Why I love Church

I was a pastor for several years – helping lead a growing church in Colorado Springs. Then we moved to Beirut. I fell in love with Jesus. In love with Arabs. In love with Muslims. In love with my wife and kids. But…out of love with churches. I saw so much pain. So much confusion. We started “The Olive Grove.” Never called it “church.”

When we moved back to the states, we started going to a church here in Denver – it was close to our house. Had people. Talked about God. Seemed nice enough. But then they had a nasty church split. And we were mostly friends with those who left. They all wanted us to leave too. We stayed. We were committed.

Chris got involved. I travel a lot, so, I didn’t. Chris liked it. I didn’t so much. But we stayed. We were committed.

Something Beautiful Podcast Interview

Last week I did an interview on the Something Beautiful Podcast. Click on the link below to listen.

Something Beautiful Podcast Interview – September 30, 2011

Christ at the Checkpoint. Bethlehem. 2012

I don’t think I’ve ever recommended a “conference” before. Or a meeting. Or seminar. I’m just not that guy….
However, this is one you need to go to. Sell the extra car and go. It’s not that hard You fly through Europe into Tel Aviv. And drive for an hour to Bethlehem – yep, the city where Jesus was born (it’s in the Middle East, not Texas)
Join Shane Claiborne, Tony Campolo, Lynne Hybels and some other amazing local teachers and hear a new perspective about what it means to follow Jesus under political oppression. It’ll change how you read the Bible. It’ll change your heart and mind about so many things – beware. But it’ll be worth it.
A bunch of the coolest people I know in the world will be there. The issues are far more than “Israeli-Palestinian” they are about how you think of Jesus and the Bible. Sign up. Take some friends. Seriously. It’s just a week and some change.
http://www.christatthecheckpoint.com

Why I’ve written what I’ve written for CNN and The Huffington Post

I’m writing this to YOU. My friends. Those I actually know or who know me and who care. This is not written to garner “comments” or “likes” from people I don’t know, but to explain my behind-the-scenes motivation for much of what I’m doing these days.
If you follow my activity on Facebook or Twitter you will also notice that I’ve been interviewing people like the Imam of the infamous New York City mosque, the head of the KKK, a state director of the ACLU, an undocumented person (from Mexico) living in Arizona, an American Jewish leader (and within a week a late-term abortion doctor, the head of the PLO to the U.S., and others).
I’ve written three pieces for the Huffington Post and two for CNN: “Why Evangelicals should stop Evangelizing” and “Jesus would Support Palestinian Statehood Bid.”

A Palestinian State at the UN?

Should we care that the Palestinians are planning to ask the General Assembly for full membership into the United Nations as a recognized State? We should care…and here’s why:

A Guest Blog from Scholar and Friend Colin Chapman

9/11 IN THE USA and 7/22 IN NORWAY: FACING OUR FEARS ABOUT MUSLIMS AND ISLAM

Rev. Colin Chapman

The Bush Administration responded to 9/11 with “the war on terror.” Anders Breivik committed his crimes on 22 July 2011 because he felt that Europe as a whole, and Norway in particular, had been naive in their response to Islam. Have we learned anything from what has happened in the last ten years about the way we think about Islam and relate to Muslims, and can we articulate a considered, long-term response to these events? This is my own personal check-list of ways in which I believe all of us in Europe – and Christians in particular – should be responding to these challenges.

1. Establishing genuine relationships with Muslims. Many of those who are most fearful about Islam have little or no personal contacts with Muslims. A recent doctoral researcher in the UK has concluded that “those who had ongoing friendships with Muslims tended to be more eirenic than those who had not lived in the Muslim world or had no Muslim friends.” Perhaps, therefore, we need to be much more intentional in this area and ask ourselves “How can I/we develop natural relationships with the Muslims in my community?”
Keep Reading »

Muslims, Christians, and Jesus DVD Promo

The Word “Christian”

Initial Thoughts On My New CNN Article

CNN has asked me to write another article on the difference between “following Jesus” and simply “becoming a Christian.” Of course, I’m happy to oblige. So….hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to work this out a bit with you guys and let you make comments to help shape this article.

Interview with “Ground Zero Mosque” Imam Abdul Rauf

I had a delightfully fun interview this morning with Imam Abdul Rauf of the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque.” About 70 minutes on the phone. He was so engaging, open, interesting and downright easy to talk to. I think our paths will cross again!