Every Wednesday I post a handful of articles, blog posts, videos, columns, books or anything I find interesting and worth your time. Ranging from thought-provoking to funny to ridiculous, most are things I stumbled upon in the past week. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading along!

"Short Read" = 10 minutes or less. "Long Read" = 10 Minutes or longer.

#1 - Inside Detroit's Failing Public School - The Atlantic (4:26 Minutes)

There is no shortage of reporting on the current plight of Detroit's financial crisis. This short video briefly details the crisis of the public school system. With dropout rates at twice the national average and a district more than 3.5 billion in debt, crisis seems too soft a description.

Inside Detroit's Failing Public Schools

#2 - The Urgency of Wisdom - Walter Brueggeman - sojo.net (Long Read)

"Wisdom is not a moral code," writes Brueggeman, "but a force that is creative and willing creation to its true fulfillment. 'Being wise' is bringing one's life, conduct, and policy into coherence with that generative resolve for shalom." After elaborating on the working of wisdom and the devastation of foolishness, Brueggemann argues the present political season, "in many ways [is] an exhibit of foolishness that mocks wisdom."

The Urgency of Wisdom

#3 - Why is the Catholic Church Moving Away from Just War Theory? - Terrence Ryne - ncronline.org (Long Read)

Briefly detailing the Catholic Church's move away from Just War Theory toward Peacemaking, Terrence Ryne writes, "It is a positive vision of peace, not just the absence of war. It is a call to do as Jesus did - work to relieve peoples' suffering, and remove underlying causes of violence and war. And, most importantly, introduce the power of nonviolent action to the world." Ryne calls the church to a revived understanding of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount as the Church's central guiding ethic. In a world filled with weapons of mass destruction, it is time for the church to innovate in the waging of peace through embracing a thicker ethic of Jesus' teachings.

Moving Away from Just War Theory

#4 - We Need to Talk About an Injustice - Bryan Stevenson - Ted Talk (23 Minutes)

Lawyer, activist, and founder of Equal Justice Initiative, Bryan Stevenson has a vision for ending racial injustices within our penal systems; focusing on issues ranging from death penalty, race and poverty, prisons and sentencing reform, and children in adult prisons. In this Ted Talk from 2012, Stevenson highlights his passion for justice in broken places and speaks of the power of identity.

We Need to Talk About an Injustice

#5 - Up & Up - Coldplay (Music Video - 4 Minutes)

Coldplay's newest music video for their single "Up & Up," is absolutely stunning. Seriously, it is a visual experience; artistic imagery mixed with imaginative landscapes. Seriously, spend the 4 minutes watching and enjoy!

Up & Up Music Video

January 20, 2019

5 Quotes from MLK's - "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution"

As a student of theology and ethics, MLK Day is a sort of sacred day. I usually do two things, every MLK Day: first, I read through King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” and secondly, I set aside time for deep reflection on what it means to animate our faith in light of current social issues and repent for my own failure to embody Jesus’ vision for the Kingdom of God here-and-now.

It has been said that “many who quote him now would have hated him then”, and I think there is a lot of truth to that critique.

January 12, 2018

A Voice for Today: 5 Sermons by Martin Luther King Jr.

Among the most influential American figures stands Martin Luther King Jr. His courage and conviction continues to speak volumes for our current cultural moment. And every year when we celebrate MLK Day I make sure to spend time reading through sermons, writings, speeches, delivered by King and each year I am inspired by his ability to stand for nonviolence in the midst of violence, justice in the midst of injustice, and love in the midst of unthinkable hate. Below are 5 links to sermons written by Martin Luther King that I believe offer an enduring prophetic voice for our day.

May 23, 2017

A Story in Motion - Philippians: Part 2

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 1.3-6

For Paul, joy is the outworking of the Christian experience, it is not the end goal but rather a by product of the Christian experience. In this way, joy transcends circumstances. For Paul, this expression of joy in the midst of trial proves true in two ways, the present reality of God’s work and a future hope.

March 24, 2017

Grace. And. Peace. - Philippians: Part 1

Grace. And. Peace.

These are the opening words of Paul to the Philippians. In some sense it is Paul's traditional greeting, found in nearly every letter he writes in the New Testament. But in another sense, it is a complex and inspiring opening and of all the ways to open a letter Paul chooses, grace and peace.

First, grace.

Now, Paul is creative. The typical greeting in the Hellenistic world was the greek word, chairein - which simply means “greetings.”The word Paul uses is similar in sound but more layered in meaning, charis - which translates to “grace.” Traditionally understood, grace is the unmerited favor and acceptance given from God. And while certainly not wrong, if we stop there we are left with a flat understanding. For Paul, grace has layers, depth, and nuance.

January 10, 2017

One for the Lowly

On New Year's Day I had the opportunity to preach at Central Peninsula Church's North Campus. It was a part of their series answering the question "What child is this?" exploring the Christmas story through Jesus' embodiment and fulfillment of Old Testament texts.

December 28, 2016

Top 10 Books I Read in 2016

Certainly my love for reading is no secret, and one of the aspects of my time in seminary I have enjoyed the most is being exposed to an entire world of authors and thinkers I may or may not have come in contact with before. Natural this has caused my personal library to grow. Below are the top 10 books I read in 2016. Some are from required class reading, others are books I read for my own enrichment. Each title links to the book on Amazon, and below each title are a few quotes that I snagged as I flipped through my highlights from when I originally read the book to give you a taste of the book's focus. Would love to hear your favorite reads from 2016 that I can add to my reading list for 2017!

December 20, 2016

Advent of Hope: The Wait

Advent is about, the wait. It is about recognizing that the world has grown weary and is longing for something more. It is the recognition that something has gone wrong and we wait for a new day.

Advent is about, the hope. It affirms that God is not distant, but present and active. God has not abandoned his world.

Advent is about, the call. It is a story that we are called to embody. As God entered our story, we too enter the brokenness around us bringing hope and a new tomorrow.

August 31, 2016

5 Things Worth Your Time - Part 15

"Short Read" = 10 Minutes or less. "Long Read" = 10 Minutes or longer.

February 10, 2016

The Slow Work of the Heart - Latest Sermon

Hello Friends -

A few weeks back I was able to share a message I wrote that explores the process by which transformation takes place. For followers of Jesus, we often find ourselves struggling to embody the same ethic, grace, and compassion that Jesus embodied. We struggle, we work, we battle ourselves all in an effort toward Christlikeness. However, in Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." How does one find rest in the pursuit of Christlikeness? Dallas Willard says it best...