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God in the Mosh-Pit
Read more: God in the Mosh-PitI’m not sure what I thought I would find when I stepped inside the gymnasium the last Saturday night in March. I know that I was hoping to find my sister and enjoy the show–but I considered neither of those very likely given the crowd of people crammed inside the gym and the fact that…
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Birthday Resolutions
Read more: Birthday ResolutionsToday is my birthday. I’ve always considered it my own personal New Year. Billions of people celebrate new beginnings on January 1st, but on June 20th that number drops to mere millions. (Two worth noting: fellow blogger Caleb Johnson and my dad.) So, in honor of another year, here are some of my birthday resolutions:…
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I’m Happy for You (Really!)
Read more: I’m Happy for You (Really!)One night a few years ago, I was reading through Romans and stumbled upon an extraordinary command from Paul’s pen: Rejoice with those who rejoice (Romans 12:15). I’d read it before, even quoted it, but something stood out this time. Struck by its simplicity and its strangeness, I considered this verse a challenge—a serious, sin-killing…
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Letter to Myself at 15
Read more: Letter to Myself at 15Dear Bryan, You’re probably at the piano, writing songs about things you know nothing about, like love and loss. Or doing vocal warm-ups so you can audition for that blasted show choir. (Don’t bother. You won’t make it until your senior year, and when you do, you’ll become a bigger nerd than you already are.)…
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Joy to the World…But what IS this Joy?
Read more: Joy to the World…But what IS this Joy?What does Christmas joy look like? And if so, how do we obtain it? This month, I’ve noticed that a lot of my Christmas reflections have sought to explore the emotional and spiritual dissonance that the soul can fall prey to during Christmastide. Personally, I do believe that nostalgia is not all evil, and that…
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“Forgotten Christian Virtues: Rolling in the Ash and Sizing-On the Sackcloth”
Read more: “Forgotten Christian Virtues: Rolling in the Ash and Sizing-On the Sackcloth”“I am trading my sorrows, I am trading my shame I am laying them down for the joy of the Lord… I am trading my sickness, I am trading my pain, I am laying them down for the joy of the Lord!” “Yes Lord, Yes Lord…” And “Yes Lord…” ad nauseam. Most of us are…
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Sex & Eschatology
Read more: Sex & EschatologyI remember when I was younger being told that Jesus could come back at any moment. Instead of erupting in joy at such a statement I would often think that Jesus should wait, perhaps until I have at least been married and had sex first. Now, I’m fairly confident that I’m not in the minority on…
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Alcohol in the Bible: Part One (The Old Testament)
Read more: Alcohol in the Bible: Part One (The Old Testament)“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” This quote, uttered by Benjamin Franklin, is closer to the mark than most Christians may realize. Growing up in a fairly conservative evangelical tradition (albeit in Las Vegas!), I was basically raised to believe that alcohol was evil. Period. The Bible was…