Apprentice 2 Jesus

Church Life

  • All can be “well” and we can STILL be blind

    One of the common mistakes we make in diagnosing current times is “how things are going.” If things are going reasonable “well” for us, we can’t see what might wrong beneath the surface, or care to explore that beneath the surface. In the U.S., we can say, “Hey, the economy is humming along (for us… Read more

  • Spiritual formation in the public life

    “Evangelicals have often been presented with a false choice about our role in public life. We either completely withdraw from trying to influence things, or we initiate ‘takeover’ programs. There is an alternative pattern, thought, one that I believe is mandated by Scripture: in the present time, where the fullness of Christ’s kingdom is not… Read more

  • The way home

    I am working my way through Daniel 6 as I continue to expand on “Living in Babylon.” (I think it may be a book one day if I can simply overcome one thing: outright fear and terror.) Read more

  • “Last Days” living

    1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV): Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. I Timothy 4 delivers stern warnings. They are crucial for our times. For Timothy it was vital to pay attention. Read more

  • When we have power and no authority

    Mark 3:20–22 (NIV): 20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “[He is out of his mind].” 22 And the teachers of the law who came… Read more

  • Can we say “Rise up and walk”

    Quite probably an apocryphal story, but one I still find relevant in our time: According to Cornelius a Lapide, Thomas Aquinas once called on Pope Innocent II when the latter was counting out a large sum of money. “You see, Thomas,” said the Pope, “the church can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold have I… Read more

  • No wonder they wanted to shut up Jeremiah

    I am working through a hard passage in Jeremiah related to some writing I’ve called “Living in Babylon.” I’ve avoided getting to deep into this passage because of the direct implications it has on the American Church… and I have no interest whatsoever in being “wacky prophet guy.” But… God has turned me into “wacky… Read more

  • Why we need to keep working past #MLKDay

    Leading up to Martin Luther King Day is becoming more of a sacred habit for me. On MLK Day, as well, I will read “Letter from a Birmingham jail” just to kick my weak motivation into a higher gear. This year I was able to add in participating in MLK ceremonies. And it’s not enough. Read more

  • Reading and listening that is challenging me in this new year

    I’ve spent a full year away from ministry and shifting into a new phase of life. I am still in a steep learning curve, but along the way I am always finding joy. Read more

  • So… this “Anglican thing”

    This year has been spent in a cycle of spiritual rest and exploration. That cycle has taken us some interesting places. The big takeaway is a shift away from what I’ve known my whole life in one movement to step into another movement within the Body of Christ. For those interested, I write at some… Read more