Luke 9:10-11

On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be...

The Art of Making a Violin

I am fascinated by the art of making. Whether it be the art of making a guitar, or bread, or whatever, I think our creative capacity is one of those things God had in mind when in the Genesis story God declares, “Let us make humankind in our image” (Gen. 1:26). God creates. From the very first verses in the Bible God is creating, calling the world and universe into being. And in the very last verses, God is still creating, this time making all things new. So whenever we make something – whether it be a piece of art or dinner tonight, a project for work or a card for a friend – we are joining God in the creative task that connects us...

Luke 8:22-25

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A gale swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him...

Peter Rollins and The God-Shaped Hole May16

Peter Rollins and The God-Shaped Hole

After the post on the origins of the “It’s Pentecost” video went up, my creative partner-in-crime Ben Cieslik directed me to the actual Pete Rollins quote that inspired our work. I’m pretty sure this was the first time I’d seen this video, so I’ve probably been misquoting him second-hand for years! In any event, I thought I’d post the video below. As is often the case when I listen to Pete, I have two reactions. The dominant one is a sense of gratitude and appreciation for how he regularly frames the message of the gospel in a compelling and surprising way that therefore not only gets my attention and but stays with me. Often...

Luke 8:4-8

When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of...