If you have followed my blogs and posts on social media or are acquainted with my current mission, “The Chosen Initiative,” (a strategic plan to connect The Chosen to the Church), my position on this should be clear, but here I offer a rationale and appeal. The Church is the ideal venue for experiencing The…
THE BACKSTORY April is my birthday month, and this birthday was a BIG ONE. I turned thirty-five this year . . . well . . . to be fair, thirty-five, Two. Times. Over! YIKES! The mere thought of it nearly sent me into a tailspin. But I’ve never been one to give up without a…
In the aftermath of my experience as an extra in the Feeding of the 5,000 (#F5K) filming for an episode to appear in Season 3 of The Chosen, I am reflecting on things I found remarkable. First, for the entire two days (long days) that I was on set (along with over 4,500 extras plus…
For all human beings, the failure to comprehend and embrace a sense of purpose and value is not merely debilitating, it can be deadly. Think about it. How many times have you read about people who seemingly “had it all,” yet made the tragic decision to end their life. Perhaps you yourself have faced such…
[For those under age 45, a “Hymn” is a song or poem of praise to God that is characterized by several scripturally-based verses about what God has done for us, each punctuated by a two- or three-line refrain usually forming an appropriate response to what God has done for us.] Let me cut to the…
Sad to say, keeping up with the Joneses is often more important to us than stopping to smell the roses. But we can learn an important lesson by stopping to smell the roses. . . .
The power-grabs of governments to extend their borders and, consequently, their hegemony are not a recent invention–nor are the arguments mustered in their defense. Both have a track record that reaches back to the beginning of civilization. But just as surely as they had a beginning point, they are destined for an ending–and it may…
A Not-So-Subliminal Encouragement to Read the All-Time Best Seller. THEOLOGY IS A HUMAN CONSTRUCT. It represents someone’s understanding of the nature, character, and purposes of God. The singular form refers to the discipline that seeks to develop, organize, and communicate various ideas about God. But it is technically more accurate to speak of “theologies” plural…
In my last several posts I have been speaking about the importance of regularly engaging with the Bible, not simply reading it to fulfill a daily word-count quota, but interacting with it in a reflective, analytical, and devotional way. Along with the Reformers, I would argue that the Bible is the only completely safe and…