EXCLUSIVE PRAYER AND MINISTRY UPDATE-071024

“When ‘success’ is measured by ‘numerical growth’ we have abandoned what the gospel says flourishing is.” Scot McKnight, New Testament Everyday Bible Study: 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (Grand Rapids, MI: HarperChristianResources, 2023), 98-99. This year, I’ve been taking our Mantua Creek Church family through the pastoral epistles and Scot McKnight’s new concise commentary has been optional reading. … Read More

Josh Hawley’s Vision of a Christian America

“Christianity is the electric current of our national life. Turn it off, and the light will fade. If we care about the future of our country, we must renew the influence of biblical faith in America.” Josh Hawley in February 2024. Unfortunately for Josh Hawley, Yale graduate and U.S. Senator from Missouri, his face and fist have become synonymous with … Read More

Justice that Prioritizes Trust and Heart-change

When I worked as a leader at the center of national pro-life ministry for six years, I couldn’t talk openly about the dangers of Christian nationalism without being canceled. This meant that, if I still wanted to tell the truth and steer folks in healthy directions, I had to find creative ways to do so. Without naming Christian Nationalism or … Read More

Christian Nationalism’s Blending or Blurring Problem

I want to thank those who’ve contributed to the definition below and continue to invite others to send any push-back or enhancements: Christian Nationalism is a subtle form of idolatry that blends patriotism with Christianity in such a way that Jesus is no longer our first allegiance but some vision of a great America. It begins as a well-intentioned desire … Read More

Defining Christian Nationalism, 1 of 2

I was finishing tiling her floor when my friend, Margaret, asked me “What is Christian nationalism?” She had seen the term referenced in this Mantua Creek story of impact from last year: “When we first started coming, I was questioning if there was a place for me in the evangelical church. I was discouraged by the rise of Christian Nationalism … Read More

Nurturing a Healthy Church Family

“Do not speak harshly to an older man, but speak to him as to a father, to younger men as brothers, to older women as mothers, to younger women as sisters—with absolute purity.” 1 Timothy 5:1-2, NRSVUE This year, at Mantua Creek, we’re going through the pastoral epistles and Philemon. Last week my study of the text above was so surprisingly … Read More

The Problems with Single-Issue Voting

I’m not a fan of single-issue voting, especially the kind that seeks to intimidate and impose one person or group’s convictions on another. Like other forms of fundamentalism, it tends to oversimplify reality, ignore a forest of other issues, dumb people down into clones, alienate upcoming generations who prioritize differently, and judge others who don’t think as they do. As … Read More

Gospel Transformation vs. Politics

As a minister of the gospel serving at the center of the pro-life movement, I often used the phrase “non-political” to distance myself from unhelpful associations with white Republicanism and single-issue voting. Additionally, as a “never-Trumper,” I did it to protect myself from being canceled by many in my own network. I say this last statement not to disparage those … Read More

Is America God’s Central, Chosen Nation for Our Times?

Note: Hey friends, I’m excited to share that I’m working on a new booklet in the Constructive Conversation series on Christian Nationalism. This week’s post is related to that, as was last week’s, and, I expect, several more over the coming months. If you want a simple definition of Christian nationalism, think of it as a subtle form of idolatry … Read More