Crowdfunded Church

Crowdfunding is becoming more and more popular. While it has been around for a good long time, it was only about ten years ago that crowdfunding began to catch the public's eye. Now, companies and people are increasingly turning to platforms like Kickstarter instead of traditional publishers and investors to get their funding. With crowdfunding, … Continue reading Crowdfunded Church

What Fraternity Life Did For Me

During my last year at my university, I joined a fraternity. Shocking, right? That's what they all thought, too. Phi Beta had tried to recruit me for years, and I joke that the only reason I joined was that I ran out of excuses not to join. And so, in the autumn of 2007, seven … Continue reading What Fraternity Life Did For Me

A Taste of the U.P.

As of this writing, I have driven 17 hours in two days. It took 11 hours to get from Columbus, Ohio to Marquette, Michigan. This morning Debbie and I met with the bishop of the Northern Great Lakes synod. Then we drove 3 hours this afternoon to northeast Wisconsin to meet with a church council … Continue reading A Taste of the U.P.

Neon and Fires

Neon lights are great. They are colorful, flashy, clever, and fun. Neon says, "The party starts here!" Debbie and I found a gas station tonight on a long, empty highway, because it was lit up like a big neon blue Christmas tree. Neon grabs the eye, draws attention, and draws people in. But neon lights … Continue reading Neon and Fires

Is God Good?

We take it for granted that God is "good" (all the time). And by good, we mean loving, kind, compassionate, forgiving, merciful, perhaps just, tender, gentle, graceful, and tame. Predictable. If God is all of these, then God is good. I have a problem with the assumption that we know what is good, and that … Continue reading Is God Good?