James Bond and Bible Software (004)
As the Editor-in-Chief of Bible Study Magazine, people regularly ask me, “How should I study the Bible?” I answer this question differently nearly every time. Why? Because there is no simple answer. There are hundreds of ways to study the Bible. (You can listen to my answer on the Debbie Chavez Show here.) Nonetheless, I always come back to two points: Ask questions of the biblical text and get good resources. Let’s talk about the second point. Me, Myself and I (oh yeah, and the Spirit) Bible study is one of the great assassins

What if Jesus was on Twitter?
Shifting pace stinks. I have been shifting gears far too much recently. And I bet you have too. That is why I think it is crucial that we find a new gear for discussing spirituality. So today, on Twitter’s Follow #Friday (for you Twitter virgins, the # sign is Twitter lingo), I am wondering who we should follow. Who should we look to for hope when gears change, the economy is rearranged, and life is certainly not the same? (Yep, I can rhyme.) And what if Jesus was o

Why I am Abandoning the Term ‘Mystic’ (and Most Terminology)
I had a conversation with a friend today that caused me to rethink my approach, positions, and even my writing style. I realized from this conversation that although my stance may not be one of pointing fingers, calling people morons, and generally telling the world why my view is better than someone else’s, I may (at times) come across that way. If you have been a commenter or lurker on “The Infinite in Everything” for a while, you have likely heard me rant about fundamentalism,

Mysticism is like Green Eggs and Ham
Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, mystics were a sect of orthodox Christianity. Today, they are often labeled cultic-style prophets or hippies. But what if mysticism still has something to offer us and we are missing it because of misplaced labels? The Crazies Ruined the Fun for Everyone I have had my fair share of run-ins with cultic prophets. There’s no way around it:

3 Reasons Why Christians Hate Labels
You’ve heard people say it, and you may have even said it yourself, “Labels suck.” But don't we in some ways need them? With no labels how can we have an intelligent conversation about where our belief systems differ? We want to get rid of labels because of the judgmental attitudes that often surround them. We think, “Labels suck, and those who use them suck too.” But the very nature of language requires labels: We use words to describe actions and things. All language is metaphor—that is precisely why German and English use different words to describe the same thing. Aristotle was one of the first to point this out when in a lengthy discussion, he sa