A Quick Christian Guide To Supporting The Depressed and Those Bereaved By Suicide

The church has a role to play in our culture's understanding of suicide and of depression - as a place of healing, we have something to give. As a practical matter, and because of my own experiences, I felt inspired to offer some tips on how to address the way we talk (or don't) about mental illness and depression in our own congregations and, by extension, to minister to the families of those who have taken their own lives. [Click title to read more.]

Cultivating A Sense Of Wonder Is A Christian Act

Wonder is a quality that we must embrace and cultivate as believers. We live in an often-cynical world, heavy with pessimism. Unironic enthusiasm and delight sometimes seems out of style, and out of step. But as Christians, wonder is part and parcel of our experience. [Click title to read more.]

Weekly Round-Up

Happy Friday! Wow, it was a productive week for me.  Hope it was for you too.  This week we talked about drive-by evangelism, how we talk about sin, embracing the beautiful mystery of God's invitation, and one reason children raised in the church tend to leave it behind as adults. There's also the most recent … Continue reading Weekly Round-Up

One Reason Children Raised In The Church Leave It Behind

Few young Christians are prepared in a rigorous, individual way, to continue to choose Christianity for themselves beyond the walls of their church or an "inherited" faith. Not many have the tools to, as the Bible puts it, "work out" their salvation - to go beyond the commitment of a moment to the commitment of a lifetime. [Click title to read more.]

How We Talk About Sin

I worry sometimes that in my own life I fall into the trap of believing there are "acceptable" Christian sins like pride and arrogance and envy. That there are sins that are shameful and sins that are, somehow, not - sins that should be hidden from the world and from others, and sin that it's okay to admit. God has been convicting me about this lately. [Click title to read more.]

Drive-By Evangelism Helps No One

You can't make a disciple with a pamphlet. You can't condense God's love into two paragraphs. Most of all, you cannot treat evangelism - the holy duty of sharing God's word and love with others - as a marketing ploy by indiscriminately blanketing the streets with a generic version of "the Good News." [Click title to read more.]

The Strength In Mercy and Grace

Mercy and grace somehow have a reputation as "soft" virtues. But I don't think that's quite accurate. Mercy and grace, too, can convey astonishing power. Just as the silence that follows the thunder can be more devastating than the thunder itself, so can God's grace and mercy cut through the sorrow and pain and hardened hearts of the world. [Click title to read more.]