“Usually, it’s the worst thing you can admit about yourself that most people can relate to.”

— David Sedaris

It’s so easy to fall prey to glorified sentimentality when we write about things like faith and spirituality. The human ego holds tight to glory. And in the religious realm, moral/ethical ‘goodness’ is the idol.

American Christianity has ventured into these dangerous waters.

But it’s not real. It’s not true. Sentimentality connects with no one. It sucks humor dry and creates a fake version of humanity. The world doesn’t need more faux sentimentality or righteous performative moral/civil posturing. We need realness.

If held in an honest way, this is what my faith enables me to do. …

Condemnation is a real felt experience from a human standpoint. It’s what happens when flawed humans (‘sinners’ aka all of us) bump into ‘the law’.

Now… ‘The law’ in a theological sense doesn’t just mean the 10 commandments or the 613 Levitical laws. It means ‘anything that accuses.’ You don’t have to be religious to ram up against the law. We can hear the rustling of leaves as pure magic while the man walking next to us through the park hears it as sheer condemnation.

In an ethical sense, the law is “written on our hearts” (Romans 2:12–16). This is Biblespeak for ‘we have a conscience’. Humans can’t escape the law. …

This is the sermon that I preached on the First Sunday of Christmas at Truckee Lutheran Presbyterian Church. For the video, click here (sermon starts at 9:15, but it helps to watch the readings first or just read the ones below)…

Luke 2:22–40
Galatians 4:4–7

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty Christmassed out. I’m typically a pretty staunch practitioner of Advent, or at least I want to be. Looking back at last Christmas, I recall thinking, “You know, next year, we should really DO Advent. You know, wait until Christmas Eve to decorate — even to start playing Christmas music.” But then 2020 came. And it’s been an entire 9 months of Advent. …

There’s a meme going around that I’ve seen that says this…

“Mathematical law is the only true God.”

Let’s see, where do I start?…

I like smart people. I’m so glad there are people way smarter than me doing things that solve complicated problems for humanity. So, in this regard, I totally get it and can get behind God-as-mathematical-law. A God that’s logical. That figures things out and shows up in rational ways.

I particularly like this God when I’m in a comfortable place. I don’t need a God of faith, I just need a God who solves problems (or, even better, who helps ME solve problems). Everything is figure-out-able, so get to work, God. And show us your answer key so we can take it from there. …

One thing about Donald Trump is that he’s way more of a Biblical president than any other president in my memory…

I’m not saying here what many fundamentalist conservative Christians say about him. I’m not saying that he’s the most God-inspired president. Or the most Christian president (God, no…). I’m not justifying anything he’s personally said or done (or not said/done) in the way that he would want to read in the press.

But I do know that, in the Good Book, God doesn’t do much through boring, “good” leaders. You don’t see any narratives that say, “[Leader X] came along, lived an honest life, didn’t make any mistakes, and lead everyone to prosperity. …

If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life.

— Abraham Maslow

I saw the quote above memed on Instagram by a really great alternative school that I follow online. I’m familiar with the school and respect what they’re doing. So what I’m about to say is no direct smear on them.

As a cultural theologian, I’m being trained to notice signals like this, pluck them out, and toss them down on the examination table for all to gather around and look at. …

We seem to be born on a track of sorts. Maybe we aren’t so aware of it when we’re really young. But when we reach a certain point in human development, we become aware of a “track” that we’re on.

This track is like a juicy steak for the human ego. It can take many forms. Maybe you’re hell-bent on destruction (hey, I’ve been there). In that case, well, destruction is your track. Maybe you want to graduate law school or seminary (ahem). That’s your track.

Our track becomes the preoccupation of our lives. …

My family and I just got back from a super quick getaway on the coast of Northern California.

The skies were clear and the coastline was dramatic with giant rock outcroppings jutting over and then tumbling down into the ocean.

It was beautiful.
But I have to say…

I can’t tell you how many times I caught myself — in one of the most beautiful places on Earth with the two girls I love the most — caught up in my head. I wasn’t stressed, particularly. But still…

We’d be driving down long, windy roads making our way through these thick forests. And there, I’d catch myself with the following internal…