I still believe there are over 300 million Americans who long to be united. We have done it before. But how?
United by Respect
Everything in Between
In layman’s terms, and to use God-speak for a moment, it is clear to me that God loves trans people. Right from the beginning of the bible, we see this truth plainly. The Hebrew creation poetry in Genesis 1 says God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Everything was very good–everything in between.
Continue reading “Everything in Between”
Obsolete and Ready to Vanish
Here we sit. 500 years after Luther’s nail (source). Christianity was once a useful vessel to bring goodness, hope, and love to the world. At best, Christians now are often offering lamentations. Instead of boldly being a beacon of freedom and a shelter from the storm of life, our churches tend to be either a lightning rod of political agendas or a foreboding house of judgment, both of which keep people like me outside the gates. It appears to me that perhaps Christianity itself is becoming obsolete.
From Fragments to Shards
From the 1500’s to now, the 2000’s, Christianity has been fragmented into thousands of pieces, as if someone has shattered a jar into tiny bits of what was once a useful vessel. Something is now happening to these pieces. The tiny fragments are being melted back together, but not into one piece of pottery. Instead, two shards are forming. Christianity is being forged into two pieces–divided into those who want to live under the Law, and those who want to live under the Spirit. This is my claim: Christianity is coalescing around two forces, the Law and the Spirit.
Prostitutes, Circumcision, Glory
Ingredients for a good Christian blog–what are they? As I prepare blog topics and articles for the August 2nd launch of this Lambhearted Lion blog, I am finding an odd mix of themes. One on hand, I long to learn and share the ancient, glorious thoughts of Christian forefathers. On the other hand, I have a knack for speaking bluntly with little regard for well-established Christian traditions. I tend to write in a most non-academic fashion, so I’m told. And I choose topics and titles that would not normally be preached on Sunday. These are probably some of the reasons I am currently “outside the gate” of Christendom.
2018 – Building, not Writing
I had planned to spend a lot of 2018 writing books– three new books to be precise. It turns out I didn’t finish any of the books. I made a lot of progress on the first one, “Identity Builders”, though. This may turn out to be a 2019 project. In any case, 2018 was a year of building.
NEW BOOK! Uncircumcised
Update: Brian’s New Book Coming in 2017!
Take a walk through the so-called gay debates, from an affirming, Scripture-honoring, conscience-respecting viewpoint.
Book Review: Fundamorphosis
How could he know? That question surfaced in my mind over and over again as I read Robb Ryerse’s new book, Fundamorphosis. How could someone I never met, who lives many miles away, who has an entirely different background than me– how could such a person experience nearly the same kind of transformation that I have been going through?
The answer is straightforward: God is transforming cocooned Christians in our generation.
One of the most important take-aways from Robb’s book for me is the need for each generation of Christians to seek out and embrace ourselves, our God and our theology in the sea of change. Fundamorphosis challenges us to go beyond a “receive and believe” approach.
Featured Artist! Zoe Hughes
Zoe is a former member of the campus group called UBF. She captured the seven stages of identity change that a member of this Korean Bible cult typically experience. Her images are stunning, sobering, inspiring and healing.
Zoe’s drawings are featured on the cover of Brian’s book, Identity Snatchers (as well as the Spanish Edition) and serve as sobering reminders of identity change caused by undue religious influence. Her seven images introduce each chapter and tell my story better than any words I could ever write.