I saw a quote recently from a Christian author who was disavowing the ministry of evangelism because it meant Christians had to “be right” about everything. And if you’re certain you’re right, then everyone else must be wrong, and it’s your job to convert them to your viewpoint, lest they wind up in hell. If that was biblical evangelism I’d …
On Being a Performer (part 1 of 3)
First Post: Are you a performer? A sharp student at Macalester College where I worked for many years said to me one day, “I’m a performer.” I could see it in him. He was (and is) talented academically and musically, and when he was “on” he was really on. The idea of being a performer stuck with me from that …
On Being a Performer (part 2 of 3)
Second Post: Liabilities In my prior post I shared how performers tend to have an altar-ego that kicks in when things need to get done and done well. In my own case, when funds need to be raised for the ministry, or I’m literally on-stage with Muslim or atheist dialogue partners, or I’m bouncing around a college campus meeting students …
On Being a Performer (part 3 of 3)
Post #3: A theology of performing In my prior post I tried to affirm the legitimacy of a “performer” profile, while also pointing out certain side-effects that often plague performers, such as loss of identity and performance fatigue. In Be Different: Finding the Resilience to Lead, authors Christopher Howard and Andrew Gross insist that leaders in general — and for …
On Coping, Part 3: Neglected Resources
In my prior post I mentioned that today’s university students are not known for their resilience, mainly due to mental health concerns. In fact, mental health is a runaway train on campus these days, with experts using terms such as “epidemic” and “crisis” to describe the situation. Two massive surveys of college students showed, for example, that depression, anxiety, and …
On Coping, Part 2 of 3: Resilience
In my prior post I told the story of being left on my own as a college student in Minnesota, while my parents moved to Florida. These days, things are different. Students struggle with “overwhelming anxiety,” loneliness and suicidal behavior. Counseling centers on campus are jammed. Two out of five students are too depressed to function, and many take a …
On Coping, Part 1 of 3: How It Was
I grew up on the prairies of Marshall, Minnesota and attended a local college, living at home to save money. But half-way through school my parents sold the house and moved to Florida, leaving me in the cold, literally. Don’t feel sorry for me. I never did. They invited me along to Florida but I declined. I stayed in Marshall …
Index of 8 Posts, Invitation to Consider the Trustworthiness of the Gospels
Hi, welcome to this series. Each post is a five-minute read, and builds upon the prior post, so I recommend starting at Part 1 and working your way through. Thanks for taking time to read. Part 1: Evidence and Faith Part 2: Monotheism and No New Gods Part 3: Multiple Sources Part 4: An Apology to the Wounded Part 5: …
Invitation to Consider the Trustworthiness of the Gospels, Part 8 of 8: The Telephone Game
(Go to the first post on the Trustworthiness of the Gospels) In the prior post I did a bit of preaching about God’s ways of relating to human beings, suggesting that God’s nature and methods are often the opposite of what we might expect. In this post: One of the objections I hear on college campuses about the Bible is …
Invitation to Consider the Trustworthiness of the Gospels, Part 7 of 8: Me Preaching A Bit
The prior post on Embarrassing Material is here. In the process of writing this series of posts I found myself getting preachy at times. So I thought automatically to exclude that material because I promised in the first post to refrain from such. But then it occurred to me that certain readers might appreciate a more passionate voice from a …