casual theology

As they were proceeding on their journey someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."   And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." To him Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God."   - Luke 9:57-62 “Follow me.” This is the invitation Jesus offers. Not, “Believe in me.” Not, “Be my friend.” “Follow me.” It is the invitation to discipleship. It is an invitation that calls us outside of ourselves, outside of our comfort zones, outside of the boat and onto ...

The LORD said to Abram:   “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk  and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you;   I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.   I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.   All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.” Abram went as the LORD directed him. ( Genesis 12:1-4 ) Trust me. That is what God asked of Abram. Trust me that I will show you the way, that I will lead you, that my promises are sure. God’s call didn’t come with many details. Abram would have to trust that God would fill in the blanks along the way. It’s so easy to get hung up on the details; to lose the forest for the trees. How often do we wish God would be more specific with us?  How many hear that initial calling from God but fail to follow because they want more details? But, just like using the GPS in yo...

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of ...

My girls were watching the Oscars tonight and Clare (8 yrs old) said she thought Best Supporting Actor winner Jared Leto looked like Jesus. Apparently that sentiment also took off on Twitter and was picked up by the website Buzzfeed too. I guess if the only requirements for looking like Jesus are long hair and a beard then there's a lot of guys who look like Jesus. I want to look like Jesus, but I'm not talking beards and hair. I want to look like Jesus in the way I live and love. I want to look like Jesus to my family, friends and co-workers. I want to look like Jesus when others are looking at me and when I am alone. I want to look like Jesus in all that I do, say, think, and act.  Really looking like Jesus is a lot harder that growing my hair out and not shaving. Looking like Jesus means not looking like me. It means dying to myself, my wants and desires. It takes grace. Jesus give me grace to look like you.

“Are we there yet?” Anyone who’s ever traveled anywhere with children knows firsthand how impatient they become on the journey, and the farther the journey the harder the wait for the little ones. This is especially true when they have an idea of where they’re headed. Tell the kids they're going to the dentist and they never ask when they’ll get there, but tell them you’re going to Disney World and you start getting “Are we there yet?” before you get to the end of the block. Two things compel kids to ask that question; excitement about the destination and ignorance of the details of the trip. All they can think about is how much joy awaits them at the destination. Their minds race thinking about what they’ll do and what they’ll see when they get there. Little children have poor concepts of time and even worse concepts of distance. They don’t understand, nor do they care about traffic patterns, construction delays, or refueling needs. How often are we just like a little ...

Pope Benedict’s decision to  retire   resign  abdicate was a surprise, and it has shifted the world’s attention to the Church and its future. Some are lamenting that we were likely to get another conservative pope who will not bring any radical changes. Recent reports of declining participation among the faithful and the impacts of recent scandals in the Church have weakened the ability of some of the faithful to trust the hierarchy.    In the face of these challenges many hope that the cardinals will elect someone who can engage the world. I've even heard it said that failing to elect the right pope will result in the Church continuing to answer questions nobody is asking anymore and thereby spiraling into irrelevance in the eyes of the world. In Douglas Adams’ comedic sci-fi novel (and subsequent movie),  The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,  the main characters seek out the planet Magrethea where an ancient civilization created a ...

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) Where was God when the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan? Is he all powerful but uncaring, or is he all loving but impotent? Why did he allow so many innocent people be washed away? Where is God when over 1 million abortions take place each year in United States alone? Why did God allow the cancer to return? Where is God when life hurts? “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” Jesus cried out from the cross with the very questions that shake our faith. The great Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar reflected on the depths of the suffering Jesus endured for us on the cross. In his homily, “The Scapegoat and the Trinity”, he said, “Jesus, the Crucified, endures our inner darkness and estrangement from God, and he does so in our place. It is all the more painful for him, the less he has merited it ... there is nothing familiar about it to him: It is utterly alien and full of horror. Indeed, he suffers more deeply th...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons: 'My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges.' Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are...