January 2012
1 post
3 tags
MLKJ: "And I come by here to say that America too... →
And I come by here to say that America too is going to Hell, if we don’t use her wealth. If America does not use her vast resources of wealth to end poverty, to make it possible for all of God’s children to have the basic necessities of life, she too will go to Hell. I will hear America through her historians years and years to come saying, “We built gigantic buildings to kiss...
August 2011
3 posts
The Apocalypse of the Earthquake →
From These Stones →
Summer Travels - Micah's Ministry Newsletter #33 →
July 2011
12 posts
Report from the Field →
3 tags
Report from the Field →
If Capitol Hill Friends were a sapling tree, we would perhaps only see a thin, tender stalk and a few leaves showing above the surface. Yet, we are experiencing a lot of development below ground.
2 tags
Blessing my Enemies in Congress →
This morning, I was reminded in a very visceral way that I do have enemies, and while I do believe that the Lord is a God of justice, I also know that Jesus has called me out of the business of setting the world straight.
Why Suffering? →
Called to be God's Temple - Visit to North... →
6 tags
THE CONFESSIONS OF A CAGE FIGHTER: MASCULINITY,... →
Faced with the growing popularity of the Christian MMA movement, the church must return to its source of life and proclaim a masculinity rooted in the self-giving and Other-receiving perichoresis of the Trinity[8] and revealed in the flesh and blood of the God-Man whose strength is made perfect in kenotic weakness.
4 tags
Called to be God's Temple - Visit to North... →
…if we continue down the course we are on as Conservative Friends, our exchange of epistles will soon be a formality - a fiction that masks a lack of real community. I do not believe it is too late to revitalize these relationships, but it will not happen without care and effort on the part of concerned Friends.
Being the Body in the Age of Facebook →
Prayer Without Ceasing →
2 tags
International House of Prayer: Where Worship Never... →
The well-populated prayer room and the devout community growing up around it are at the epicenter of a little known but expanding national network: dozens of groups that are stressing perpetual prayer in a way seldom seen in modern America…
Who's Afraid of Prayer? →
5 tags
Encountering the Face of Christ in Africa →
On this trip, I saw the face of Jesus Christ in his Church. I saw the way that our brothers and sisters in East Africa love the Lord, not just through words and easy gestures, but through self-sacrifice and hospitality that costs something. I saw the radiant joy that comes from holding nothing back, from acknowledging that life is a gift from God that we can never own, only hold in trust.
June 2011
7 posts
4 tags
The Value of Pastoral Call in the Quaker Church →
As Quakers, we value the equality of all people to hear the voice of God, and this is something I affirm. But I wonder if the ways in which we talk about this lead our young people to think less of pastoral ministry.
5 tags
Native American Quakerism at Great Plains Yearly... →
Great Plains Yearly Meeting this year gave me much to think about, especially with regards to how our Quaker Christian faith plays out in different cultural contexts. What makes us Friends? Must we adhere to the British cultural heritage of most North American Quakers, or can the gospel as understood by Friends be adapted authentically to non-British, non-Western contexts and cultures?
Many Nations, One Body →
4 tags
Alabama Legislature Passes Harsh Anti-Immigrant... →
Alabama has passed a sweeping bill to crack down on illegal immigrants that both supporters and opponents call the toughest of its kind in the country, going well beyond a law Arizona passed last year that caused a furor there.
6 tags
House Republicans Stage Vote on Debt Ceiling →
The House on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a measure to increase the government’s debt limit, acting on a vote staged by Republican leaders to pressure President Obama to agree to deep spending cuts.
5 tags
Truth and Love?
“The question of how a clear corporate witness can be fruitfully combined with a loving and reconciling spirit has never been resolved among Wilburite Friends.”
