Usually, feeling empty is bad—like a hungry stomach or a heart vacant of love. But when is feeling empty a good thing? The Potter’s Purpose Sometimes, it’s good to be empty. Jeremiah’s passage about the potter illustrates this concept well. Jeremiah 18:1-6 says: The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying, “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear my words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and... Read more
Jesus’ moral and ethical teachings are great—as far as they go. But how do you decide on important matters, when Jesus’ teachings are silent? For Christians, Jesus is the ultimate example of how to live a good life. By following Jesus’ lead, we learn and practice loving God and loving others. In fact, those two things, Jesus says, are the most important commandments. Beyond that, matters of religion can become confusing. The Hebrew Scriptures contained not just ten but... Read more
Many Christians say that the Holy Spirit’s purpose is to point to Jesus. But what if Jesus’ mission was to introduce us to the Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit Shy? Growing up, I was always taught that the Holy Spirit is shy, and never points to himself. Holy Spirit, they said, points to Gentleman Jesus, who stands at the door and knocks, waiting to be invited in. The work of the Spirit, we were told, was to lead someone... Read more
Everywhere you go, you find Christians who act like monkeys, insisting on their own way and mistrusting divine supply of their needs. Why do Christians act like monkeys? Three in the Morning There’s an old Taoist story about a monkey trainer who gave his monkeys seven nuts as a treat every day. He gave them three in the morning and four at night. The monkeys got very upset, saying that it wasn’t fair. So, the trainer changed his approach. Instead,... Read more
Many conservatives criticize the deconstruction movement. But, as a Carpenter, Jesus knew the value of tearing old buildings down to rebuild. When Jesus Talked About Deconstruction One day, Jesus’ disciples commented about the beautiful temple with all of its ornamentation. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left upon another.” Jesus was talking about deconstruction. In this, Jesus prophesied an actual deconstruction of the Jewish temple that would take place in 70 CE. Within a... Read more
If you’re honest, sometimes your Bible reading and prayer life can get a little dull. Here’s how to revive your prayer through Lectio Divina. What is Lectio Divina? Whenever I teach Christian spirituality, I like to use the ancient framework of Lectio Divina (Latin: “Divine Reading). At one time, all Christians were taught the practice of Lectio Divina. As the tradition declined, it was kept alive in the monastic tradition. Lectio a way of fully absorbing the Word of God,... Read more
Stop saying, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” This little phrase means well, I guess, but here’s why we absolutely need to change it. History of the Phrase It’s important to note the ironic origins of this phrase. According to The Word Counter, there is a (somewhat doubtful) universal tradition about the origin of this phrase: There’s a record of this attribution to Bradford in A Treatise on Prayer written by Edward Bickersteth in 1822: “The pious... Read more
Like clogged pipes, sometimes our spirits develop a backup. Here’s what to do when your spirit feels clogged. Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay Flow from Beginning to End The Bible begins and ends with Flow. At the start, it describes mighty rivers flowing around and through Eden (Genesis 2:10-13). The Bible finishes with the renewed Paradise of God with its River of Life flowing from the throne (Revelation 22:1-2). From beginning to end, Flow connects us all. ... Read more
What if the Church valued diversity and welcomed differences instead of feeling threatened by them? What if the Church listened to the Other? The meme below has been circulating around social media in the United States. It appears to be written by a conservative White Evangelical American. Mostly, the meme gets shared by people of that ilk. Aside from the run-on sentences and poor punctuation, I have to point out how unchristian this meme is. What if the Church Listened... Read more
We don’t need the National Day of Prayer. It promotes American Christian Nationalism that pushes groupthink in the name of religion. History of the National Day of Prayer In 1775, the Continental Congress called for “a day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer,” the forerunner of our American Thanksgiving. Various American Presidents have likewise called for solemn assemblies dedicated to prayer. According to the National Day Calendar: In the early 1950s, an evangelical movement called for Congress and the President... Read more
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