Author Archives: Benjamin White

Jesus Won the Super Bowl

Today, an estimated 4 million people are descending on South Philadelphia and Center City because THE E-A-G-L-E-S ARE SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH!!! (…too much?) Okay it is, but I don’t want the moment and all its incredible communal feels to pass without Jesus getting his due. At a big moment in theirContinueContinue reading “Jesus Won the Super Bowl”

Why I Ditched the Grown Ups for the Children

The week before New Years Eve I schemed up a plan at the last minute to ditch the grown ups at our morning Sunday meeting. I’m usually involved in a significant way at our meetings (I am the pastor, after all) but it has been years (close to a decade probably) since I got toContinueContinue reading “Why I Ditched the Grown Ups for the Children”

You Should Read Poetry

    Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16-17 “Venus’s Fly Traps”ContinueContinue reading “You Should Read Poetry”

Why I Love Jordan Peterson (But He’s Wrong)

Jordan Peterson and Jesus? Many of my friends are fans of Jordan Peterson. They appreciate his pragmatic and inspiring call, particularly to men, to take responsibility for themselves, and become agents of good. “No matter how bad a situation is, you can make it worse.” This is a good mantra. He speaks passionately, to theContinueContinue reading “Why I Love Jordan Peterson (But He’s Wrong)”

More Than a Day of Gratitude

Gratitude is a muscle Thanksgiving is coming up. It’s arguably the best American holiday. Gratitude makes life better. Everyone agrees. Not everyone agrees that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17) but they’re not far off when they give thanks. So at our morning Sunday meetings at 3800 Marlton Pike in Pennsauken,ContinueContinue reading “More Than a Day of Gratitude”

What if your opinion doesn’t matter that much?

What if Your Opinion Doesn’t Matter That Much? The Circle of Hope Pastors were wondering about this question indirectly on the most recent episode of their videocast, “Someone Asked.” What if your opinion doesn’t matter that much? Or, maybe, what if your opinion shouldn’t matter as much as it does. My opinions matter to meContinueContinue reading “What if your opinion doesn’t matter that much?”

Marriage Architecture in Verse

I recently had the chance to officiate a marriage ceremony of Circle of Hope people (the first time I have done this as a pastor). These words are based on what I shared with Scott and Anneliese and their guests. Scott discovered this poem for me. I am very grateful to him for that. MayContinueContinue reading “Marriage Architecture in Verse”

Paperboy Dreams (And Acts 2)

Living the paperboy dream The paperboy dreams planted in the NES soil of my childhood came to fruit last week. A friend of mine in Circle of Hope is in a tough spot financially. Somehow, she fell in with a tribe of paper deliverers who drive the pre-dawn darkness of South Jersey delivering The PhiladlephiaContinueContinue reading “Paperboy Dreams (And Acts 2)”

Four Reasons Not to Make Rules for Your Kids

My sons are six and three years old. They are now both old enough to cause considerable damage (to each other, their mother and our house). But they  are not old enough to have the requisite impulse control and self-regulation to refrain from doing so most of the time. They are in constant need ofContinueContinue reading “Four Reasons Not to Make Rules for Your Kids”

What is the Bible IMHO

The Bible is the story of God’s people and how God has related to them for thousands of years. It is a testament to the work of God in the world throughout time but especially of the people of Israel and we who are grafted into it. It is written by witnesses of God’s work.ContinueContinue reading “What is the Bible IMHO”

There is Beauty We Don’t See

Sunday night turned out to be poetry night at Circle of Hope’s 7pm meeting on Marlton Pike in Pennsauken. Joyce Fazio and a team led us to consider how poetry can tap us into a deeper connection with ourselves and reality. Words! “Words are a super power,” Scott Sorrentino said. Jesus, in John 1 isContinueContinue reading “There is Beauty We Don’t See”

How, Oh How Can We Be New?

Dan and I spent two hours Tuesday morning walking around our Pennsauken neighborhood hanging flyers on our neighbor’s door knobs. We wanted them to know that we’re trying to do something new by starting two new Sunday meetings, one at 10:30 a.m. and one at 7:00 p.m. Afterward I marked out the area we hadContinueContinue reading “How, Oh How Can We Be New?”

All Hands on Deck

“All hands on deck” is an example of a synecdoche. Synecdoche : noun, Rhetoric. 1. a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part. The captain calls, “All hands on deck!” and, of course, he is not calling the whole crew to lop off their hands and throw them to the deck of the ship. The hands are the part of the person he needs at thatContinueContinue reading “All Hands on Deck”

Dan McGowan is a Good Bet

Dan McGowan begins on Monday as our New Meetings Launch Coordinator. We created a position to help us make this daring transition from one meeting to two.  In August we will move our existing 5pm meeting to 10:30am and start a new meeting at 5pm. Today, the Leadership Team Core approved the position. We areContinueContinue reading “Dan McGowan is a Good Bet”

South Jersey is Different

My Newjerzaversary Yesterday was the one year mark of my New Jersey home ownership. July 9th will be my residential anniversary (my newjerzaversary). I moved to Haddon Township to get deeper into the region that God called me to as the pastor of Circle of Hope’s South Jersey Congregation. A lot has changed for meContinueContinue reading “South Jersey is Different”

Time for Problems

At 3800 Marlton Pike, we’ve decided to move our current Sunday meeting from the evening to the morning. This is causing a lot of problems. I love problems and I think some people find this a little annoying. If there’s a problem, at least then we know for sure what needs to be done! IfContinueContinue reading “Time for Problems”

Palm Sunday at Midnight in Washington DC

Washington DC is not solely responsible for the numbed-out, gotta-buy-my happiness-and-can’t, bickering-by-default, coercive domination we all suffer as 21st century human beings. Our despair about the way the world is going wasn’t born in the Capitol building, but it is a big bright target in the skyline of our thinking and feeling that is worthContinueContinue reading “Palm Sunday at Midnight in Washington DC”

The Drums of War Beat Me into the Bible

When I was a freshman in college, terrorists high-jacked planes and flew them into The World Trade Center buildings in New York City. I was newly baptized and thus minted a new man, and newly immersed in the Christian subculture at Eastern University in St. David’s, PA. I was dismayed by my classmates response toContinueContinue reading “The Drums of War Beat Me into the Bible”