There are certain things that over time are harder and harder for me to ignore and have ended up becoming sources of frustration and even anger.  One specifically relates to how the church and its pastors often use and interpret the scriptures.  A recent article written by David Bentley Hart for Commonweal exposes this very problem.  Hart … Continue reading The Fallacy of Sola Scriptura? →

I have experienced and witnessed miracles.  I have also seen the fruits of wisdom blossom and accomplish much.  Yet, I have also seen their limits.  I have found myself waiting for the miracle, waiting for the sign only for it to never come.  I have seen wisdom be thrown off by the illogical and unpredictable … Continue reading Tossed Between Signs and Wisdom →

I’ve been in ministry now for 8 years and one thing that has become clear to me in this amount of time is that the image that we project out into the world can mask much darkness. Human beings who believe in God and believe that they are doing God's work can easily justify anything.  How often do we do something that … Continue reading Image And Ab-use →

Right before he died Emperor Constantine decided to finally be baptized.  Some scholars believe that this was because he knew that he could not be a faithful Christian while acting as emperor of the Roman Empire. During this time in church history baptism was preceded by catechesis which placed a great emphasis on how one … Continue reading Constantine’s Integrity Lost? →

This past weekend Emma and I built a garden bed out of the rocks strewn about along the rock wall alongside our house.  We had some left over bags of soil to use for a small garden bed but rather than go out and by some wood or cinder blocks we opted for the rather inexpensive route of … Continue reading Building With Rocks →

In his book The Great Work: Our Way Into the Future Thomas Berry writes, “The deepest cause of the present devastation is found in a mode of consciousness that has established a radical discontinuity between the human and other modes of being…”[1] In other words, Berry contends that the ecological crisis that we find ourselves … Continue reading Ecology, Indigenous Beliefs, And The Scriptures →

We've recently taken up gardening in the Geminn household and I have found it immensely enjoyable.  We now have two garden beds with growing vegetables, fruits and flowers.  What's amazing about this new experience of ours is how easy it has been.  Apart from getting everything set-up like building the boxes, putting in the dirt, … Continue reading Regaining My Humanity Through Gardening →

Correction: In most cases military recruiters do not receive a commission based on the number of recruits.   During my four years of high school we were visited by a military recruiter each year.  The military recruiter would set up shop in our cafeteria so that we could speak with him during lunch time if … Continue reading “I am a soldier of Christ and it is not lawful for me to fight.” →

There are times when it seems that right theology seems to drown out the deeper dynamics and meanings of some of our most significant and meaningful texts.  This very reality seems to get exasperated on Good Friday and then, in turn, on Easter.  Right theology leaves behind the living breathing aspects of the text for … Continue reading After Easter: Reflections On A Good Friday Misunderstood →

Across our nation on every week day morning children begin their school day by standing and pledging allegiance to the American flag.  It's one of those things that I never gave much thought to as I said it on all those mornings throughout my childhood.  But after many of years of not saying the pledge I … Continue reading Who Do You Pledge Allegiance To? →