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Leaving Salem

Mennonites sometimes use the term “non-violent” evangelism. It is their way of describing the process of sharing their faith, without hurting those with whom they share. According to George Hunter, the Mennonites didn’t corner the market on this approach. It was used with wonderful grace and welcome by St. Patrick in Ireland. This is how…

Maybe Buddhists and Hindus are just as stubborn as Christians, but I don’t think so. We Christians are about as inflexible as they come. Of course many are all too happy with this assessment, equating rigidity with holiness. I’m just not so sure. Consider our friend Galileo. Remember him from your middle school science class?…

“McDonaldization.” I love that word. It was first coined by sociologist George Ritzer to describe American culture. The predictable, robotic means of producing hamburgers and fries, according to Ritzer, has overtaken our society. Like one giant automated system everything from fast food to childcare to education rolls off the assembly line to be delivered to…

The story is told of three ministers having coffee together at a local café. I know, I know. This sounds like the beginning of a very bad joke: “A rabbi, preacher, and a priest walk into a bar…” But it’s not that one; stay with me. Three ministers were having coffee. The good parsons were…

I usually stay out of direct theological arguments, though I like to occasionally stir the pot. I cannot ignore, however, John Piper’s recent post regarding the terrible tornado outbreak of late February/early March 2012. Piper asked, “Why would God reach down his hand and drag his fierce fingers across rural America killing at least 38…

My hat is off to Tiffany Orr for this great article and interview. Thanks Tiffany for the love! Jesus. America. Apple pie. Guns. Whoever the Republican candidate is at the moment. Based on the prevailing stereotype of the prototypical American Christian, it seems as if you don’t love all of the above, you haven’t any…

In his book, The Fall of Fortresses, Elmer Bendiner describes a bombing run over the German city of Kassel during World War Two. His B-17 Bomber was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. That was not unusual. Routinely, if the word “routine” could be used to describe such harrowing feats, Allied planes were riddled…

In summer 1998 I visited the Fort Knox gold mine operated by the Kinross Corporation. This open pit is located just north of Fairbanks, Alaska. It is the largest gold-mining operation in North America. While gold has been enticed from the Fairbanks mining district for a hundred years, no one has drilled, blasted, and processed…

It’s Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Lent is the season of the year that many Christians use to prepare for Easter and the Holy Week. As an adult I have come to appreciate this time of preparation. As a youth, this was not the case. Growing up in the free group Christian tradition,…
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