A daily devotional on Ephesians 4:1-16 written for The Living Church

A daily devotional on Matthew 10:16-22 written for The Living Church

A daily devotional on Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 written for The Living Church

Missio Alliance published a piece I wrote about volunteer versus conscription armies and the similarities to called versus involuntary celibacy.

Some who know Jesus experience crippling doubt. Others who don’t yet know Jesus see a Creation in chaos. Christ’s promises seem to ring hollow, the kingdom is coming too slowly, the gospel feels feeble. Thankfully a potent vehicle of kingdom work and kingdom hope for the early Church is available to God’s people today, if we will only embrace and nourish it. Amid Christ’s ministry on earth, he instituted a vocation meant to give us hope for the kingdom to come and to bring forth that kingdom with undivided attention: the vocation of singleness.

As the Respect for Marriage Act is set to pass, some Christians will mourn the further entrenching of secular values. Others will cheer the loosening grip of the Religious Right. To those of us holding tightly to God’s Word and praying that godly marriage would bless our country, can I ask an honest question:
Do we have respect for Christian marriage?

Being the safe place for questions and conversations with same-sex attracted people is an overwhelming honor.

Read this interview with RENEW.org exploring what Jesus and Paul taught about vocational singleness. Plus learn how our churches can better support those called to abstinent singleness for the sake of the kingdom.

Christian celibacy is a tragically misunderstood concept. Depictions of kingdom singleness, from Renaissance paintings to modern television shows, often misrepresent Christ's invitation and early Church practices, tempting some ordinary Christians to ignore their calling and others to indulge in a caricature of the vocation of Jesus. These thoughts swirled through my mind as I took up an invitation to spend a holiday weekend at a friend’s house in the land of 1000 lakes…

Why is body shame more common among gay men? What lies is body shame telling? How can gay men defang those lies with self-awareness and healthy connection?

What does idolatry of romance look like? How can Christians respond by right-sizing expectations of marriage, raising expectations of friendship, investing in thicker family in the body of Christ, and offering greater support for vocational singleness?

My hope for the Church is that gay celibate Christians would find real family. What kind of family are we all made for? How can vocational singles, regardless of sexual orientation, build the permanent family they need?

Tiger King. Schitt's Creek. Perhaps the most popular shows of covid-times tells us something about what we value. Perhaps it reveals that we've suffered from a pandemic of romance idolatry long before masks and vaccines.

What if sexuality sermons centered how God made all of us for intimacy in the context of family instead of focusing on marriage and sex? I recently had the opportunity to write for Outreach Magazine about framing conversation in terms of "sexual stewardship".

Are you struggling with doubt? Distance from God? Check out this Lenten reflection first published in Awaken Catholic about my faith crisis and the answers I found in ancient Christians about their own distance from God: “...That same priest also gave me some homework: read Dark Night of the Soul by Saint John of the Cross and Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Avila. I was relieved to discover that my desert experience wasn’t uncommon or shameful. Instead, I learned that throughout Christian history it has been painfully common for younger believers to accidentally learn to love God’s gifts more than the Giver Himself…”

As we celebrate Valentine’s Day nears, I reflect on the meaning of Christian marriage by recalling my toast at my brother’s recent wedding. The toast begins with some personal notes and focuses on the hope-giving nature of Christian marriage at 3:05 in the video.

A recent study found that 39% of Gen Zers identify as LGBTQ. In the past, Christian parents have defaulted to doubting the sexual identity of teens, leading to destructive results. What if instead, parents responded calmly, "So you're queer? Alright! God's not surprised, and His wisdom is still clear and very good for you!"

Can God's wisdom be known? What should we do when God feels absent? I'm grateful for the opportunity to write for "The Living Church" in a more extended way about my evangelical deconstruction and Anglican reconstruction.

Watch this video exploring how can churches help those called to vocational singleness thrive with reasonable effort (regardless of sexual orientation).

Check out this transcript about the challenges of involuntary celibacy for gay Christians committed to a traditional sexual ethic and how they can embrace and thrive in their celibacy.