Are you troubled by all the talk of what is safe or not these days? In a world full of terrorism, riots, and abusive authority figures, we want protection -- but could it be the pendulum has swung too far the other way?   Don't get me wrong; I believe in safety. Abuse and bullying need to be called out and shut down. Having said that ...   [Tweet "We get in trouble when psychology frames our theology instead of the other way around."]   I'll give you the most extreme example I've heard: When God the Father sent his Son to earth to die for our sins, he committed child Continue Reading

You hate injustice. Something rises up in you when whites use their power to oppress blacks, or protestors claim that God hates gays, or priests use children to satisfy their urges.   Such selfish acts are cruel and  morally reprehensible. You want to speak out against evil. That's because you are created in God's image, and he is just.   You are wired with a "justice monitor."   We start the cry in childhood: That's not fair! Something deep in us wants the scales of justice to return to proper balance.   Here's where we need to be careful. Justice is important, Continue Reading

I'd been wondering  how things are going with the churches that were once called Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Lo and behold, Relevant covered the topic this month: relevantmagazine.com. I'm heartened by the news of what is happening with these churches since the time of Mark Driscoll's resignation. I'm also reminded of a principle: When a spiritual leader speaks truth into our lives, and later his/her flawed and sinful human nature is revealed, the truth he/she taught does not change one iota. ‪ I've been around the church block enough times to witness moral failures, control, Continue Reading

Christians are a funny bunch. We have our own subculture, complete with terminology  and social habits.   Once we've been in the club long enough, we think all this stuff is normal, and we forget that our behavior might be scary to a new person -- perhaps most of all, our  über-friendliness.   Friendliness is scary? What?   This idea would have sounded quite strange to me even a few years ago. Maybe you can relate.   I've always gone to church. I've always been taught to be warm, friendly and inclusive. I can't count how many thousands of services I've sat through Continue Reading