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Christmas in Sandy Hook
Read more: Christmas in Sandy HookTomorrow is the one year anniversary of the devastating Sandy Hook shooting, when Adam Lanza opened fire on Sandy Hook Elementary School, killing 20 children and 7 adults before taking his own life. A year ago, the news was filled with memorials and tributes, tears and laments, as our nation grieved in solidarity with Newtown,…
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Batkid and the People of God
Read more: Batkid and the People of GodI am lucky to live in the Bay Area. And never have I felt luckier than the day Batkid came to town (if you know nothing of Batkid, please read this) When the story leaked that the Make-A-Wish Foundation planned to transform San Francisco into Gotham City so that Miles, a 5 year old who…
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Church Marketing 101
Read more: Church Marketing 101I ought to show my cards right from the get go. I’m really not that big of a fan of church marketing. While I realize that “marketing” (though I’d rather use a different term) is, in some sense, inevitable if we want to be congregations that engage our communities, I generally don’t like the conclusions…
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The Gift of Powerlessness
Read more: The Gift of PowerlessnessI love those “A-HA” moments, when something familiar suddenly surprises you with something you had never noticed, reminding you to always be alert. I recall this distinctly happening while at an art museum, gazing at a well known painting. I was familiar with the picture, but it wasn’t until I saw the frenzied brush strokes,…
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The Christian Life according to Sherlock Holmes
Read more: The Christian Life according to Sherlock Holmes“You see, but you do not observe.” So says Sherlock Holmes to John Watson in the first episode of BBC’s revival of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved detective. Filming has just wrapped for a third season, which is set to air sometime in 2014, and Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes) and Martin Freeman (Watson) have already signed…
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Comedians and Prophets
Read more: Comedians and ProphetsWhen I was in junior high, I had aspirations to be a stand-up comedian. I began to write my own jokes (they were terrible), practice my impersonations (I had two, Yoda and Gollum), and read comedy theory (which didn’t make me funnier). My dreams persisted about into high school, partially buoyed by my participation in…
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The Black Hole of Marriage
Read more: The Black Hole of MarriageMy wife and I will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary in October. The last two years have found us discussing, exploring, and analyzing marriage, both as a concept and our own experience. We have attended 2 marriage conferences, participated in a couple’s dinner at our church, read numerous books on the topic, and I…
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Disabilities and the Church: From Periphery to Center (Guest Post)
Read more: Disabilities and the Church: From Periphery to Center (Guest Post)The day my youngest brother was born was simultaneously incredibly joyful and acutely painful. Being in 5th grade, I was filled with the excitement at the prospect of a new addition to our family, and hopeful for future trips to Disneyland. But all that changed when, upon his birth, the doctors informed us that Daniel…