What do Christians believe? Well that depends on enumerable variations on a theme. The source material is supposed to be biblical, but that is up for much debate. Within our popular culture discussions, Christianity has become like the word balance. Everyone says they are trying to live a balanced life, but no one really knows […]
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My Ministry Calling (Part 1)
I first received my call to ministry as a sixth grade boy, late at night, standing in the middle of a soggy football field listening to Christian rock legend Mylon LeFevre. I was in the middle of attending a four day music festival that had been accompanied by torrential downpours and just about every popular […]
Secret Emmy Planning Email Exposed
This morning someone forwarded me an anonymous email from the Emmy planning committee. I assume it came from the NSA or a 14 year-old hacker who was upset that Glee was once again shut out of the winner’s circle. Anyway, this email might shed light on why this year’s broadcast seemed to have some consistently […]
You Have Heard It Said (Guest Post by Bruce and Kathy Norquist)
2000 years ago Jesus said to experts of the law. “Woe to you if you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry. And then you yourselves will not lift a finger to help them.” (Luke 11:46) Little has changed in the intervening years. A prominent minister in our day confided to me, “If […]
Aaron Sorkin: Winner of The Fairly Spiritual Award
I’ve created The Fairly Spiritual Award to honor individuals who create content that has a soul. It is my pleasure to announce that the first recipient of this gotta-be-prestigious-to-someone award is screenwriter, producer and playwright Aaron Sorkin. Although such an honor is worthy of an in-depth essay, I will satisfy digital age attention spans with […]
Many Reasons to Leave the Church: Jesus is Not One of Them!
Rachel Held Evans recently wrote a blog for CNN on why millennials are leaving the church. After reading her thoughts, I decided to dedicate a large portion of my radio show to the assumption that people are leaving the Church because it’s not Christian enough. As a radio host and pastor, I have a unique […]
A Review of The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance (man that’s a long title)
The 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance is the very model of a modern major musical. Simply put, James Rocco’s rendition of this theatre classic is a vibrantly fresh, clever, laugh out loud, hilarious romp. After writing “romp,” I decided to look up what it actually means. The internet […]
Poems from a Plane 2 (“I can’t do this!”/Fussy Baby)
A Shared Lament or An Historical Retelling of “I can’t do this!” by Doug Bursch “I can’t do this!” I shouted this in the car today More than once, more than several, less than many times! I didn’t count, I’m counting now, or trying to count now But I didn’t count then. I just did […]
Arugula, Self-Hate, Reconciliation, Humility and Narcissism (Incomplete thoughts for people in process)
Self-Hate Christian Assessment Culture It seems that much of our Christian publishing industry is fueled by a culture of church discontent and self-hate. Every week a new book comes out decrying what’s wrong with the Church and church leadership. Sadly, most of these books are written for people who already know God. I wonder what […]
And God said,
And God said, by Doug Bursch Not all of God’s words are spoken, Many are seen, felt and breathed in. If you pause and make room for God’s beauty… If you pause and try to capture God’s glory… If you pause and seek the words that are not spoken… You may happen upon a divine […]