Awakening in Christ’s Body
Relationships are as varied and unique as people themselves but constitutive of what it is to be human (to exist). Relationship is a powerful dynamic between us, others, the world and our source (God).
Category: Featured
Out of the Mouths of Babes
It was hot, and we were on a beach at Kootenay Lake of British Columbia, enjoying fun and relaxation with family. Somehow the conversation turned to God, and my 17-year-old has some pretty strong ideas about religion. He, like his older two brothers, had the privilege of growing up with a pastor as a dad. A pastor…
A Tale of Two Tales
We finished our setup, and a bunch of us headed to our local library for Storytime with a Drag Queen. Francheska Dynamites was the storyteller again this year. Such an amazing person.
I Fly Kites
It started over 20 years ago. I was married, two kids, and chasing the “American / Canadian dream,” trading Agricultural Commodities up and down the continent’s western side. At the same time, I pursued a passion for ministry, which took tons of time too. As you may appreciate, there were never enough hours in the day for…
Fat Souls
The ultimate example of a Fat Soul would be God, the world’s very Soul. God, as a truly Fat Soul, “lures us and all creation to widening circles of Beauty.” The idea that God is profoundly relational and longs for genuinely beautiful, love-inspired relationships and interconnected wholeness.
Jesus, The Sex Pistols & Deconstruction
It’s been almost 20 years since my BIG deconstruction, and since then, it has been a journey focused on reconstruction. Let me be a little more precise; it is more of a rhythm of gaining new insights, trying them out, and deciding whether I keep them or keep looking. Whether I keep them or jettison…
Easter: Good News for Zombies!
Wow! More than a few years ago, we were visiting a Church in Arizona on Easter Sunday. The Pastor, an acquaintance, was tremendously creative with sharing the Gospel through pop culture and his Easter Sunday message was no exception. He was presenting the Easter story using various media and was at the part in Matthew…
Mistaking a Lion for the Lamb
[This is a segment of ideas written by Michael Hardin which is helpful for us to untangle the imagery of Revelations’ Lion and Lamb. I have reorganized and added to improve flow.] Lion & The Lamb (Rev. 5) Maybe you have heard “He came first as a Lamb, but he is coming back as a…
A Theology of Love: Open and Relational Theology and Spiritual Direction
Open and relational theology (ORT) is a theological framework that emphasizes the relational nature of God, other people, and with all of creation. Open and Relational is not a denomination/label like Baptist, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, etc. Open and Relational Theology is in fact a Big Tent term that includes a number of perspectives, including Open…
What is Open and Relational Theology?
You may have heard the phrase Open & Relational Theology more these days, but maybe you aren’t sure what it’s all about. The following is a good summary of Open & Relational Theology based on the ideas of Thomas Jay Oord. It also does an excellent job of Oord’s solution to the problem of evil.