Crucible of Thought

There's a big difference between spiritual milk and solid food. As spiritual newborns, we were instructed to desire pure spiritual milk that we might grow. But later on, we're expected to desire solid food - spiritual meat, as it were. But I wonder, can we always tell the difference? You can also read this episode at https://crucibleofthought.com/how-would-you-like-your-milk/  

For almost 250 years, our annual national birthday party has celebrated a splitting apart of people. And perhaps that legacy has unfortunate fruit. You can read this episode at https://crucibleofthought.com/on-a-basis-of-fear/

Boundaries are a good thing. I'm adjusting my boundaries on social media, so I have better chances to learn from others, and to minimize the emotional arguments that so often pop up. You can also read this episode on https://crucibleofthought.com/boundaries/

What if the very time we're supposed to mourn with those who mourn is when we're rejoicing over the very thing they're mourning? Or the very time we're supposed to rejoice with those who rejoice is exactly when we're mourning the very thing they're rejoicing? You can also read this episode at https://crucibleofthought.com/come-let-us-mourn-and-rejoice-together/

A friend asked a simple question during a recent Bible study - how do I know I'm saved? - and it was so fundamental that it took me aback for a moment – because it’s not something that my church ever directly addressed, perhaps assuming it was well-understood already. But when I thought about it for a moment, I realized it’s a question with widely varying answers across the Christian faith. Since...

Faith isn't just carrying around someone else's bucket of old dusty relics; faith is doing the hard work of examining each one carefully to see which are worth keeping. You can also read this episode at https://crucibleofthought.com/relics/  

For Pride Month, I was wrong about LGBTQ grooming. I'm not proud of my particular Christian heritage: it's been revealed as unloving. But I am deeply proud of my Savior who challenged His culture in how He loved the unlovely, the outcast, the sinner, and the oppressed. You can also read this episode at https://crucibleofthought.com/whos-actually-grooming/

Taking Native American land and life to secure European refugees the ability to worship God freely is deeply enshrined in the Christian Nationalism view of American history. But that seems to run counter to the nature and actions of God described throughout the Bible. You can also read this episode at https://crucibleofthought.com/to-be-a-christian-in-babylon/

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me in this season of my life is that faith itself is not static. We're being called to go "further up and further in" - as God reveals more to us, our understanding of faith and doctrine must be free to expand and grow. You can also read this blog post at https://crucibleofthought.com/further-up-and-further-in/

It's Palm Sunday, and I've been thinking about what happened on that day when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The symbolism was clear to many of the Jews who saw what happened, but it wasn't what they were expecting. Do we think like the Jews of Jesus' day, hoping that our King would ride into Jerusalem on a war horse instead of a humble donkey? You can also read this episode at htt...

Jesus seemed to go out of His way to challenge His culture's expectations about the role of women. A couple events on Passover weeks during His ministry caught my attention this week as we approach Easter. You can also read this blog post at https://crucibleofthought.com/the-women-of-passover/

We're so accustomed to living at DEFCON-1 in the spirit realm, constantly being on a wartime footing against demonic forces and a culture that's falling apart, against unbelievers and misguided fellow believers, that we fail to see the bad effects that it's having on our culture and our unity and our peace. But Christ already won the victory - so why are we demonizing each other in the name of mak...

It has occurred to me that most American Christians are just as much in love with a certain style of Christianity as they are with fast food, and for very similar reasons. It's fast, it's easy, it's cheap, and it requires no real personal involvement to get fed. But is it the right model? You can also read this episode at https://crucibleofthought.com/billions-and-billions-served/

One of the most fundamental characteristics of a company is its brand - its very corporate identity. Companies work really hard to protect their brand. It seems that the church is very similar. But when Christians respond to critiques with such tactics of "brand protection", they block the possibility of repentance, and risk speaking against correction brought by the Holy Spirit. You can also read...

Perhaps the truest test of a relationship is what happens when one of the people changes. At some level, change is inevitable. Small changes and slow, steady changes are easy. But when the change is significant, it will stress a relationship. But change is also the best chance to learn and grow. You can also read this episode at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/exposed-by-change/

“They will know we are Christians by our love.” This line ends each verse of a popular Christian hymn from the 1960s. We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord And we pray that our unity will one day be restored And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love Our love is important. B...

Can 330 million Americans actually agree on anything? Did the Founders expect us to solve problems at a national level? Are those problems even solvable, or is our trust in a political solution misplaced? Read this as a post on the Crucible of Thought blog at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/state-by-state/

Deconstruction is causing a sharp reaction in church circles. It's as if faith has become a form of works. It's paradoxical that not being unquestioningly faithful to what we were taught reveals a works-like tendency, among those who otherwise believe in justification by faith and not works. In those circles, apparently one must be "faithful enough" to remain saved. You can also read this as a blo...

Our sense of individualism has become toxic, both politically and religiously. We organize ourselves into collective groups ever more strongly. And those groups actively oppose other groups that we perceive as infringing on our own collective's individuality. You can read this as a blog post at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/e-pluribus-unum/

On the final Sunday of Black History Month, I attended a local Black church. I learned something valuable about today as I heard about history. You can also read this as a blog post at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/visiting-a-black-church-during-black-history-month/

Sometimes, the best-qualified candidate isn't the best choice for a job. Actually, that's kind of an aphorism which serves my purpose, but isn't really what I mean to say. More precisely, sometimes the individual with the best technical qualifications isn't the best qualified candidate, because of non-technical qualifications. You can also read this episode at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/the...

How should we think about the current meteoric rise in gender-fluid thinking and self-expression in today’s culture? Can LGBTQ+ people represent the Imago Dei, the Image of God? It's a pressing question for the church. You can read this episode on CrucibleOfThought.com.

I ran across a fascinating image today. It's a picture of a wall-mounted gun cabinet disguised to look just like a rugged wooden cross, advertised as a great way to share your faith while simultaneously protecting yourself with those firearms. You can read this as a blog post at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/in-guns-we-trust

Today, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I'm struck by two things: a peace that God has the entire world in His hands, even those who haven't heard about Jesus yet, and a determination that showing agape love to my immediate neighbors ought to be a primary focus. And I think Dr. King had a handle on how to show agape love. You can read this episode at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/let-us-agape-on...

Roller coasters are really popular entertainment in amusement parks. But when life itself becomes a roller coaster, how will my heart and mind and soul respond to the sudden ups and downs and shaking? Here are some thoughts on finding joy, not just fun. You can also read this episode at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/roller-coasters/