Watching the Superbowl in a crowd of fifty people in a private house is a strange experience, as the only thing that can cut through the din of joviality and smack talk is a shrill, “Shhh, the commercials are on.”  I usually pay attention to neither the game nor the commercials, but I sat, pen poised...

A few months ago I posted about my training in mixed martial arts and how I reconciled it with my faith. I still don’t have a rationale worked out. But the NYT ran an article about mixed martial arts “ministries” and offered what I thought was a fair critique. The training we offer...

Patty Griffin Downtown Church (Credential Recordings) I’ll start by damning this album with not-so-faint praise. Patty Griffin’s new one, Downtown Church, makes for uniformly pleasant listening. It’s made up mostly of gospel covers, with a couple originals and Big Mama Thornton’s...

Long before I came to edit this site, I enlisted in the Army. When you enlist, there are a number of jobs you can choose from.  These are called MOS’s, or Military Occupational Specialties, because the US military never says anything simply.  I didn’t want to be a truck driver or an infantryman,...

In the past couple of weeks, the staggering images from the demolishing earthquake in Haiti have melted our hearts. And as Americans, we quickly search for ways to help, even from a distance of over 2000 miles. However, in order to fully grasp the challenges that lie ahead, it is important to better...

America is a Christian nation. I’m finally coming to grips with that fact. For a while, I wanted to believe this country was built on democracy, not faith, but I just can’t deny it anymore. Christians keep these 50 states running. I’m convinced. Let’s start by looking at the driving...

I carried a sack of gifts as I made my way down the dirty streets to the homes where the gifts belonged.  Dogs barked at me from their pens while roosters casually strutted by.  Skulls and other decorations still adorned some homes from El Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, and Spanish music played...

You don’t need me to tell you to read Anne Lamott’s new novel, Imperfect Birds, because you probably will, regardless. And I’ll do my best not to ruin anything for you. Out in April from Riverhead Books (a member of the Penguin Group), Imperfect Birds is the third installment in the story of Rosie...

Every January my clinic schedule fills up with patients who, in keeping with their New Year’s resolutions, want to lose weight, drink less alcohol, and stop smoking. In my first few years of practice, I felt obligated to give each of these patients a 20 minute lecture on their vice of choice, replete...

My church is offering what might be an unusual parenting class. There is a psychology professor in town who goes to our church, and we’ve got her presenting a Sunday School class that emphasizes adolescent brain development. I suspect that this class is unusual for two reasons. First, most parents...