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Are We God’s Pawns?
Read more: Are We God’s Pawns?A pastor once told me that God’s people are simply pawns in his ultimate plan to glorify himself. Seriously. He said “pawns.” That would be a great metaphor if chess players actually loved their pawns, but they don’t. The world’s greatest chess player never loved his pawns, much less died for them. So when I…
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“Les Miserey” of the Unrequited
Read more: “Les Miserey” of the UnrequitedIf you haven’t seen the new Les Miserables motion picture, finish reading this post first, then grab your tickets on fandango. The music, and the story, is stunningly beautiful. It is emotionally vigorous. It is theologically rich. And it is soul-transforming. Ok, maybe these promises are a little high, but for one who was wondering…
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Jesus, Mr. Nice God
Read more: Jesus, Mr. Nice GodWas Jesus always nice? OK, so it’s not the deepest theological question we’ve ever tackled here at The Two Cities. But it’s an important one. Because, above all, the world expects Christians to be nice. Forget about holiness, evangelism and social justice. Just be nice. But if Christians bear any resemblance to Christ (and we…
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A Kinda Gay Q&A
Read more: A Kinda Gay Q&ASince publishing my article “I’m (Kinda Sorta Yeah Not Really) Gay” last month, I’ve received a lot of follow-up questions. Not so much about the article, but about the specifics of my struggle with same-sex attraction. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions. When did you realize you were, you know, gay? If…
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The Table That Prayed For Me
Read more: The Table That Prayed For MeShe approaches the table slowly, hands laden with plates of food, and I recognize her immediately: Marina from Moldova. She had been our waitress on our last visit, had spoken to us in Russian, and we had prayed for her health. That was at least six months ago, and now, though she isn’t our waitress,…
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Hufflepuff for the Gospel
Read more: Hufflepuff for the GospelEvery fan of Harry Potter has envisioned themselves as belonging to one of the four houses of Hogwarts. Ask any fan and they’ll tell you. For myself, I know I am not courageous enough to be Gryffindor and so I’ve always identified with Ravenclaw; not because I am particularly drawn to characters from Ravenclaw —…
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5 Ways to Love Gays
Read more: 5 Ways to Love GaysYou can’t love God and hate homosexuals. On the contrary, loving God means loving gays. Really, truly, honestly loving them. (Are you listening, Westboro Baptist cult?) That doesn’t mean voting “no” on Proposition 8 or waving rainbow flags in the nearest pride parade. No, biblical love for gays is far more extraordinary. It’s a Christ-centered…
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“Love or Lust?” Identifying the Role of Physical Attraction in Healthy Relationships
Read more: “Love or Lust?” Identifying the Role of Physical Attraction in Healthy RelationshipsSo, sexual attraction is a powerful force. If you are like me, you grew up in the church being told this, and that as a result, sexual lust was to be avoided like the plague and feared as dangerous as an inescapable labyrinth. And there are many who can testify to the powerful vice-grip that…
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Parents: To Love Your Children, Love God First (Guest Post)
Read more: Parents: To Love Your Children, Love God First (Guest Post)There has seeped into the church culture a “new normal” with regard to children “growing up Christian.” I say “new normal” because I can only imagine it has not been this way in past generations of believers. Nothing in Scripture seems to support the idea that children growing up in a Christian home will “graduate…
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Happy Valentine’s Day! (Guest Post)
Read more: Happy Valentine’s Day! (Guest Post)As I have grown older I believe I am able to better discern situations, and make a decisions based on what God’s will is for my life. Many people call this a “conscience”… or maybe just common sense. Some people say that they just do what “feels right”, and all of these things describe this…