Resisting Your Calling Can Lead to Depression
(Note: This article also appeared at RelevantMagazine.com ) Jonah may be one of the oddest books in the Bible. A man lives in the stomach of a fish for days, humongous vegetation grows overnight, a whole city repents simultaneously. But this verse always struck me as especially strange: “Meanwhile Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel … Read More
Some Thoughts for the Church Regarding the “Ghost Ship” Fire
(This post originally appeared in edited form as “The Most Ignored Gifts in the Church” at Relevantmagazine.com) Just before midnight on Friday, Dec 2nd, an artist’s collective in Oakland, CA called “The Ghost Ship” was rapidly and without warning engulfed in flames. A ramshackle, graffiti-covered warehouse in the rough Fruitvale area, “The Ghost Ship” was home to a colorful collection … Read More
10 Lessons from Colombia’s Incredible Cultural Transformation
How Creativity Rescued a Nation The TV program 60 Minutes ran a segment last week that made my heart sing. It was the story an ad agency in the South American country of Colombia that used creativity to help end a 52-year-long war between the military and rebel guerilla fighters. The conflict had cost the country 220,000 lives, but now … Read More
The Pleasure in Perseverance
“…but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance…”(Romans 5:3 NKJV) Several years ago my parents got an “Award of Perseverance” from their church; a little framed certificate of recognition that was probably designed on a pastor’s computer. But it was a big deal for our family; an acknowledgment of two people who “gloried in their tribulations”. For … Read More
Creative Ministry in Tragic Times
We’ve just experienced a national tragedy in Orlando, the worst of its kind to date; another confirmation that violence and terrorism seem to be on the rise worldwide. For most of us this is at least mildly distressing, even though we may be thousands of miles away. How should a creative Christian respond? I work with artists and churches to … Read More