Following Jesus in rejecting empire
Some thoughts about each of the podcast interviews
Embracing Rebuke Martha of Bethany, servant of the Lord Jesus Christ as one who receives the dead back to life. To my brother, Lazarus. Grace and peace to you and to all who meet in your home. My dear brother, not only in the flesh but in the Spirit, it was good of you to…
As the Russian Orthodox Patriarch blessed Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, I could not help but think of the Crusades (which, by the way, were not just directed at Muslims, but also toward Orthodox Christians). As a young man, St. Francis attempted to join the fourth crusade but turned back due to a recurring malarial fever.…
Lessons from Francis of Assisi For his whole life possessions had possessed Francis, especially clothing and fashion. His addiction to finery was like a prison, even more confining than the dungeon where he had languished for a year after a battle with nearby Perugia. His father had taken him to court for selling the family…
Revival will always be marked by the Church coming out of Empire. Let me repeat that: Revival will ALWAYS be marked by the Church coming out of Empire; because the heart of revival is the increase of Christ’s government and his shalom (in the words of Isaiah) and the heart of Empire is about the…
(Above image: Smiling Francis, by Mic Carlson available on his website.) I find that suffering and joy are not mutually exclusive. They often come bundled together in the same week, month or year. Sometimes even in the same day. The trick is how to hold both well. How do we acknowledge suffering without letting it…