I’m home in Seattle after finishing my first semester of seminary. And now that I’m officially 1/6 of the way done with my Master of Divinity, I thought I’d take the time to summarize my past semester with some of the tweets that best summarize it. 9. 😬 WRITING THIS PAPER ON THE FILIOQUE IS … More 9 Tweets From My First Semester of Seminary
Before starting seminary, I ate lunch with nine Christian leaders whose lives and ministry I deeply respect. We met all around Seattle, up in Bellingham, over cups of locally-roasted coffee, bowls of ramen, glasses of wine, Texas BBQ – and they shared many different perspectives, from a wide variety of areas of expertise. One friend, a recent … More Diverse & Representative Leadership is Crucial for the Church’s Future
Three years ago, I visited a space that made me feel very alienated as a Christian. (I’m fairly certain that sharing the exact details would be contrary to the point — and unhelpful — but, for context, it was one of a number of church or para-church spaces I’ve encountered over my life that share … More When Other Christians Make You Feel Alienated — How to Respond
I grew up going to church, but it wasn’t until my teenage years that I really fell in love with what church and Christian community could be. Church is awesome when you’re a teenager. Don’t get me wrong — being a teenager is terrible a lot of the time. Middle school is the worst. You’re … More Church Isn’t Youth Group Anymore — Shifting to Adulthood
I’ve been a Christian for most of my life — since something like age 3 — but I spent most of my first 2 1/2 decades feeling like I didn’t measure up to the super-Christians I knew. You know the type: friendly, outgoing, super-involved at church, a sort of Christian superhero. That was never me. … More Church People Bother Me Sometimes
Female pastors have always been my heroes. In the five years I’ve attended my church, we’ve always had at least two women on our pastoral teaching staff. It’s one of the main things that drew me to my church. And the opportunity to talk with, learn from, and witness the ministry of these wise, caring, educated, gifted … More Women in Church Leadership
Next Sunday, I’ll be showing people at church how to fold origami cranes. Weird, right? We’re folding cranes as an illustrative point for our new sermon series. And you know what? I happen to be pretty great at folding origami cranes. So next Sunday, I’ll put this random, weird skill to use. For the longest … More God Can Use Your Skills and Gifts, Whatever They Are
Churches talk a lot about community. Community is easy to talk about. It’s a great church buzzword. But it’s not always the easiest to truly, genuinely feel. Today was one of the neatest church Sundays I can remember. And when I try to pinpoint exactly what made it so epic — I’ve settled on describing it that today … More Church
I grew up going to church. It’s what my family did. Church on Sunday mornings, youth group on Wednesday nights. My entire life, church has been a constant. That said, I have a strange love-hate relationship with American churches. I know plenty of people who are fed up with them, and for good reason. At … More Church is Not Meant to Be a Spectator Sport
