Category Archives: Culture

Daring Faith: Christian Consumerism

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Jason

In a recent study included in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, children were shown to overwhelmingly prefer the taste of food that comes in McDonald’s wrappers. In the study, preschool children sampled identical foods in packaging from McDonald’s and in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Disappointment, Discipleship, Faith, Gospel, Hard Sayings, Jesus, Scripture | Tagged | Leave a comment

Daring Faith: The Heart of Worship

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Jason

A ballet company based in Providence, Rhode Island, has been putting on performances of the Christmas classic The Nutcracker for almost 40 years. Last November, however, they experienced a major setback when thieves took more than 50 costumes and headpieces — including … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Culture, Devotional, Faith, Gospel, Jesus, Love of Christ, Missiology, Scripture, Social Issues | Tagged | Leave a comment

Best Books of 2016

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Jason

Time for my annual list of best books I’ve read this year. (To access my previous “best books” lists, click here.) Each year I set out with a goal to read 52 books — one per week. Admittedly, that’s an … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture, Jesus, Kingdom Values, Politics, Poverty, Prayer, Race, Scripture, Social Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Soong-Chan Rah on Identification and Lament

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Jason

In his seminal work Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times, Soong-Chan Rah writes about Jeremiah’s identification with the people of Jerusalem in the book of Lamentations. While Lamentations 1&2 describe the destruction of Jerusalem from a fairly dispassionate … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture, Empathy, Kingdom Values, Race, Scripture, Social Issues | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Quiet Season

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Jason

It’s been a quite season here on the blog lately. Several reasons for that. First, I’ve been crazy busy: I’ve spent much of the past few weeks on the road. Three weeks ago, I was visiting some missionaries in Scotland. … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Disappointment, Politics, Social Issues | Leave a comment

A Ring, A Bumper Sticker and Gary

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Jason

Originally posted on already & not yet:
This is a picture of my high school ring. I haven’t worn it in years. In fact, I’ve hardly worn it at all. Apparently the whole point of having a high school ring…

Posted in Culture, Race, Social Issues, Theology | Leave a comment

A Glimmer of Good News

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Jason

2016 has been rough. So much bad news, so much confusion, so many instances where we’ve seen humanity at it’s worst. So many people I know are dealing with pain and loss. On top of that, this election is about … Continue reading →

Posted in Blessings, Church, Culture, Faith, Friends, Jesus | Leave a comment

Public Faith in Action

Posted on September 23, 2016 by Jason

I just finished an insightful book entitled Public Faith in Action: How to Think Carefully, Engage Wisely, and Vote with Integrity by Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz. This volume is a companion piece to Volf’s 2011 work A Public Faith: How Followers … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture, Politics, Social Issues | Leave a comment

The Power of Missional Conversation

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Jason

  People who have been shaped by the Good News of Jesus have a responsibility to embody the Good News of Jesus. And one of simplest and yet most powerful ways we can embody the Good News is through our … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Culture, Faith, Gospel, Kingdom Values, Missiology, Politics, Scripture, Theology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Let Justice Roll Down

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Jason

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. — Amos 5:24 In these times, the “not yet” nature of the Kingdom of God is felt most profoundly. At every turn it seems ours is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Disappointment, Eschatology, Faith, Hope, Scripture, Social Issues | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment