I was in Los Angeles last week and just returned late Friday night to Boston and like everyone, I’m trying to collect my thoughts on this very emotional roller-coaster of a week. I know that term gets thrown around but for me it seems like a perfect metaphor for the week. On Monday I was at the Q Conference when my wife texted: “Boston Marathon explosion. Injuries.”
In the next few moments I couldn’t help keep my mind from racing to extreme worst case scenarios. It’s [Read more…]
If you haven’t got a chance to read “Being Gay at Jerry Falwell’s University” by Brandon Ambrosino in The Atlantic.com, you really should. It’s lengthy but it’s a great story that has a moving conclusion.
Some of you dear readers know that I am a Liberty University graduate. I have always been hesitant about admitting this – it’s not shame, it’s not bitterness, it’s more the frustration of having to explain that I don’t fit the angry fundamentalist caricature that comes with after mentioning your alma-mater. I haven’t even hung up my degrees.
“Raise your hand if you’ve heard this popular line, “People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.” I see that hand.
My homiletics professor got it from John Maxwell who got it from Howard Hendricks who got it from Theodore Roosevelt who got it from Jesus when He washed his disciple’s feet. The point …
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There are many who are mourning the tragic suicide of Matthew Warren and unfortunately, there are some who are attacking Rick & Kay. Some have identified themselves as Christians while some of have identified themselves as non-Christians. Some in the latter group have generalized all Christians as naive or have stated this tragedy suits them for whatever reason. Grace and peace to them. As far as those who identify themselves as Christ-followers, I consider their attacks as shameful, unloving and unfit of the name Christian – wake up.
I’m writing this post not because I feel I have anything remarkably unique to add, I’m writing in hopes of adding to the side of sympathy and collective mourning. My heart is heavy for Matthew, for the Warrens and for the many like Matthew. I’m writing for those who are struggling with mental illnesses – may God’s grace and peace find you.
Let’s be clear – there is only one response to a tragedy like this and it involves sympathy and mourning. But I [Read more…]
As part of the nature of this blog, I like to look back as much as I can … with my best effort of not boring you. The nature of blogging is to respond to the now, the what just happened, and if possible, the what next? Part of me is drawn to this as I feel it’s not only my temperament to opinionate and participate in conversation but your blog stats are certainly helped by being among the first. This is the Ricky Bobby philosophy of blogging “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”
Though this week has shown no shortage of topics to jump in on another part of me feels otherwise. The problem for me anyway, is not only do many of these posts come across as premature but I end up actually resenting some of them within a few weeks. I can handle the changing my mind part, but this social media vehicle is not as conducive as I would like. I struggle with the adding to the hype and not being able to pull back from it. It’s different than sitting down with a friend over coffee and saying, “It’s funny, last week when we sat here, I thought that now I think I’ve changed my mind to this…”
Further (and getting closer to beginning my point ;) – I am ever-concerned with the consumption of [Read more…]
Note: I was sent this book from the publisher and as always I am not required to give a positive review but an honest one. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
It’s customary for Christians to follow some type of daily devotional but unfortunately for this Christian, I not much of a devotional reader. I think it’s partially to do with receiving the authors’ voice on a daily basis. Preferring accompanying my Scripture reading with commentaries and other books and resources, I just think most devotionals are not my thing. However, I do find myself drawn to devotional reading during Lent and Advent and this year I used two.
The first Lenten devotional to highlight was the Tom Wright’s latest Lent For Everyone: Luke Year C published by Westminster John Knox Press.
If you know me, you know I’m a big fan of Dr. Wright. If you never heard of him, he’s an Anglican theologian [Read more…]
Well, I hope you had a wonderful Easter and Holy Week (if you are Protestant, that is. Wishing continued grace to you dear Coptic Orthodox readers til May 5). Now, if you’ve been reading along, you know I’ve been trying to reflect on Holy Week through the lens of the disciples (here and here). Among the reasons is its my attempt to look at a familiar story with fresh eyes. I know that feeling of “here we go again” quite well and leaning in to finding something deeper has been a welcomed solution to overcoming the frustration of the familiar.
So, if I am one of the disciples Easter morning and I hear about the empty tomb, I suppose my first thought is, [Read more…]
I’m staying with the theme of yesterday’s post of looking at Passion Week through the eyes of the disciples and can’t help but wonder what they must have been thinking throughout Passion Week.
I’m guessing if I was among the original Twelve, I would have loved being a part of Palm Sunday. Here’s Jesus, at the height of his popularity, getting a parade as he enters Jerusalem. Ancient cities typically only did that for war heroes, royalty, political superstars and the Beatles because music history [Read more…]
For the most part, I’ve had a beautiful holy week. Like all weeks, it’s always a mix and it can be draining to determine the week based on one unfortunate circumstance or one piece of good news. So for me, there have been some good things this week for sure – but some difficult things as well. This week I learned of a couple whose baby has some legitimate health needs – may the Lord give grace. This week, a dear friend told me his father passed away – way too early – may the Lord give grace. And this week is the one year anniversary for the passing of one my beloved uncles – may the Lord give grace.
Sometimes we enter Holy Week hoping there will be this peaceful reverence that will allow us to only think and act spiritually. But in addition to the aforementioned, social media is ablaze with DOMA, Prop 8, the gay marriage debate, evangelicalism and much more. As a result, I’ve been a little reluctant to [Read more…]
Hey there, welcome and thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Really, I appreciate it. - Tim Ghali
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