2015 was a strange year for the world. Historic court decisions in the US, riots and political uprisings throughout the world, Wars, terrorism, political civil wars, and terrible tragedies. It seems that the world as we know is crumbling around us. The new year didn’t bring anything that new, but simply a pause to our heated discussions over race, violence, politics, and our very way of life. And it seems that there is no hope...
The theology behind the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, or Communion has been debated throughout church history. However, the continued practice of it shows that it is an essential part of the church’s life. In my experience, Communion has always been about reflecting on Christ’s sacrifice and repenting for sins. Growing up, it was always at a special and solemn service where people would usually take time during worship to confess any sins that they needed...
The Spirit prays for us. We do not know what to pray, nor necessarily to pray for that which we do not know what to pray for. Neither did we know how to pray, nor even how to pray for what we do not know to pray for, but our Lord has taught us. He did not merely teach us how to pray, but he has trained us in his own Spirit. It is the...
I recently watched the new James Bond film entitled Spectre. I must say that it was amazing, and well worth your money. I will also say that it is exactly like every other Bond film. No spoilers, but here is what happened in Spectre and in every other Bond movie: 007 gets the bad guy. The movie jumps right into the action in a bizarre location. This escapade seemingly has little to do with the...
In recent years, authenticity has become both an ideal and a polemic. Social media users have labored to capture the mundane in beautiful ways. However, social media users have also distorted and feigned authenticity by staging the mundane. Filters and iconic captions have been used to present a particular style of life that is filled with explorations into nature, scenic mountaintop picnics, urban renewal (and gentrification), and lots and lots of coffee. However, most people...
The “potluck” is one of the greatest things about going to a small church. For those who have never experienced it, it is a full range buffet with only the most delectable foods made by the moms and grandmas of your church. Tables are set up so that all of the congregation may have their fill and then enjoy the company of one another. This usually happens right after the traditional “service,” however it should...
It has been said that we must perform at a certain velocity to achieve worth, success, and security. Many things have been promised to our generation, but it seems that only a select few have achieved them. We hold these success stories up as a championing call to work harder, be better, and to not stop until we become like them. Eleanor Robertson recently wrote about the contrasting self reflections between the Baby Boomer generation...
As I’ve shared on The Two Cities before I have been incredibly impacted by passages like Psalm 1, “Blessed is the man [who’s]… delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night… In all that he does he prospers.” This passage has incredibly impacted how I do ministry and how I live my life. If I want to be a fruitful Christian I ought to mediate on...
I was reading Josh Carroll’s post about the disease called “Critiqueomania” and I found that I myself have had rather severe bouts of this plague. Some of these outbreaks have been part of my former angst, but others seemed very well meant. Some were definitely “Critiqueomania,” but there were other times where my criticism was well founded and was not coming from a place of pride or scholarly arrogance. So what do you do if it seems...
At the time of writing this blog I am sitting outside of the secondary venue at the Keswick Conference in the Lake District of England waiting for the main speaker to begin his sermon. I just listened to an older white guy warm up the crowd with a vigorously spoken word concerning God’s preeminence over all creation. It was an interesting and unexpected mishmash of cultural style that, despite being hampered by the lagging video...
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