Relationships – The Two Cities

Angelology, Political Division, and a Criticism of Friendship

Nov 11, 2016

During my sophomore year of college, I looked up the entry in a theological dictionary on “angelology.” It suggested that we know very little about angels, and that the best places to get acquainted with the theology of angels were Augustine’s City of God, Anselm’s Why God Became Man, and select writings from Pseudo-Dionysius. That turned out to be massively unhelpful, because my confusion about angels began from having read those three authors that year....

DuPriest: “Christian Unity begins in Friendship”

Aug 20, 2016

In 1985, drawing heavily both from Jeremy Taylor’s “Discourse on Friendship” and his own personal experience, the Episcopalian English professor, Travis DuPriest, argued that “Christian unity begins in friendship.” Why is this worth knowing? For one thing, it’s happening. For another, it is true to who we are, both as humans and as humans united to Christ. Trans-denominational Friendship: It’s happening On his Sabbatical tour de three countries, DuPriest enjoyed a remarkably diverse experience of hospitality...

The Art of Listening

Jul 28, 2016

My Favorite Proverb There is one particular biblical verse with which I have been infatuated for some time and which I have made a constant conscious commitment to follow. That verse goes a little something like this: “Ten cubits shall be the length of each board and one and a half cubits the width of each board…” No… no… wait. Hold on, that’s Exodus. That’s not it… let me see here… ah, yes. Okay –...

Simon, Matthew, and Communion: Where Are The People We Disagree With?

Jul 15, 2016

At the table sat seven fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, and the other three apostles who at the very least were Jews. If you’re like me and grew up in 21st century United States, then that probably wasn’t the most eyebrow raising description. Except for the tax collectors, because I don’t think the majority of us have happy feelings when we think of the IRS. But what was it actually like? The fishermen were...

Living with Clutter

Jul 7, 2016

Collecting Clutter I have moved a lot in my life. I do not recall some of my initial moving around when I was young. I was born in Iowa and we moved to Virginia shortly thereafter. Within a few years, when I was around four years old, we moved to California. I lived in the Bay Area and moved around more times than I can count or remember (mostly in Santa Clara and Campbell) until...

One Body, One Suffering: Stop Telling Members They Don’t Hurt

Jun 4, 2016

If one member suffers, all suffer together; – 1 Corinthians 12:26 I’m going to be addressing an issue that I couldn’t possibly hope to fully articulate nor cover in a single post, so I’d like to ask for grace in that from all parties reading before I get started. What I do hope to address is the rather vitriolic nature that is brought out among the body when it is discussed, which is divisive in...

On Truly Personal Gifts

Apr 5, 2016

Receiving Personal Gifts What does it mean to give a personal gift? Well, we know what it means to give an impersonal gift. It’s the annual iTunes gift card from the step-uncle you only see on Christmas Eve. Or, it’s the “Jack likes books, let’s get him a book” that started in junior high and seemed like such a good idea that it hasn’t changed. We can be grateful, but we can also be philosophical....

“Covenantal Friendship”

Mar 31, 2016

So many of us are lonely. Modern Western culture — Christian and not — has all but lost its rich heritage of friendship. Below is my first try at writing out an idea I call “Covenantal Friendship.” I wrote this piece to get out of an assignment for a seminary counseling course. I’d treasure your feedback. What’s Wrong? In a 2011 address to the Biola University student body, Dr. Matt Jenson argued, “The Church is...

Show Me My Cross (practical discipleship)

Dec 30, 2015

On my first day at Biola, Sean Hansen taught me how to serve underclassmen by serving me. Working with a good team, Sean gave my class the wonderful gift of a week-long freshman orientation. Instantly wanting to follow him, I interviewed and started working with his campus ministry within the month. Over the course of the next year, he took me to In-N-Out with his friends, helped me apply for his old job, and played...

A Communal Feast Celebrating the Martyrdom of St. Valentine

Feb 16, 2015

Yesterday, in honor of the martyrdom of St. Valentine, I hosted a dinner party with a few of my girl friends. It was a good time of delicious food and engaging conversation. While Valentine’s Day can be S.A.D. (Singles Awareness Day), I wanted to celebrate the holiday in the truest fashion with having a feast day celebrating St. Valentine, as was the origins of the holiday on the liturgical calendar. While romantic love is often...