Read A Church Called Tov: Forming A Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing by Laura McKnight-Scott and Scot McKnight.Notes: Christian theology; sexuality; sexual abuse; power ethics; healthy church communities AD 381: Heretics, Pagans, and the Dawn of the Monotheistic State by Charles FreemanNotes: Church history; Roman history; Ecumenical councils A NewContinue reading “Read, Watch, Listen: Faith And Spirituality Resources”
Tag Archives: Christianity
The Story Of The Incarnation: Why It Matters What Story We Tell
Christmas Eve is here, and once again, followers of the Christian faith are celebrating the Incarnation–the moment when God became fully human, in a specific time and place in history. Much has been written about the ramifications of this, to embodiment, to the relationship between the Divine and creation. Today, however, I want to addressContinue reading “The Story Of The Incarnation: Why It Matters What Story We Tell”
Tai Chi and Christianity: A Personal Reflection In Honour of Asian Heritage Month
This month is Asian Heritage Month, being observed by the Canada and the United Church of Canada. This Sunday was specifically devoted to Asian Heritage, and I thought I’d share some of my reflections on this day. I will note that I am a white, cisgender, heterosexual male in Ontario, Canada coming from a middleContinue reading “Tai Chi and Christianity: A Personal Reflection In Honour of Asian Heritage Month”
Masculine Pronouns For God: Why We’ve Got It Wrong And Why Jesus Is Worth A Closer Look
Before I became Christian in university, one of the biggest things that bothered me was that God and Jesus were always presented as explicitly male–even C. S. Lewis, who often has a more nuanced understanding as a lay person falls into this trap using some very culturally specific logic to portray God as inherently masculine.Continue reading “Masculine Pronouns For God: Why We’ve Got It Wrong And Why Jesus Is Worth A Closer Look”
Poem: My Love Is Like Jesus
My love is like Jesus.Lots of friendsBut no partners;Lots of folks who love me,Believe in meBut no lovers.My love is like Jesus.Topsy-turveyUpside downFull of hope.People say my loveWill never happen,Is unrealistic;Right idea,Wrong time.“Let it go”They advise,“Or someone will get hurt.”My love is like Jesus.Inviting all the wrong peopleMaybe too quick to embrace painMaybe too quickContinue reading “Poem: My Love Is Like Jesus”
Advent and Christmas: What We Get Wrong and Why It’s Important To Tell It Right
Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Christian new year in a variety of Christian traditions. The season of Advent marks the beginning of the Christian year and leads up to the birth of Christ celebrated on December 25. Every year, sermons are preached, songs are sung and pageants are performed celebrating and re-telling the storyContinue reading “Advent and Christmas: What We Get Wrong and Why It’s Important To Tell It Right”
On Turning The Other Cheek: Wink’s Interpretation
One of the most famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount is the encouragement that when one is struck on the cheek, the thing to do is to turn the other cheek also. There have been many interpretations of this over the years. TheContinue reading “On Turning The Other Cheek: Wink’s Interpretation”
Gnosticism vs. The Canon: A Comparison
I’ve been doing a lot of reading on a diverse number of topics during this pandemic and I found this little gem, the other day: A New New Testament: A Bible for the Twenty-first Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts edited by Hal Taussig. I’ve long wanted to read the Gnostic Gospels to see whyContinue reading “Gnosticism vs. The Canon: A Comparison”
The Danger Of Full Solar Spirituality
I’ve been doing some reading of late, and I’m seeing a number of convergent messages. Recently, Mary Trump, the niece of Donald Trump, published her memoir Too Much and Not Enough: How My Family Created The World’s Most Dangerous Man that was revealing of the family structures in the immediate Trump family that shaped DonaldContinue reading “The Danger Of Full Solar Spirituality”
Practicing Faith Alone: Lessons From A Christian With A Wicca Past
Hi all! I was inspired to make this post because many Christians, used to corporate worship, are struggling in this time of isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. I thought, as a Christian with a long history of solo worship, that I should some of the lessons I have learned in the hopes that they’llContinue reading “Practicing Faith Alone: Lessons From A Christian With A Wicca Past”