You may wonder how a guy like me (straight, white, cisgender, 50+ male, Bible student, ordained pastor, living in a rural area in the reddest of red states) came to affirm transgender people and be a transgender ally. A Question of Objectivity Before getting into that, however, let me address the question of whether, as […]
Why I Now Affirm Transgender People (The Bible Part) Read More »
Approximately 99.9 percent of the rhetoric I hear from Christians and the church about transgender people comes not from listening to trans people and the healthcare professionals who care for them or even from reading and understanding the Bible but practically word-for-word from political talking points. This post is my plea to Christians everywhere to
We Need to Talk About Transgender Rights Read More »
Our seven-year-old wanted to go to a local VBS that some of her friends were attending. We were hesitant, but we know several people who attend the church, so we decided to let her go. She went on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. When she came home on Thursday, she had some news she wanted to
We Need to Talk about VBS Read More »
I realize it has been some time since I have written in this space. The past few months have been full of changes, most notable among them being the passing of my mother in February and one of my daughters leaving earlier this month for a year in Sweden. In the midst of everything, I
New Book on Deconstruction: Awakening Faith Read More »
This post on “Affirming Truth over Fear” is the ninth post in a series on Faith over Fear. The emotion of fear is a powerful message we receive from our subconscious mind. It lets us know when we are in danger and need to take immediate measures to face the threat. When fear fulfills its
Affirming Truth over Fear: A Helpful New Strategy Read More »
At this point in our exploration of Faith over Fear, it may be helpful to spend a few minutes focusing on our subconscious mind and the role it plays in our everyday thoughts, beliefs, and actions. A Bi-Level Mind For more than a century, we’ve understood that our human minds operate on at least two
Subconscious Mind and Its Role In Life Transformation Read More »
Most of us Christians can isolate a moment when we made a conscious decision to follow Christ. If we grew up in church, we can probably remember a time when we chose to fully embrace the beliefs we inherited. This was our moment of religious conversion. I was 9 when I knelt by my bottom
Why Religious Conversion Sticks–or Doesn’t Read More »
After the week we’ve just had here in Tennessee, with wind chills below zero several days in a row, it’s hard to believe that, on December 30, I’m writing this blog post out on my deck in 60-degree weather. As the clock ticks toward the end of 2022, I want to briefly pause my ongoing
Looking Ahead to 2023 Read More »
A few years ago, a pastor-friend helped me see how fear was sabotaging my life. Ironically, I discovered that the fear doing the most damage was rooted in religion. You can read more about this part of my spiritual journey in the first few posts of this blog series. Today, I want to explore what the
Perfect Love: The Secret Weapon You Need to Banish Fear Read More »
People begin a deconstruction process for many reasons. This post explores the role of religion-based fear in deconstruction.
The Truth about Deconstruction, Fear, & Faith Read More »
