I’ve decided “recovery” is a poor word to use to describe my life beyond the confines of the church and its religion and theology. Now, that being said, there were some things I needed to recover from, such as the atmosphere of control, manipulation, mind-control, and...
The 3 F’s
THE THREE Fs When Lisa and I left the ministry and, as it ends up, the church in 2010, we came to the conclusion that we had some work to do on our personal lives. The reason? We felt we’d been living under a heavy wet blanket for a long time, just being Christians...
The Tools Religion Provides
I don’t have much to say today, but I do feel it is very important. Over the several decades of my interest in religion, I continually return to an even deeper conviction concerning my observations. And my conviction is this: I believe religion does provide some good...
Being Heard is Being Healed
The Lasting Supper is a different kind of community. I’m not saying we’re special. Okay… maybe I am. But not in a boastful way. Just in a matter-of-fact way. I’ve been a member of many online communities, and from my observation they just don’t do well. There is...
We Visited the First Church I Ever Served
Lisa and I, in our BC days (before children), moved to Prince Edward Island (home of Anne of Green Gables) right after my Masters in New Testament Studies. I had accepted a job as Assistant to the Minister at Zion Presbyterian Church in Charlottetown. This was in...
Don’t Reject. Transcend!
This morning I picked up one of my older journals and started reading through it. I had some impressions: 1. “I like this guy!” Even though I have changed a lot since the writing in this journal and I was quite different back then, I like me back then. I was earnest....
The True Value of Community
When I left the church in 2010, I left the luxury of ready-made community. I’ve tried other things since, including Toast Masters, but nothing came even close to the quality, depth, authenticity, accountability, and intimacy of community the church potentially...
What I Don’t Miss
What I Don’t Miss Yesterday, as I was scrolling through Facebook, I was rather alarmed at all the fights and divisions that were taking place. Over what? Predestination. Sin. Heaven and Hell. Authority. Bible. Divine inspiration. And theologians are differentiating...
Peace and Joy in Very, Very Simple Moments
This Sunday morning, around 8am, as I was making Lisa and I a pour-over coffee with lovely free-trade French roast, I felt overwhelmed with a very simple peace and joy. Very, very simple. I turned to Lisa and said, “Honey, how can this be any better? Here we are...
Why am I That Kind of Guy?
Last week Lisa and I went to a farmers market. We came across a couple selling handmade copper jewelry. I noticed a very handsome hammered mens ring. I liked it very much. And it fit perfectly on the one finger that feels inexplicably stiff lately. They both wore...
Menu: