theological reflections of a post-Mormon Christian minister
Breath and fire. Breath and fire. Is it just me or have the past few days been about little else than breath and fire? George Floyd ran out of breath. Or, rather, it was choked out of him before the eyes of the world, a man on his knees in a pose perverting the posture... Continue Reading →
Sermon from February 9, 2020 A hopefully-not-too-presumptuous modern-day paraphrase of Isaiah 58:1-12 Listen up, people!I’ve got a message for you from God, and I’m gonna wail it out like an electric guitar.God is sick of our rebellion, our neglect of what is right.And I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you:We’re in some deep trouble.... Continue Reading →
Isaiah 7:10-17 10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the... Continue Reading →
Back in February, I had the chance to chat with my dear friend Gina Colvin on her podcast, A Thoughtful Faith, about the practice of praying the Psalms. I thought I'd share the conversation here for those who are interested. Enjoy! God Invites Our Disappointment: Praying the Psalms (A Thoughtful Faith ep. 281)
I wrote this essay for an epistles class I'm currently taking at Luther Seminary. Given the fact that the midterm elections are fast approaching, and the news in general is what it is, I thought it might be appropriate to share it here as a meditation on the nature of true power as revealed by... Continue Reading →
It's General Conference weekend, which for many of my marginal Mormon and post-Mormon friends brings up trauma, anxiety, and pain. I'm so sorry for that. Please take care of yourselves. Gather support around you; eat something delicious; take a walk; take a bath; do what you need to do. If it helps, give yourself permission... Continue Reading →
Invocation/Benediction Father, Mother, help me piece together the contradictions of my life: White cotton, red satin, brown polka dot; torn Sunday dress, Navajo rug, frayed baby blanket. Make me insistent on every lonely shred, willing to sacrifice no one. Where there is no pattern, God, give me courage to organize a fearsome beauty. Where there... Continue Reading →
This is a sermon I preached on Genesis 3:8-21 at Diamond Lake Lutheran Church in Minneapolis on June 10, 2018. The text follows the audio, below. Can we all just admit? This is a weird story. A frustrating story. A confusing story. And that makes it a very human story. And I’m not going to... Continue Reading →
In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul expresses a belief that Christ’s Second Coming is radically imminent—so imminent, in fact, that he fully expects to be among the living when Jesus returns. “Then we who are alive, who are left,” he says in verse 16, “will be caught up in the clouds together with [the risen dead]... Continue Reading →
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