The Scoop on Happiness in Church
I believe summer nights should end with ice cream. And I don’t just mean frozen desserts; I mean ice cream. Frozen custard counts. Same for gelato. In a tight spot, […]
Good News for the City
We know that gospel means good news, but what does that mean? The gospel has too often been reduced, personalized, and spiritualized so that it’s merely about acknowledging sin, accepting Christ, and […]
No Laughing Matters: Why We Ought to Laugh
Hopefully we can agree that we’re anxious, worried, and preoccupied with worst-case scenarios that are unlikely to materialize. We are told we are in an existential crisis, journeying in uncharted […]
Is It Possible to Vent without Gossiping?
We all need someone to talk to. And if we don’t talk about the things that bother us, we often internalize our angst in ways that can become debilitating and […]
Sabbath Won’t Just Happen
It feels impossible to find time to meet. Check your calendar for openings, notify me of availability, and see what might look good in the next few weeks. Six months […]
Preaching Politics? 6 Thoughts from the Book of Daniel
“Did I hear you say that you’re preaching on politics?” “Yes, I’m looking forward to this series.” “Hmm. Good luck.” Scary, huh? There are two things that make for impolite […]
Pray for Reign in Africa
They told us not to expect much rain in Botswana during June. It’s their winter: the dry season for a country that is already dry. Miami will see as much […]
Household Gods: On Our Tendency to Worship Family
Have you noticed that parents have been acting a bit crazy? The parents getting ejected at youth baseball games for harassing the umpires; The parents losing their minds at school […]
Spoiler Alert: Are Churches Going the Way of Hollywood Predictability?
Did movies get worse? Over the holiday I saw Wonka at my childhood movie theater. That cinema features one screen, no online reservations, and seats reminiscent of jury duty. However, I walked […]
For the Win: On Seeing More Than the Losses
I must’ve been the last one to try Schlotzsky’s. It’s weird to look back and wonder how I missed it. I had seen it on Poplar Avenue in Memphis since […]
Let’s Talk About the Word ‘Woke’
The word woke has had a curious life. Like so much slang, it was introduced by Black people, co-opted by youngish white people, and then ruined by oldish white people. […]
Living History: Reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. For some, it’s a day off work or school. For others, it’s a day of contemplation and reflection. For Memphis, it’s a reminder […]
The Fear of All Somes: Rethinking Our Fearful Reflexes
Fear is a necessary emotion. People who backpack in isolation in the mountains should worry about running out of water. Boaters should take precautions to avoid high waves. Drivers should […]
Cancel at Anytime: Reflections on Lukianoff & Schlott’s ‘The Canceling of the American Mind’
In 2018, a friend recommended a book that became my favorite nonfiction book for the next few years: The Coddling of the American Mind. It identified an issue that was […]
The E Word: How to Resist an Attitude of Entitlement
Our daughters know the word that I use. They would say overuse. My overuse became apparent one Father’s Day when our youngest daughter gave me one of those books where […]
Sunday Best: What Might Our Best Actually Look Like?
Remember that expression Sunday Best? It usually referred to church clothes: a dressy wardrobe that was reserved for the first day of the week. It wasn’t just about threads, though. Sunday Best signified […]
Review of Louise Perry’s ‘The Case Against the Sexual Revolution’
“The passions of a revolution are apt to hurry even good men into excesses.” —Alexander Hamilton All changes usher in a set of consequences, for better or worse. There are […]
Challenges for Multicultural Churches
One of the challenges of leading a church that desires to be multicultural is very simple: many of us have never seen one. We’ve graduated from multicultural universities and passed […]
Contentment with Godliness Is Great Gain?
Scripture says that godliness with contentment is great gain. This means that our typical human quest for happiness works backwards from what actually works. If we want happiness, we need […]
The Blessing: A Short Story of Loss and Reconciliation
Paul and Eden had adjusted well to life in Rochester, Minnesota. It was now home. They were there for Paul’s job in IT. A major company recruited him out of […]
The Lies We Tell Ourselves about Ourselves
George Santos lied about some things in his past. Okay, about everything in his past. He lied about where he attended high school (Horace Mann) and college (Baruch) and graduate […]
A Lament for Memphis: Reflections from a Memphis Minister
*Editor’s Note: On January 7, 2023, 29-year-old Tyre Nichols was pulled over by Memphis police for reckless driving and was tased and pepper-sprayed. He attempted to flee and was then […]
The Devil Wears Sweatpants
We love to be comfortable. It’s easy; it’s convenient; it’s killing us. Comfort can be a great thing in the moment. But it can have terrible side effects. It promises […]