like everybody else. We often are given a bogus version of the Gospel, some fast-food...
Some of the most generous people have no money. Some of the wisest people have no education. Some of the kindest people were hurt the most.
Salvation in Jesus’ name is treated as a cure all. Supposedly, there is no suffering once we join the church, and if there is any cause for discomfort, then we vote the pastor out at the next business meeting. Ironically, we worship Jesus, who showed his wounds, but...
Come you masters of warYou that build the big gunsYou that build the death planesYou that build all the bombsYou that hide behind wallsYou that hide behind desksI just want you to knowI can see through your masks Let me ask you one questionIs your money that good?Will...
Whenever the government provides opportunities and privileges for white people and rich people they call it "subsidies." When they do it for Negro and poor people they call it "welfare." The fact is that everybody in this country lives on welfare. Suburbia was built...
[Most churches in decline] have a passion to have more money. They have a passion to have more young people. And they have more passion for seeing the church come alive, but they have no passion to do anything differently to get there.