Qohelet, the primary voice of Ecclesiastes, has a penchant for hedging. There is no profit in wisdom or foolishness – the wise and the foolish will both die alike – but it’s probably still better to be wise. Ultimately, God is inscrutable, but we should probably honor God anyway. Is this capitulation to the common wisdom that Qohelet spends so …
Shepherding the Wind
One of my all-time favorite teaching moves was when my theology teacher used the movie Contact to help us seminary novices get a handle on the idea that our talk about God has a story to it (in particular, Contact was a springboard for us to talk about the doctrine of revelation – that point of numinous connection human beings …
Ship of Fools: Stewardship
One of the reasons we are doing this series – and perhaps the reason Church in the Cliff exists – is that there is a tremendous amount of skepticism about the Church. Scandals have eroded the sense that the Church is worthy of one’s time, treasure, or talents. The good that churches do is often done better by other groups, …
Ship of Fools: Worship
I will admit my bias against church organ music. Why does it have to sound like this, when it could sound like this? The latter tells me about all of life: tragedy and joy, grief and laughter – that seems more like the walk of faith that I know. The former just makes me wish for a coma, which is …
Ship of Fools: Fellowship
To kick off our “Ship of Fools” series – a conversation about the “ship” words so common in church life: fellowship, worship, discipleship, stewardship – we’re going to start firmly in our comfort zone: fellowship. In some ways, this is the least threatening of the “ship” words. After all, we’re pretty good at this. Jesus ate a lot of meals …
Quality Time
Next Series: Ship of Fools Board Nominations Some moments resonate. They sound out, shaking us and shaping us in different, lasting ways. Some moments are cumulative: unremarkable at first glance, and then all of a sudden, I look back and the sum of them is a habit, part of the fabric of my life. I’m fairly sure I’m not the …
The Gift of Time
This series on time will certainly be an instance where I will learn more than I will teach. If time and I had a facebook relationship status, it would be “it’s complicated.” My waking and sleeping are at odd times and of irregular durations. I question whether I can change that, mostly because I don’t really want to. It works …
The Problem (and the Promise) of the Trinity
One week out of div school and I’m already digging back through my textbooks, trying to remember what it is I spent all that time learning. This is that sort of Sunday – Trinity Sunday. “Trinity” is probably a word that every Christian knows, but few understand and even fewer care to understand. I might be a member of all …
Beginnings
I will be brief. This Sunday, Pentecost, Church in the Cliff will gather to ordain me as a Baptist minister. It is thrilling. I have worked toward this for the past four years and it is a delight and an honor to be affirmed by a group of people that I love so much. It is also terrifying. You must …
Jubilee: Release of the Captives
Mother’s Day at Church in the Cliff Ordination Thanks This week, I am living the story of too much: Polishing off last minute dissertation edits and sending it off to the library system, completing annoying exit forms and surveys for institutional liability purposes, consulting with a suddenly booming list of people with complex counseling needs, picking up graduation regalia, writing …