Category: Life Lessons
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Understanding God’s Diverse Creation
I need to confess something that I wrestle with inside myself. I struggle with fully accepting people whose sexuality is different from my own—especially those who are transgender, bisexual, or questioning. These identities are hard for me to understand, and at times I find myself pulling back rather than leaning in. It isn’t anger or…
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Scripture-Based Response Guide on Marriage, Celibacy, and LGBTQ+ Inclusion
God’s design for human flourishing is broader than traditional marriage. Some are called to celibacy, honored for their devotion, while others are called to covenantal love outside male/female norms. Just as eunuchs were blessed and included by God despite societal exclusion (Isaiah 56:3-5), faithful LGBTQ+ relationships reflect God’s purposes for love and relational flourishing. Spiritual…
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Order in Mind, Life, and Dress
When I was a freshman at Free Will Baptist Bible College (now Welch College), Dr. Judy Simpson, my English professor, taught me a lesson that has never left me. She graded our essays not only on grammar but on our ability to organize our thoughts around a theme. She often reminded us, “A messy mind…
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A Prophetic Cry for Our Time
The world is on fire. Ukraine bleeds. Gaza and Israel groan. Nations rage while leaders cling to power. At home, extremism poisons hearts and fear divides neighbors. God is not silent. The Spirit still cries out: “What you do to the least of these, you do to Me.” Every child buried, every refugee displaced, every…
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Empathy Is Not a Sin: A Biblical Response
In recent years, a curious argument has emerged in certain Christian circles: that empathy itself may be a kind of sin. Voices like Allie Beth Stuckey, Joe Rigney, Pete Hegseth, and J. D. Vance warn that empathy can cloud our judgment, compromise our convictions, and even lead us into affirming sin. They argue that empathy…
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Truth and Brightness: Telling the Whole Story of America
Recently, President Trump criticized the Smithsonian museums for putting “too much emphasis” on slavery and not enough on the brightness of America. His words made me pause, because they touch on something I’ve wrestled with for a long time. When I was in school, we were never really taught the full ugliness of slavery or…
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Becoming a Bridge Builder in Springfield, Missouri
In a time when America feels increasingly divided, it’s tempting to think that the only choices are to take sides or to withdraw altogether. But I believe there is another path—one that we can walk right here in Springfield, Missouri. It’s the path of being a bridge builder. At its heart, bridge building means working…
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A Scholarly Reflection on My Theological Progression
Introduction Religious identity is never static; it evolves in conversation with scripture, tradition, personal experience, and the cultural context of one’s life. My own pilgrimage has carried me through three distinct traditions—Free Will Baptist, United Methodist, and Episcopal—each contributing to the shaping of my theological outlook. This progression illustrates a movement from a biblicist foundation,…
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Living the Kingdom of God Today: A Bridge Between Jesus and Progressive Christianity
When Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God, he painted a picture that was both spiritual and transformative. He described it as a realm of justice, mercy, and love—a place where the last would be first, the meek would inherit the earth, and the hungry would be fed. Yet, he also reminded his followers that…
The Curious Pilgrim 