Tag: bible
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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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Being a Bridge Builder in Springfield: Living as Salt, Light, and Temperate Spirit
In a world that often feels divided and hurried, it can be easy to feel powerless to make a difference in our own communities. Yet, Scripture offers timeless guidance on how each of us can have a meaningful impact. Jesus calls his followers to be the salt of the earth and the light of the…
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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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Temperance as a Fruit of the Spirit: Lessons from F. D. Maurice and John Stuart Mill
Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22–23 that one of the fruits of the Spirit is temperance—or self-control. This fruit reminds us that Christian maturity is not just about passion or conviction, but about living with balance, restraint, and wisdom that serves the good of others. When I think of temperance, I see how it shone—though…
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Rediscovering the Kingdom: From Adam Smith to F. D. Maurice
When we hear the phrase “the kingdom of God is here now,” many of us imagine a spiritual ideal, a distant reality yet to come. But Jesus’ teaching often emphasized a present, active kingdom — a call for justice, mercy, and love to transform society today. Surprisingly, there’s a historical thread linking this vision of…
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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…
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Worship in Spirit and in Truth — The Heart of True Devotion
In John 4:24, Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well: “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” At first glance, these words seem simple — yet they hold a depth that reshapes how we approach God, both in our personal lives and in the gathered worship of…
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God is Love
💜 Love at the Center: Understanding 1 John 4:7–10 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us,…
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Membership in God’s Family
Galatians 3:28 reads: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (ESV) Paul’s point here is not that social, cultural, or biological distinctions vanish when someone becomes a Christian — rather, it’s that those distinctions no longer…
The Curious Pilgrim 