Love Your Neighbor – Even During Election Season

Canadian singer-songwriter Steve Bell asked this simple and startling question when introducing one of his songs at a recent concert: “Could the churches of the land be known in the upcoming election campaign for leading the charge for civility?”...

On Target: 4 Core Convictions About Church’s Mission

God has formed four core convictions in me about the mission of the church (both locally and globally) over the past few years. This list is not exhaustive, but for me they are non-negotiable. Core Conviction No. 1: We don’t have a mission; God does and invites...

Baptism Reminds Us of Our Calling to Heal a Broken World

A recent Sunday worship service at my church was special: Two people were being baptized. We heard their stories of their growing relationship with God; we applauded and celebrated with them as they entered into this profound enactment of grace and obedience. As the...

Should You Be Free to Choose Your Own Religion?

Should people be free to choose their own religion? Yes. This, to me, seems like such an obvious answer that I am flabbergasted that in much of the world, the de facto reality on the ground is “no.” Even in cases where, on paper, there is religious...

What You Can Do When There’s Nothing You Can Do

Does it feel like a lot is going on in our world right now? ISIS kicking out Christians in Mosul. Strikes on Gaza to destroy tunnels, which were built to attack Israel. Ebola in West Africa. Syria. Central African Republic. Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17. I am well...