Our sense of individualism has become toxic, both politically and religiously. We organize ourselves into collective groups ever more strongly. And those groups actively oppose other groups that we perceive as infringing on our own collective's individuality.

You can read this as a blog post at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/e-pluribus-unum/

On the final Sunday of Black History Month, I attended a local Black church. I learned something valuable about today as I heard about history.

You can also read this as a blog post at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/visiting-a-black-church-during-black-history-month/

Sometimes, the best-qualified candidate isn't the best choice for a job. Actually, that's kind of an aphorism which serves my purpose, but isn't really what I mean to say. More precisely, sometimes the individual with the best technical qualifications isn't the best qualified candidate, because of non-technical qualifications.

You can also read this episode at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/the-best-qualified-candidate/

How should we think about the current meteoric rise in gender-fluid thinking and self-expression in today’s culture? Can LGBTQ+ people represent the Imago Dei, the Image of God? It's a pressing question for the church.

You can read this episode on CrucibleOfThought.com.

I ran across a fascinating image today. It's a picture of a wall-mounted gun cabinet disguised to look just like a rugged wooden cross, advertised as a great way to share your faith while simultaneously protecting yourself with those firearms.

You can read this as a blog post at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/in-guns-we-trust

Today, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I'm struck by two things: a peace that God has the entire world in His hands, even those who haven't heard about Jesus yet, and a determination that showing agape love to my immediate neighbors ought to be a primary focus. And I think Dr. King had a handle on how to show agape love.

You can read this episode at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/let-us-agape-one-another/

Roller coasters are really popular entertainment in amusement parks. But when life itself becomes a roller coaster, how will my heart and mind and soul respond to the sudden ups and downs and shaking? Here are some thoughts on finding joy, not just fun.

You can also read this episode at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/roller-coasters/

It's long intrigued me that many doctrinal positions are not universally held, and I started thinking about why we lock hard into clearly debatable positions. I think humans tend to latch onto an idea that comforts us, and then we build walls of doctrine around that idea. Let's explore that tendency.

You can read this episode at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/doctrinal-humility/

As I've been thinking about the topic of spiritual sonship, and wondering about how to practically live it out, I realized that the Jewish model of rabbis and disciples had some wisdom to offer our Christian understanding.

You can read this episode at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/rabbis-and-spiritual-fathers/

The parallels between today's America and 1930s Germany are striking. In "The Lord of the Rings" J.R.R. Tolkien describes The One Ring, a malevolant and active power which subverts and dominates anyone who wears it. I wonder if the recent pursuit of political power by the Evangelical church is akin to slipping on that ring.

Read this at https://www.crucibleofthought.com/the-one-ring-of-political-power/