Spiritual Abuse and Starting to Heal

[Trigger/content warning] Over the dozen years I’ve been in pastoral ministry, there have been many reasons why people I know have walked away from their faith, from God, from spirituality, joining the ever-growing ranks of ‘nones’ (those who claim no religious affiliation). For many, it is the problem of suffering and evil in the world …

Ferguson, a broken world, and the authority of Jesus

On Sunday, I preached from Luke 4:31-44 on Jesus’ authority and healing. Last night, the grand jury returned a decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown. I’m still processing and praying through this, still figuring out how I’m supposed to respond. I didn’t write my message or preach with …

The scars we bear

Original post: August 8, 2007. Update: January 17, 2010. “Scar tissue that I wish you saw …” (Red Hot Chili Peppers, ‘Scar Tissue’) Just below my left knee is a scar from slicing my leg open roller-skating when I was about 12. When I was 14, I managed to explode a small (fortunately almost-empty) canister …