The thing is, peer pressure to participate in certain activities or trends or events exists among Christians as much as it exists in any other group, and I'd argue that for Christians it's especially difficult to navigate, because we often wonder if it's okay not to like something "godly," or to want to do something different than all of the believers around us are doing. When is it okay to take a pass and not participate, to be the odd duck of the group? [Click title to read more.]
Tag: Christianity
Alone and Known Before God
It's self-editing. We all do it. And whether we realize it or not, we do it in our day-to-day life as much as we do it on Facebook. As humans, we're constantly censoring our lives and presenting some careful "best" version of ourselves to others. We cut out the parts of ourselves we deem unsavory or unnecessary, and we showcase the best ones for everyone to see. But God always and eternally sees our whole and unadulterated self. [Click title to read more.]
Sports and Misleading Narratives of Christian Victory: Or, That Time I Swore I’d Shave Off My Eyebrows
It's interesting to me that we never equate God's victory with loss. That we never equate God with the less-than-happy-end, or with what happens when things don't turn out right. The team that slumps into the locker room doesn't say, "Well, He's the reason we're here." After a fumble or a turnover, the football player doesn't crouch and quietly thank God.
Please Don’t Make Me Shake Hands: A Christian’s Plea
If we're not careful, the exhortation to "welcome each other" on Sunday mornings results in a slew of awkward hugs and handshakes, a few cheerful "good morning"s, and conversations between people who already know each other and want to catch up on the weekend. [Click title to read more.]
God’s Sacrifice
I still don't know why God does what he does. I still wonder about the tension between what God can do and what God will do and why sometimes our faith doesn't move mountains - even when we have as much as we can muster. But God asks so little of us in comparison to what He has demanded of Himself to love us. Truly, He is not far. [Click title to read more.]
To Those Who Are Struggling
On the frustrating day, on the dark day, on the hopeless day, our prayers and our faith - tarnished and stumbling and broken as they are - shine brighter. And what matters the most is not if they are strong, and not if they are hopeful, and not if they are packed with praise, but that they are there at all. [Click title to read more.]
Speaking In Tongues: How Foreign Language Study Can Benefit The Church
Jesus never spoke a word of English; Christians today speak a multitude of languages. And yet the language we speak, regardless of what we speak, is a gateway to understanding: know someone's language and you know a little bit of their culture, their life, and their worldview. And it's with that thought in mind I want to discuss the benefits of foreign language study within the church. [Click title to read more.]
Let God Prepare The Heart (And The Harvest)
Sometimes I think we believe we have to do it all ourselves: that we have to pick people we suspect are in need, that we have to make them understand the lack in their life, that we have to sell Jesus to them like a product - to make Him valuable enough that people will want to take Him home. But we are intermediaries, sent by God to help people along in the process that He has already started. [Click title to read more.]
Don’t Say “I’ll Pray For You” (Unless You’re Willing To Follow Up)
Prayer can't become a believer's band-aid. It can't become that thing we do so that we don't have to do anything else. In the times that it's possible to do more than shoot a wish skyward, we are obligated to do so - for those to whom much is given, much is required. Follow up. Give. Care. Our role in grace-giving does not end the moment the words leave our lips. Love does not stop at the foot of the throne. [Click title to read more.]
An Introvert’s Confession Pt. 2: How To Fix The Problems In Church “Small Groups”
Small groups propose to be different from "Sunday School" in that they are about experiencing life together, about Christians banding together in tiny tribes to work with and love each other. And if that is so, then small group life needs to extend beyond the once-a-week commitment many are willing to give to it - either that, or we need to stop pretending it's something more noble or life-enhancing than a once-a-week-study. [Click title to read more.]
Samaritan's Song 