The ethos and heart of my next book is that just about nothing “is what it is.” Instead, as the title of the book would have it, It Is What You Make Of It. I realize that shifting from “it is what it is” to “it is what you make of it” is a long process … Read More
Church
@ Sea #55 – Pain and Strength
I think it was 6 or so years ago, I was in a session with a therapist who practiced cranial – sacral therapy. Which, in short, attends to the alignment of the body between the cranium (my noggin) and the sacrum (which is pretty much my tailbone). It’s a series of long tensions and pulls … Read More
@ Sea #54 – Jennifer Ko
Often enough, the topic of pain gets tied up into the same kind of conversations had about “evil.” Spoken of as a “problem” or a thing to be avoided. A thing that diminishes the human experience and limits relationships. Oddly, pain, including physical pain, is perhaps the most common human experience. in the eternally wise words … Read More
@ Sea #53 – Sacred vs “Ordinary”
I didn’t know a lot about the actual life of Jesus before I was in my mid-twenties. Honestly, even after I started calling myself a Christian (which is far more interesting conversation now than it was then). What actually led me to do the work of discovery and research wasn’t a sermon series; it was … Read More
May 6 And A Few Words About Why I Made New Music
My father over-identified with his work. It cost him his life. I’ve talked about that a lot since losing him, which happened 22yrs ago, today. Talking about my Dad’s overworking and depression was a warning to folks kind enough to listen. I also know I live with many of the same capacities for overwork and … Read More
“Curse Of The Faithful” Lyrics
1. Curse Of The Faithful I’m here. I’m always here. And you know that because you’ve tested me You know that that’s what’s best in me; That when it all breaks, I’m still holding on. There’s a story to tell About the houses that fellAnd the ones they left trapped underneath Who stood in their places With everything … Read More
May It Be So
I spend a lot of my time and energy actively imagining what the practice of faith looks like “tomorrow.” That is to say, I started creating and helping create religious culture over 25 years ago and I’m deeply invested in what the practice of faith will look like 25 years from now. I want to … Read More
@ Sea Podcast #32: Aaron Niequist (full interview)
For a season, Aaron Niequist worked at a church called Willow Creek in the Chicago area; a church that functioned as a kind of flagship for mainline christian Chruch practice. He also served at Mars Hill in Grant Rapids Michigan, a church whose culture was often seen as a next step away from (if not … Read More
@ Sea Podcast Season 3 Recap/Review
Take a brief tour through some of the key moments in conversations that defined Season 3 of the podcast. My guests: – Dominique Dubois Gillard – Sandra McCracken – Carlos Whittaker – Jeremy Cowart – Michael Mcbride – Matt Shotwell – Scott Erickson – Jonathan Merritt – … Read More
@ Sea Podcast 30: Jer Swigart on the “Migrant Caravan”
On March 25, 2018, women, men and children from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador began walking north toward the US border. As weeks passed, their numbers grew… and their story began to move toward the stoplight of major American News sources. Of course, the tint of that spotlight varied in shade depending on its source. … Read More