Author Archives: Benjamin White

Energy Teleportation and New Life in Christ

A few months ago scientists were able to transfer information stored in a photon across a distance of 25 kilometers. I can’t totally understand what the science communicators are trying to tell me despite some significant head scratching. Here’s a link to one of the articles I read [link]. Just the idea that information is regularlyContinueContinue reading “Energy Teleportation and New Life in Christ”

Dialogue keeps us connected and protects our gravity

This weekend I went to the meeting of the Atlantic Conference of the Brethren in Christ (the denomination of which Circle of Hope is a part) and I was reminded of how strange and beautiful the people called Circle of Hope really are.  I live in a trust system and I regularly have dialogue thatContinueContinue reading “Dialogue keeps us connected and protects our gravity”

Waking Up- Using Lent as a Season of Examination

I find there is great comfort in specificity. So much of what pulls my heart around is more a general sense of something, a nagging disease with some unidentified something, a cloudy shadow of something. But what is it?! Why do I find myself sighing sometimes, or fearing sometimes, or discovering new unhappiness sometimes. It’sContinueContinue reading “Waking Up- Using Lent as a Season of Examination”

Your spiritual nerve endings may be shot

At a couple different stages in childhood, our brain pruned neurons that were underused.  It was creating clearer pathways, concentrating energy, codifying regular patterns.  It’s called synaptic pruning (How crazy wonderful is the human brain?!  I’m imagining a lumpy gardener with tiny shears.) What’s done is done.  We can’t grow those neurons back.  New pathwaysContinueContinue reading “Your spiritual nerve endings may be shot”

Yes and yes and yes: Partners old and new are to be found

I asked God, “Does anyone want to do this in South Jersey?” I breathed deep and felt the room beyond my closed eyelids expand with my diaphragm.  The people seated in a circle with me withdrew.  In my mind’s eye, the distance grew between me and Kim who sat cross legged on the couch acrossContinueContinue reading “Yes and yes and yes: Partners old and new are to be found”

A Week of Being Jesus

In Circle of Hope we say Jesus is best revealed incarnationally- Here’s a little newspaper of how that worked out for me this past week (spoiler- it did!) Monday Afternoon-  When the Compassion Core Team heard about the #ReclaimMLK march happening in Philadelphia they mobilized 200 people from Circle of Hope to show up andContinueContinue reading “A Week of Being Jesus”

It’s Dr. King’s Birthday- Man, do I wish they hadn’t murdered him

My old pal, John Francis, got it so right when he wrote this song “Kill the Dreamer” back in 2007. “Oh, say can you see things are not as they seem from sea to shining sea Dr. King, Dr. King I know you’re listening. they can kill the dreamer but they cannot kill the dream there wasContinueContinue reading “It’s Dr. King’s Birthday- Man, do I wish they hadn’t murdered him”

Resolving not to suck sucks

I love New Years resolutions.  Any opportunity to change is my favorite, because my whole life is about transformation.  Walking the narrow way that Jesus recommends to us requires some healthy self evaluation on a regular basis.  I spent some time in my twenties “just trying to do better,” constantly plagued by a dissatisfaction IContinueContinue reading “Resolving not to suck sucks”

Welcome, Jesus, to the world and South Jersey

We really got ourselves into a mess recently at Circle of Hope.  God afflicted us with this surprising idea to shift our church planting staff around.  Nate Hulfish is moving into an Adminstrator/Communicator role for the whole church and I am moving into the role of Pastor of Marlton and Crescent.  I never would haveContinueContinue reading “Welcome, Jesus, to the world and South Jersey”

God Chooses You

Here’s a little window into my thought process as I re-hashed some old biblical interpretation battles from seminary: I was reading Ephesians the other day and I had to deal with this word “predestination” again.  In Ephesians 1:3-6 Paul writes Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessedContinueContinue reading “God Chooses You”

Like a Thief in the Night

I was doing something very dangerous yesterday- flying down Pine Street on my bike listening to Rich Mullins with my headphones in.  It was dangerous in 4 ways: 1) The obvious safety hazard of riding a bike without being able to hear 2) The scorn I could receive from my musically cool friends for listeningContinueContinue reading “Like a Thief in the Night”

Why I take pictures of the sky

I took this picture of the sky 2 years ago and I still remember how giddy I was as I raced up Washington Avenue under this shimmering shelf of clouds. I had a little echo of that joy as I crossed the Grays Ferry Bridge tonight under a slightly less spectacular (in relative terms) eveningContinueContinue reading “Why I take pictures of the sky”

Reminder: Do not to snuff out the fire of God burning in your heart (because you can do that)

Dear friends and followers of Jesus (and those listening to me even though you aren’t Christians), you are beloved of God.  Your heart burns within you all the time and you know this.  Jesus is with you exposing the negatives of your experience.  Wait for the picture to emerge.  Don’t despair.  There’s a fire inContinueContinue reading “Reminder: Do not to snuff out the fire of God burning in your heart (because you can do that)”

What I whisper in your ear, shout from the rooftops

We need to pray more.  Everyone is shouting something from the rooftop and volume will not remedy the situation.  If we’re going to meet the next 50-75 people we need to multiply our congregation at Circle of Hope Broad and Washington,  we’re going to need to make ourselves available for a lot more whispers inContinueContinue reading “What I whisper in your ear, shout from the rooftops”

Do what you can now, rather than what you should never

Last night we gathered in Germantown with some folks who were new to Circle of Hope.  We were casting the vision and inviting them into partnership in our work for God’s redemption project.  Our goal is to create an environment where people can connect with God and act for redemption.  This is unique.  we cultivateContinueContinue reading “Do what you can now, rather than what you should never”

What sort of self do you have?

A Balkan born theologian and philosopher, Miroslav Volf, knows how to write a cogent argument!  I’ve copied a rather lengthy quote because it just had to be shared and I think it speaks to our work of inclusion as a community on mission. “Through faith and baptism the self has been re-made in the imageContinueContinue reading “What sort of self do you have?”

On Dying with Jesus

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” -Philippians 3 It’s not exactly good advertising: COME DIE WITH JESUS! That’s one reason people aren’t flocking into the Church these days.ContinueContinue reading “On Dying with Jesus”

Helping kids find their voice with Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss was a prophet. The Lorax is a creation care manifesto, The Butter Battle Book is a telling allegory of the cold war, The Sneetches is about racism, Horton Hatches an Egg tells the story of a nonviolent sit in. I love Dr. Seuss. So I jumped at the chance to participate in aContinueContinue reading “Helping kids find their voice with Dr. Seuss”

How slow is too slow?

When I was in third grade my music teacher, Ms. Smedley, taught me all kinds of ridiculous songs that I for some reason remember all the words too. One of them was this little calypso/reggae jam with two verses that had the same melody but two different rhythms that reflected their dichotomous lyrics. “Hurry, hurry,ContinueContinue reading “How slow is too slow?”