I recently watched a new Netflix documentary titled, "FIFA Uncovered." I watched it for three reasons: 1) Our family loves soccer! The World Cup begins on the 20th of November. 2) At one point, we lived in Zurich, Switzerland. That city is also the headquarters of FIFA. 3) I'd casually followed the corruption scandals and was eager to learn more. Now that I've finished the series, it occurred to me that they made a compelling case for original sin.

In the documentary series, the phrase, "That's just the way it is" (cue Bruce Hornsby's track) or more popularly, "everybody's doing it" was used over and over again with regard to power, money, bribery, laundering, pandering, etc. I've heard that same phrase used at all strata of society - from institutions to the kitchen table. It's all about what is incentivized and who you're willing to become to meet your desire.

As I watched, I was struck by two realities. First, sin impacts all levels of society. Living in a rich country,...

Today is Veteran's Day. For an excellent description of how this day is distinct from others, and particularly, Memorial Day, the USO has a great article here: https://www.uso.org/stories/2522-understanding-the-difference-of-memorial-day-vs-veterans-day

Both national holidays - Memorial Day and Veteran's Day - were born from tragedy. The former emerged from the Civil War. Prior to that there were only 4th of July celebrations. That's not to state there weren't major wars, because there were. My own ancestors arrived with the 2nd Charter of Virginia and have fought in every national conflict, starting with the American Revolution, since. The scars of the Civil War on our nation are well-documented, and in particular, the trauma of losing so many fellow Americans in many towns and cities. It was a distinctly American war, fought for the soul of these "United" States, that our diversity should not preclude our unity.

Veteran's Day was born with the first...

This morning I cast my vote in the midterms. The process was quick, close by, monitored, and provided renewed confidence in our democracy. And I learned of some policy decisions that were fascinating to consider.

Now that my civic duty is done, let me weigh in on five national controversies. None of these are related to the Bible, nor theological principles. That said, all five are important to civic participation.

1. Trump lost the previous election.

Elections are rarely pristine. The last several elections included quite a few shenanigans that were later revealed. Democrats are notorious for bussing in crowds and lax voter requirements so that some can (apparently) vote multiple times, from beyond the grave, or outside of their own districts. Republicans are notorious for contesting anything close, and Trump's recent interaction with the state of Georgia is suspicious (criminal at worse). That said, elections are held with a knowledge that all Americans should...

In the spring of 2018 I taught a course titled, "Ethnic and Religious Conflict" at North Central College in Naperville, IL. The undergrad course (for juniors and seniors only) explored how ethnic and religious conflicts (think: genocide) begin, conflate, and find resolution. I used multiple academic articles, and the following for our central textbooks: 

• Ethnic Conflict: A Systemic Approach to Cases of Conflict, Jesse, Williams (2011)
• Conflict Analysis: Understanding Causes, Unlocking Solutions, Matthew Levinger (2013)
• Ethnic Conflict: A Global Perspective, Stefan Wolff (2006) 

Preparing for the course was eye-opening, as was teaching the course. We looked at conflicts ranging from the Armenian genocide to the Rwandan conflict to Northern Ireland to (fill in the blank - we covered a lot of ground globally). It was with great joy that I noted the recent peace agreement in Ethiopia (...

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When my wife and I were young in ministry, our local work had taken off to the point that other churches were hoping I'd consider joining them instead of the church where I was serving. Determining if God is calling elsewhere is a heart wrenching process. The purpose of the follower of Jesus is primarily to follow. Sometimes, following Jesus to the next step makes sense from the outside looking in. At other times, it does not. After going through a process with a church in the Bay Area, genuinely conflicted, my wife and I scheduled an appointment with a wonderful, godly man named Bob Lewis, who was also our denominational Director of Mission. Bob gave us a fantastic spiritual plumb line that has worked for us ever since. "Never move unless you have a deep, Holy Spirit peace that passes understanding about being called from and being called to." One of the two, he said, is not enough. At the time, we thought this was only to positions. Over time, we've discovered...

It's midterm season in America, political ads streaming in on all channels with familiar marketing tropes heightening divides. Christians pray for those in government, regardless of political affiliation or system. It does not mean, however, that Christians are happy for how they governed (true whether being hunted by Romans or pouring more USD's into the economy thereby increasing inflation). How does the Christ-follower navigate the quagmire that is voting in 2022 and beyond (wherever they land on the political spectrum)? Certainly the Christ-follower is called to participate in society. And yet, we are also called to be set apart from society. When submission to Christ is at the fore, Christians will be both needed (for integrity, honesty, compassion, discernment, etc.) and anathema (for their unwillingness to attack, yell, mock, degrade, or simply "go along" with the crowd). Even as Jesus was both welcomed and reviled, so too, the Christian. The Christ-follower has no...

We often prescribe for ourselves that which Jesus does not. In Luke 8:26-39, we see not only a miracle of God, but a stunning demand as well. Let's look at the passage of Scripture:

²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes,^[c] which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷ When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. ²⁸ When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” ²⁹ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) ³⁰ Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said,...

Sometimes, theology doesn't match with praxis. Many have a theology of the Holy Spirit's presence as Paraclete and Teacher, but don't know how He integrates in every day living. Often, the Holy Spirit is equated with "intuitive preferences" or "ecstatic experiences." But a careful reading of Scripture indicates that both of those are problematic. "Intuitive preference" would say it's a suicide mission to march around the walls of Jericho as a battle tactic, and "ecstatic experience" can be manufactured so that it becomes difficult to tell the real from the conjured.

Recently, I was on an overnight trip to Colorado meeting with a pastor and friend. The goal was to come away from our overnight with a strong sense from God on the vision and strategy of the church he pastors. I believe so much in vision and strategy - and the process of it - that we created an entire course at Wenwyn on it. Vision does not emerge in a vacuum. That said, vision and strategy is also not born...

In a world full of healthy local churches, what constitutes "healthy" and "local"? This is a question long obsessed over in the world of missions, and rightly so. The goal of missions is to make disciples who then group and can carry Gospel witness and disciple-making forward in their own contexts without outside reliance to do so. Disciples group and churches are born. The apostles + Paul planted churches because they were willing to witness in familiar and unfamiliar contexts, make disciples, and group them. Venn and Anderson were two missions directors in the U.S. and America, respectively. They came up with three characteristics that mark an "indigenous" church:

• self-governance
• self-supporting
• self-propagating

Over time, the "Three Selves" became synonymous with the term "indigenous" in missions circles. But the descriptors don't come without debate. First, the immediate association with indigeneity is problematic for many reasons. For example, one may be all three and be an...

I'm not a fan of "choosing" to heal. There's just too much snake oil out there associated with bad theology and pop philosophy. My mom had a disease that caused her a lot of pain for most of my life (and most of hers). I recall some well-meaning Christians saying, "Just believe and you will be healed." As tears streamed down my mom's face ("am I sick because of a lack of faith or desire to be healed?"), I recall growing angry. It was wrong of them to say and the head-trip of faith wasn't worth the journey.

Does prayer matter? Absolutely. Are we to pray for wholeness and healing, believing God can heal completely? A resounding yes! But God, in His Sovereignty, will also allow believers to live in a world of sin and its effects. And sometimes, His choice not to heal reveals His handiwork as much as His choice to heal. Joni Erickson Tada may have not stood up from her wheelchair (yet), but her life, despite her physical brokenness, has been an inspiration and testimony to God...