Across Church Street
Curiosity, Discovery, and Creativity
This is the world of a little child. And I never outgrew it. Some have tried to reform me, failed, and benefited from their failure. I like turning over rocks. Under one, I found something that saved my employer $20 million/year! (Impractical?) There is a whole world, a whole universe, still to be discovered. It's a cosmos full of interesting people, places, cultures, and things. And God is bigger still!
Spaces of Change
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ⏤ Philippians 1:4-6
I can remember seasons of big shifts in my spiritual understanding: the mid-1970s, the mid-1980s, the 2010s, and especially these past three years. Each shift has brought me into bigger spaces, not smaller.
Offered & Given
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ⏤ John 3:16
God so loved the world that he gave. The Greek word for 'gave' can also be translated as 'offered.' These two English words are so similar and related. The difference is what happens with the gift. For a gift to be given, it has to be received. Otherwise, it's only been offered. God offers grace in many forms. Will we take hold?
- love
- Holy Spirit
- humility
- church
- poverty & mercy
- politics & society
- mission & witness
- holiness
- parable & metaphor
- identity
- eternal life
- doubt & deconstruction
- leadership
- grace
- justice
- scripture
- spiritual life
- advent & christmas
- imagination & creativity
- technology & AI
- knowing God
- human dignity
- faith & trust
- incarnation & cross
- kingdom of God
- community
- reconciliation
- spiritual formation
- epistemology
- prayer
- gratitude
- culture
- creation & nature
- discipleship
I practice the spiritual discipline of rescuing earthworms on paved surfaces. It's a reminder to me that I can pause what I'm doing, get a little dirty, and help. Also, that I've been given the responsibility to care.