Category: Practical Theology
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A Prayer For a Family
Read more: A Prayer For a FamilyThis weekend, my youngest brother will become the wedded spouse to fellow-minded companion in humor, his life coach and motivator, his faithful supporter and encourager, and his dear friend, Brittany. This is the second wedding in seven months in the Gish household (perhaps a sign that they’re a hot commodity- ladies take note, as there…
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Collapsing into Detail
Read more: Collapsing into DetailI think about problems spatially. I often find myself producing graphs or diagrams or drawings that, in my mind, make everything perfectly clear only to show them to someone else and be shocked by their confusion. Even abstractions get turned into pictures for me. This is especially true of the work I am now doing as…
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God’s Presence & Absence (Or, Practical Eschatology)
Read more: God’s Presence & Absence (Or, Practical Eschatology)This summer I am working on my upcoming book on Esther for Wipf and Stock. This has taken me miles away from Galatia (where my doctoral research has largely resided) to the capital of the Persian Empire, Susa. Additionally, I am no longer in the first century, but am thinking about the reign of King…
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The Reality of Rhetoric: Reflections on a LGBT Milestone
Read more: The Reality of Rhetoric: Reflections on a LGBT MilestoneAlthough originally written in response to a prior event in the national spotlight and debate on homosexuality, this article seems apropos to share in light of the US Supreme Courts decision on the Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday. In light of the On May 19, a member of the Biola Underground (an online forum for self-professed…
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The 30-Year-Old Virgin
Read more: The 30-Year-Old VirginToday’s my birthday, which means I’m officially the 30-year-old virgin. I’m not embarrassed. I’m not afraid to say the V-word. My lack of (ahem) experience is a running joke with my friends, and I’m happy to keep it going—as long as they don’t start believing that virginity equals purity. In a world where sex is…
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The Call
Read more: The CallJust a few weeks ago I was running up Bancroft and Telegraph in my cap and gown to claim my masters degree in social work from UC Berkeley’s school of social welfare. I stood in awe of the journey I had been on to find myself in that place. This is a bit of that…
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Certainties of Celebration
Read more: Certainties of CelebrationTwo weeks ago, I joined the many thousands across the globe who, in these six weeks through May and June, will likewise reach the terminus of their pursuit of an educational degree. For me, it was four years of work, involving full-time work in the financial services industry, while moonlighting as a student (most of…
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Jesus, Come Back! (Or Not)
Read more: Jesus, Come Back! (Or Not)“GET ME OUT OF HERE! Seriously, it’s time for the Second Coming. Lord, I want you back. Like, ASAP.” That’s a glimpse into my prayer life over the past few months. Maybe that’s been your prayer, too. I think we’ve all felt the weight of recent events and wondered when Christ will come again. Remember…
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Small Acts of Faithfulness
Read more: Small Acts of FaithfulnessA friend of mine recently found out that her husband has been doing drugs behind her back for four years. The drugs have opened the door to all kinds of betrayal and hurt: lying, adultery, personality change, and absence. As she and I talked together on the beach in the perfect California sunlight, and she…
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Making Peace With Sin (Guest Post)
Read more: Making Peace With Sin (Guest Post)Like a raging fire within me, I despised my past with a vitriolic hatred. Sinful pleasures had betrayed me and I stood in my vineyard surveying its rotten crop. Mistakes proved plenteous and my past could never be revised. What is to be done with the remains of my now-barren life? I’m not the only…