from A Brief History of Conservative Friends
April 2011
1 post
The Universal Light of Christ →
I recently came across this video by David Platt, pastor of Brook Hills Church in Birmingham, Alabama. In it, Platt explains why he believes that the 597 million people in northern India who are…
March 2011
8 posts
Primitive Christianity Revised? →
For most Christians, there is an assumption that the faith and practice of the early Church bears a certain special authority. Some communions express this in doctrines of “apostolic succession,” in…
Primitive Christianity Revised? →
For most Christians, there is an assumption that the faith and practice of the early Church bears a certain special authority. Some communions express this in doctrines of “apostolic succession,” in…
Universalism: Gateway Drug? →
I have really appreciated the lively discussion that has taken place in the comments on my last post, Is Universalism Heresy? I am wrestling with these questions along with you, and I don’t…
Universalism: Gateway Drug? →
I have really appreciated the lively discussion that has taken place in the comments on my last post, Is Universalism Heresy? I am wrestling with these questions along with you, and I don’t…
Is Universalism Heresy? →
The internet is abuzz with news of Rob Bell’s forthcoming book, Love Wins, in which it appears that Bell will refute traditional Calvinist teachings on heaven and hell. Based on a recently…
Is Universalism Heresy? →
The internet is abuzz with news of Rob Bell’s forthcoming book, Love Wins, in which it appears that Bell will refute traditional Calvinist teachings on heaven and hell. Based on a recently…
Richmond, Philadelphia and DC - Micah's Ministry... →
Dear Friends of Truth, Since the fall, I have felt led to focus most of my energy and attention on the work here in DC. This has involved getting more deeply involved in nurturing Capitol Hill…
Richmond, Philadelphia and DC - Micah's Ministry... →
Dear Friends of Truth, Since the fall, I have felt led to focus most of my energy and attention on the work here in DC. This has involved getting more deeply involved in nurturing Capitol Hill…
February 2011
6 posts
George Fox Did Not Die For Our Sins →
This Wednesday at Capitol Hill Friends, we examined the third chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Church in Corinth. In this letter, Paul writes to a local Meeting that has become divided…
George Fox Did Not Die For Our Sins →
This Wednesday at Capitol Hill Friends, we examined the third chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Church in Corinth. In this letter, Paul writes to a local Meeting that has become divided…
There is Power in the Name →
In June of 2008, I attended the General Gathering of Conservative Friends in Barnesville, Ohio. This gathering, sponsored by Friends in Ohio Yearly Meeting, was one of my first interactions with…
There is Power in the Name →
In June of 2008, I attended the General Gathering of Conservative Friends in Barnesville, Ohio. This gathering, sponsored by Friends in Ohio Yearly Meeting, was one of my first interactions with…
The Grass Grows Beneath the Snow →
When I first became a part of the Religious Society of Friends, I remember wondering whether I was joining a dying tradition. One of the first Quaker elders I encountered after my convincement…
The Grass Grows Beneath the Snow →
When I first became a part of the Religious Society of Friends, I remember wondering whether I was joining a dying tradition. One of the first Quaker elders I encountered after my convincement…
January 2011
4 posts
Discerning Christ's Authority →
I was pleased to read this post by Matt Hisrich, published today on Earlham School of Religion’s blog, Learning and Leading. In his post, Matt observes the historical tension between…
Discerning Christ's Authority →
I was pleased to read this post by Matt Hisrich, published today on Earlham School of Religion’s blog, Learning and Leading. In his post, Matt observes the historical tension between…
What is Happening Here? →
Yesterday, the March for Life descended on my neighborhood. Living just blocks from the Capitol Building, we see a lot of protests come through, and we generally do not pay much…
Being Publishers of Truth →
“Let all nations hear the sound by word or writing. Spare no place, spare no tongue, nor pen; but be obedient to the Lord God: go through the work; be valiant for the truth upon earth…” - George…
November 2010
14 posts
From a Lone Nut Into a Movement →
I came across this video by Derek Sivers recently, and I found it helpful in thinking about how leadership functions in a movement. I wondered also whether there might be some lessons that we…
From a Lone Nut Into a Movement →
I came across this video by Derek Sivers recently, and I found it helpful in thinking about how leadership functions in a movement. I wondered also whether there might be some lessons that we…
Missional Quaker Faith: Conclusion →
The end of this series of essays is really just a beginning. From here, I hope we can move together from theory to concrete application. Friedrich Engels once wrote that, “an ounce of action is…
Missional Quaker Faith: Conclusion →
The end of this series of essays is really just a beginning. From here, I hope we can move together from theory to concrete application. Friedrich Engels once wrote that, “an ounce of action is…
Missional Quaker Faith: A Heart for Service →
The word “mission” comes from the Latin missio, which means “sending.” As a missional movement, we are sent by the Holy Spirit out into the world to glorify God and invite everyone…
Missional Quaker Faith: A Heart for Service →
The word “mission” comes from the Latin missio, which means “sending.” As a missional movement, we are sent by the Holy Spirit out into the world to glorify God and invite everyone…
Announcing the Close of Valiant for the Truth →
Dear Friends, Back in May of 2008, I noticed that I had two main types of blog posts that I desired to share: Personal reflections, and reports on my travels and observations in the wider Quaker…