Once More Into the Fire

My friend and mentor, Rose Swetman, co-pastor of Vineyard Christian Fellowship, has written an exceptionally intelligent and well-reasoned letter to Mark Driscoll, lead pastor at Mars Hill Church. Rose sent this to me yesterday and my trust in her is so great that I immediately agreed to post it. When I was finally able to read the letter late last night, I was impressed by Rose’s scholarship, temperance, and bravery. I post this letter for you now, with the greatest respect. Please join Rose and others as we use our voices.

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Dear Mr. Driscoll:

My name is Rose Swetman and I am the Co-Pastor of Vineyard Community Church in Shoreline, WA. This is an open letter and … {read more…}

Okay, I don’t usually follow church-related news, but this whole Ted Haggard thing is just appalling. It’s appalling that the man had sexual relationship outside his marriage. It’s appalling that being gay, lesbian or bi is still considered a sin in large portions of the church (thus encouraging secret and destructive behavior.). And it’s appalling is that Mark Driscoll, local evil genius and darling bad-boy of the religious press, has suggested that Haggard might not have gone off the deep end if his wife had been hotter. Yes boys and girls, pastors are less likely to have sex with someone other than their wife if she just hits the gym more and keeps those dark roots touched up … {read more…}

The Invocation
With the lighting of the candles the host invokes:
“Eternal Father and Mother, Spirit, Word.”

The Grace
Sung together as you are comfortable with the content and/or as you learn the tune.

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star lit heaven,
The glorious sun’s life giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at eve’n,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my … {read more…}

You know how there are people who talk about a new kind of Christianity, and then there are people who actually are a new kind of Christian? Or how some people write books about postmodern faith and some people live it? (Not that they are always mutually exclusive, but there is kind of a trend there.) Kevin Rains is one of the latter – a top notch practitioner of neo-monasticism and part of the first wave of folks to explore alternative pastoring in the late nineties and early 2000’s. Kevin and his family live with other families, singlets, and pilgrims in an old vicarage and the neighboring re-built convent house. Together, the community acts as caretakers to a … {read more…}

What’s a pastor’s kids doing at the Solstice Parade? Having the time of their lives!

My kids, ages 3 and five, are laughing and screaming at the top of their lungs. They are seated on either end of a giant see-saw, one of them embraced by a man in drag, the other seated with a fellow wearing a leather vest and holding a wine bottle in one hand. In addition to being flung up and down through the air on an enormous piece of wood, the entire see-saw is on huge wheels and two FAC folks are whipping the thing around in circles. It’s a playground experiment in centrifugal force – supersized!

This certainly isn’t the childhood I grew up with! In … {read more…}

It’s Holy Week.

I have a love-hate relationship with Holy Week. One the one hand it’s the most Jesus-y of all Jesus-y seasons. In the words of Donald Miller, “I believe in Jesus, I believe he is the Son of God, I believe he died and rose again….but every time I sit down to explain this to someone I feel like a palm reader.” I know it’s not rational, and I readily admit I have no idea how or why the Cross works, but still, I love the guy. So Holy Week is a time I cherish — a retreat time with Jesus when we soak in his stories, his life, his handwork. During this … {read more…}

A week ago Saturday I went with Rebecca, Charles, Amanda, and Melissa to the March for Marriage Equality. Marches are not all that exciting. It’s something we turn out for so the numbers are good in the newspaper — so our legislators know that there are voices out there which are very very interested in equality … or peace… or what have you. The rally at the end of a march is usually a lot of preaching to the choir — trying to keep everyone’s spirits up as we continue on a long and ongoing journey.

On thing that really cracks me up about marches are the techniques — especially the chants. … {read more…}

and other round of applause for fellow monkifsher Ingrid Buchan as she tells it like it really is….

The Myth of the Virgin Bride
…..well it is for me anyway.

I’m 27 years old and have absolutely no friends that were virgins before marriage. Even in my church community I’m barely aware of anyone that didn’t have sex before they tied the knot. I, and many of these friends, grew up in church and most of us were told that sex before marriage is a sin, so why do so few actually abide by it.

I read an article in Christianity Today, by Lauren Winner, that stated that 75% of women have sex before marriage and 2/3 of Christian singles aren’t virgins, … {read more…}

let’s put our hands together and welcome guest blogger Jim Henderson of Off The Map as he adds his thoughts to the Women’s Day blogfest…

If Men Were Mothers

If men had to endure (even one time) what their mothers went through to bring them into the world (a.k.a. give birth) Mothers Day would have been declared a national holiday 100 years ago. Bands would march, politicians would attend and the men/moms would be feted beyond recognition and the children’s birthdays would be about the moms not the kids. Kids would ritually remember to thank their men/moms for the pain they went through to bring them into the world.

The world is mostly screwed up because men run it. We are … {read more…}

This is not a complicated post. It is not eloquent or finely nuanced. It is simple, straightforward, and hopefully very clear. You do not need to try to read between the lines. I’m telling it to you straight. This is a call to action—a request for people who find themselves in my story to become vocal.

[Look here for a list of other participants in this grid blog.]

I live in Seattle. I am an ordained, seminary-trained minister. I will tell you up front that I have a generous theology and a generous life. I have an unapologetically postmodern hermeneutic, firmly established egalitarian views, and a very open house. I am unashamedly Jesus-y. I love the guy, body and soul. … {read more…}