Anabaptist and Quaker essays, sermons, and other writings
Right from creation and soon after the fall of humanity, war and conflicts became part of human nature. In some parts of the world, Christians are witnessing unspeakable continuous attacks and killings perpetrated by terrorist groups in the name of religion. This ongoing violence is slowly worsening the mental health […]
Why join one of the Historic Peace Churches? Jesus is at the center of this question. Jesus is at the center of this passage (Romans 5:1-11). Jesus at the center of our faith. Jesus is the source of our strength. Jesus is the source of our peace. Jesus is the […]
9 What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, 10 as it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who […]
Think about a time when you were first in love. That dreamy feeling, like the whole world was singing to you, that you had found the secret of life, the universe, and everything, and the most wonderful person in existence was crazy about YOU! Thinking about how lovely it was […]
This sermon was originally delivered to Moorseville Friends Church on First Day, Sixth Month 13th, 2021. “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” said the angel of the annunciation. Quaker theologian Robert Barclay (1648-1690) argued that “if this coming of Christ had […]
Having spent years ministering with Quakers and Brethren, it should come as no surprise that I have often referred to myself as a pacifist. There was even a season when I would have preferred the term non-resistor. I used to pride myself on my peace-loving zeal. I ate up respectability […]
Preached at Whitestone Community CoB, May 21, 2017 John 15:1-8 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more […]
I turned off my car and opened the driver’s side door, stepping out onto 21st Street. After five hours driving from my home in Ohio, it was a relief to stretch my legs and breathe in that Chicago city air. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, this […]
The following originally appeared on the blog Anabaptist Historians and was republished here with the permission of the author. For more on Anabaptist Historians, check out https://anabaptisthistorians.org/about/. History matters in the church. It matters what kinds of stories are told about our past, and who gets to tell them. This was […]
My first trip to the Holy Land was one year and five months ago. It was a trip that absolutely enthralled me. When I returned home, I knew I had to go back. From February through May of this year, I lived with a Palestinian Christian family in Bethlehem. I […]