Attentiveness As A Sexual Ethic
Most of the church’s rules about sex focus on who and what. This post asks a different question: are you actually paying attention to the person you’re with? A starting point for a more honest sexual ethic.
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Do Not Be Afraid
Fear is the enemy. In the Dune books by Frank Herbert the main character calls fear the mind killer. It prevents us from acting, it holds us back, it keeps us trapped in it’s own special chains. But the Bible tells us that God does not give us a Spirit of fear but of power,…
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Rethinking Integrity in Neurodivergence: A Theology of ‘Masking’
What Actually Is Masking? The Camouflaged Self An Illusion of Choice with Masking What Does Masking Feel Like? Carrying The Shopping When Can I Be Me? What Do We Mean When We Talk About Integrity? Rethinking Integrity in Relationship to Masking Moses, Jesus, and The Veil Accepting a Hidden Identity Who Gets Let In and…
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Being A Neurodivergent Pastor
What happens when you get a pastor who doesn’t relate emotionally to their congregation? How can that work or be healthy? Shouldn’t the pastor of a church, the minister to a congregation, care deeply and passionately about the people in their care? What happens when that person is me? I am someone who doesn’t particularly…
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Finding Living Water – Living Life in All Its Fullness
There is something special about water. It’s used as an image throughout scripture for life, for new starts, for spirit of God. On a hot day, cold water can lift the spirits and renew the heart. The love of God, and the life that God is giving to us, is frequently described in the Bible…
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The Serenity Prayer as Discipleship Formation
The Serenity pray is one of the most well known prayers in the world. It is said every day by Christians and non-Christians alike thanks to its adoption by recovery groups and self-help books. But it is, at its heart, a prayer. Not simply a prayer of petition, asking God to give us something, but…
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Micro-Planting: How To Build Grassroots Church Growth
Every corps (local church) needs to be planting and re-planting on a rolling cycle. A corps should be continually reflecting on its embodiment in the local context at a minimum of every ten years. An easy and cost-effective way to keep a corps is through Micro-Planting. Micro-Planting focuses on grassroots church growth and isn’t dependent…
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Does God Take Sides?
The God Who Sets Slaves Free 7 Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians and to bring them up…
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A Queer Reading of Ruth: Reading From the Underside of Scripture
Be aware that this article includes references to abuse, assault, and rape. As usual, this article and all my work represent my own views and are not an official Salvation Army position. Ruth is not really a love story, even though people have turned it into one. The more you read it, the more you…
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Central Strategy, Local Autonomy, and the Need for Accountability (quick read)
As normal, this is my opinion, and does not constitute official Salvation Army teaching or positions. Central Strategy or Local Autonomy? The Salvation Army loves a strategy document. Two recent ones, the UKI territory Blueprint for better decisions, and the International Compass strategy, are good examples of how strategy documents can work. The Compass strategic…