Rachel Sensenig, another Circle of Hope pastor, recently posted one of those billboard type posts on facebook: “Do I have to believe in the resurrection in order to be a Christian?” It generated some facebook dialogue which might challenge the truth of our Circle of Hope proverb: “Dialogue keeps us connected and protects our gravity.”Continue reading “The Resurrection is a Whole Vibe”
Category Archives: doing theology
Are You Compromising for Love? :: A report From Getting to Know the Bible
Getting to Know the Bible In Circle of Hope we say in our proverbs “The Bible should be known and followed, and that is a group project” and one of the ways we are doing that is our “Getting to Know the Bible” dialogue series. The pastors and their friends are leading 90 minute zoomContinue reading “Are You Compromising for Love? :: A report From Getting to Know the Bible”
Knowing the Good
South Jersey Mutual Aid in Pennsauken’s 1000th delivery celebration When the South Jersey Mutual Aid in Pennsauken Compassion Team gathered to celebrate their 1000th delivery last week I led them in a ritual of naming the Good. Of course we know the work we are doing is good. We organized with the wider South JerseyContinue reading “Knowing the Good”
We’re VERY human! (And that is a good thing.)
“Forget ‘we are easily misled.’ We are easily led… period.” – Justin Beniston My friend Justin said this years ago and I wrote it down because it struck me as being so true. We, that is to say, human beings, are very easily led. Labels such as individualist, free-thinker, iconoclast, and innovator to which weContinue reading “We’re VERY human! (And that is a good thing.)”
“Hark the Herald Angel’s Sing” Verse Four Explained
The Best Verse of Hark the Herald Angel’s Sing Requires Some Explaining “Hark the Herald Angel’s Sing” is my favorite Christmas Carol. It was a family favorite growing up but it became a personal favorite when I was driving home form the hospital after my first son, Oliver was born. Carrie Underwood was singing itContinue reading ““Hark the Herald Angel’s Sing” Verse Four Explained”
Don’t Forget, Jesus is the Lord of History
Is the Church Just Following Culture? Try as we might, we cannot separate ourselves from the influences that have shaped us personally and the greater forces that have shaped our context. Our ongoing, and longstanding dialogue about antiracism in Circle of Hope has been dialed up in recent months in the wake of police killingsContinue reading “Don’t Forget, Jesus is the Lord of History”
Tumbled Open Good Friday Prayer
It’s Good Friday. I wrote us a poem that’s also a prayer. Hope on a death day. Jesus was the first one, but now they are all that for those who are in Christ. One of Circle of Hope’s blogs celebrates death days of those who have gone before — Celebrating Our Transhistorical Body  . Today,Continue reading “Tumbled Open Good Friday Prayer”
Try as you might, you can’t take Christ out of Christmas (so don’t worry about it)
(This post was originally posted at circleofhope.net on our main blog) Have you noticed that they keep churning out Christmas movies that make no mention of Jesus? America’s holiday gods have a different mythology, but I don’t think they have escaped the Good News despite their best efforts. No matter the situational comedy of theContinue reading “Try as you might, you can’t take Christ out of Christmas (so don’t worry about it)”
Living from the Future
Something terrible happens — you get in a car accident but you’re okay, you lose your job, a loved one gets sick or even dies. In these moments, why do people say, “Everything happens for a reason?” This is a bit of conventional wisdom that has a staying power that we, the Circle of HopeContinue reading “Living from the Future”
Starbucks’ Implicit Bias is Our Bias
Today Starbucks closed all of it’s coffee shops in the morning to train their employees on implicit bias. I want to talk about this too, though I think my tiny blog might get lost in the internet noise. I have friends (mostly white) who are interested in this conversation because it seems to highlight aContinue reading “Starbucks’ Implicit Bias is Our Bias”
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 theContinue reading “Why I Love Jordan Peterson (But He’s Wrong)”
You Have Enough – And Other Unpatriotic Sentiments
I recently learned that the location of our sharing garden in front of Circle of Hope at 3800 Marlton Pike in Pennsauken, NJ is where a war memorial once stood. In front of the fire house the patriotic firemen had installed a plaque to honor the war dead for the sacrifice on the altar ofContinue reading “You Have Enough – And Other Unpatriotic Sentiments”
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.Continue reading “On Dying with Jesus”
Today, if you hear his voice 