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Sure, Mothers Day is probably the invention of the florists and the candy makers.

But holidays are a chance for us to share something in common.

And what we have in common is a mother.

For the first nine months of our existence, give or take, our existence was absolutely dependent on the hospitality, the welcome, the willingness of one woman to bear us.

Each of us is, only because of that gift. Absolutely, entirely, completely.

None of us started off alone.

Each one of us, as soon as we had ears to hear, heard our own perhaps, but also another’s heart beating.

Not just beating with us, or near us, but also for us.

Do you think that had an effect on our psyche? On our deepest longings? On our understanding of what LIFE is?

Thanks, mom, for the hint. That our task in life is to understand that life is a gift. And to understand that God’s heart beats with us, near us, and for us.

How do we know what we know? That’s the concern of epistemology. Now, forget the word, epistemology, as I only used it because it starts with an “e” and so fits “it’s the economy, stupid.” But it’s one of those underlying currents behind all the flailing about in the religious and secular and evangelical world these days: how do we know what we know? I got to thinking about it after reading today’s entry in David Crumm’s Read the Spirit. I confess I was tuning in to Read the Spirit this morning because they did an interview with me yesterday as Jesus Brand Spirituality: He Wants His Religion Back is finding its way into the bookstores. David Crumm interviewed Christine Wicker who noted that Southern Baptists are seeing a decline in baptisms, and that the president of the Southern Baptists think it’s due in part to Christians being viewed as “mean spirited.” Wicker also mentioned a Southern Baptist preacher who is now preaching universalism, the view that nobody goes to hell–all, in the end, are saved. It does get your head spinning, these currents. Read the rest of this entry »

Something wonderful is happening, driven by a sense of desperate need.  Secular scientists are recognizing the need to reach out to people of faith, especially people of evangelical faith, in order to bridge the cultural divide that is now hindering our capacity to respond in love and wisdom to the global environmental crisis.  And people of evangelical faith are open.  They are willing to engage people of science.  Because God is a myth busting God, and a God who likes to shake things up.  All this wonderful turbulence and cultural quaking left me sitting in a large meeting room at Ohio State University–excuse me, The Ohio State University–with about 15 scientists, professors of astronomy, environmental science, biology, mostly, and 15 evangelical pastors and leaders.  And I must say, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room with us. Read the rest of this entry »

I came home from London to see a feature article in the Ann Arbor Observer on the Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor.  The writer, Jim Leonard, is a well known and highly regarded writer here in Ann Arbor and I found him thoughtful, curious, and conscientious.  His article captured so much of what we’re trying to do here in Ann Arbor.  Plus which, he mentioned the fact that I wear socks with my sandals, so this may be the tipping point when my fashion innovation really takes off.  There was one incorrect quote that I’ll be able to correct in the next issue of the Observer and it was on a sensitive topic. Read the rest of this entry »

What an experience,  being with these evangelical-charismatic Church of England  believers, mostly young–early twenties–in central London for a few days.  To be lifted out of one’s own context and set down in another’s, having so much in common with these people, and yet, the twist of a different context.  Fascinating.  The first thing you notice is the complete absence of a dominant religious right in their field of vision.  We’re defined by what we’re differentiating ourselves from, at least in part. Read the rest of this entry »

Here at this Anglican church, St. Mary’s in Central London, that is. (The book is in soft-cover here, and released sooner than in the States.) Been doing their Refresh conference and speaking at their church service on Sunday. Fitting, I suppose–my mother having been a life-long Episcopalian who probably never quite got my Jesus freak from of Christian faith, but loved me anyway as mothers do. Anyway, the unconditional love word. Any way to find a way to love, that’s anyway love. Read the rest of this entry »

So the blogger from the UK who offered first impressions of the book–must have been a galley copy–referred to in my post yesterday writes back and says I’ve misrepresented his post. Naturally, I re-read the post. And yes, he’s got a point.

It’s the lizard brain at work once again. Mine, that is. This limbic system placed atop the lizard brain that’s looking at the world through the lens of threat, dodge and dart. You conflate criticisms–hearing a current mild one on top of a previous harsh one from another source–and your brain plays tricks on you. Read the rest of this entry »

Oh. I forgot about this part. You write a book and you’re holed away in your thoughts, and you show your drafts to your wife and your friends, and people rave. Or if they find something that needs tweaking, they offer warm hearted suggestions. But then the thing gets out there, and people tee off. At first you think, “that just goes with the territory.” Actually, first you think, “I hope the thing draws enough attention to get some criticism–good for sales!” But then, you’ve got the Internet and email which we all know promotes candor, speaking one’s mind, brutal honesty, minus relationship. So I got my first “what a load of crap” blog review. [Though check out the bloggers comment–thinks I misread it, and I think he’s right. Sensitive writer syndrome strikes yours truly!] Read the rest of this entry »

We did a “man on the street” video interview thing in downtown Ann Arbor. Just wandered around with a video camera asking people if they would mind sharing their perspectives on faith in America. What, in particular, did they think of American Christianity? Most people were eager to say, and what they had to say was, well, damning. A hard word. Tempted to soften it. Who wants to hear that about one’s faith? Not many of us. Read the rest of this entry »

So I wrote this book to be released by Thomas Nelson by the end of May. It’s called Jesus Brand Spirituality: He Wants His Religion Back. I decided to write it as non-defensively as possible. Such a counter-intuitive posture for a pastor to assume. Every week give or take, you’re out there saying something, and of course, you get feedback, much of it positive, but also, of course, you get negative feedback, usually by way of email which comes at you cold–heartless words somehow. Even when when the words are written with a warm heart, something about the medium seems to strip the words bare. Read the rest of this entry »