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Fear Not but if you do that’s okay

Fear Not but if you do that’s okay
“Fear not” or something similar is said to be found approximately 365 times in the bible.  That’s probably high but it seems to be a significant theme for folks and yet, beyond face value what is to be made of these two words? if we come from a legalistic tradition, we might understand these exhortations as…
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The Both-And approach to Fear

The Both-And approach to Fear
It was a simple statement on my feed this morning.  They stated, “Faith and worry cannot co-exist.” With a sigh, I asked, “So then why is it that fear and faith co-exist all the time?" We have to do better than mere platitudes. Surely Christian spirituality is more robust in the crucible of real life.…
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One Saturday Morning

One Saturday Morning
“Teacher, surely we are to be like the chunks of ice floating effortlessly with the current of the river.” The teacher smiled and said “ Indeed, and yet against the current the fish swims, the geese paddle and the river plant holds fast. Such is a life lived whole.” [a story from prayer and a…
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What we think they see

What we think they see
A strange adventure at Costco last Wednesday. As I was pushing my cart, doing my shopping and people watching I saw a lady walk towards me with what looked like a nasty bruise right in the middle of her forehead. I thought to myself ‘I wonder what she walked into?’ A few minutes later I saw…
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From your Head to your Heart

From your Head to your Heart
“You must descend from your head into your heart. At present, your thoughts of God are in your head.  And God himself is, as it were, outside you, and so your prayer and other spiritual exercises remain exterior. Whilst you are still in your head, thoughts will not easily be subdued but will always be whirling about, like snow in winter or clouds…
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The Cross, Victory and the Non-Violent God

The Cross, Victory and the Non-Violent God
[ This article was originally written in 2011 - thought I'd blow the dust off it and share it again.  fresh thoughts are in [*]. Worldview runs silently in the background of our consciousness, filtering and shaping the way we interpret the world around us.  It is from these interpretations that our worldview shapes our…
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Friendly Fire

Friendly Fire
One of my struggles has always been feeling like I am misunderstood.  As such, I had developed a propensity to over-explain to in effort to reduce being misunderstood. I have worked over the years to reduce the need to over-explain and I’m making good progress. But sometimes there’s a snag. Sometimes the odd person, often…
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A Birds Tale

A Birds Tale
It was a particularly cold December, the time of year when the days are short. The kind of relentless wind that slashes at bare skin rendering it raw and sore in a few short seconds.  The bitter cold lingered days into weeks. One would be forgiven if they stayed put - to stay huddled in…
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“Grief is just Anger” – Grief Myth

“Grief is just Anger” – Grief Myth
I always like to start by affirming a couple of basics of grief from the Grief Recovery Method®: Grief is the normal and natural emotional response to a loss of any kind. Grief is unique and relates directly to the uniqueness of human relationships,  No two relationships are the same Grief is conflicting feelings caused by…
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Playing with Scripture – Midrash

Playing with Scripture – Midrash
[Guest article by Jacob Rose] The Jewish tradition of midrash offers something rich to the practice of scriptural interpretation that is too often forgone in the Christian tradition. Rachel Held Evans, author of Inspired, writes: “While Christians turn to Scripture to end a conversation, Jews turn to scripture to start a conversation” (24). Often, the understanding of…
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