A funny thing happened when I moved to DC six years ago. I went from being surrounded by a laid-back crew of seminarians, pastors, poets, and radicals, to living in one of the most powerful, motivated, and highly-paid neighborhoods on earth. It was a big shift in perspective. I had gotten used to living among …
At the Friends of Jesus Fellowship Fall Gathering, we were asked to share a simple word or phrase that expressed our vision of what abundant life looks like. For me, the phrase was just-in-time delivery. This is a concept from the business world. It’s the idea that the most efficient system is one in which all resources …
Did you ever watch The Simpsons? I’ve got most of the first seven seasons memorized, seared into my brain from repetitive viewing on VHS tapes. Along with the Star Wars trilogy, The Simpsons are part of my personal canon. My favorite character is, by far, Mr. Burns. Montgomery Burns is so absurdly callous and evil; he’s hilarious …
The kingdom of God isn’t what you think. It isn’t at all compatible with the lifestyle that most of us are living. It’s not just about thinking the right thoughts or feeling the right feelings; it involves a total life change – including our economics. The way of Jesus is dangerous, because the kingdom of God and the wealth-driven, capitalist system we live in simply …
A couple years ago, a survey found that one in five Americans don’t identify with any religion. For Americans under thirty, the number was far higher – more like one third. This report is being cited constantly throughout the religious-nonprofit world. In many quarters, there seems to be a deep sense of shock at the …
It’s easy to underestimate the value of trust in my daily life. For example, I generally feel secure in the quality of the food I buy. This relieves me from a huge amount of worry and second-guessing when I sit down for a meal. I trust that those who produce and package my food take …
Over the course of my lifetime, it seems that consumer has become the most common word used to refer to individual members of our society. On television, in newspapers, and on the radio, we regularly hear stories about what consumers are doing and thinking. We are constantly being updated on how consumers are reacting to …