The last few weeks have been a wild and exhausting ride. In addition to battling a deadly pandemic, we are struggling to process two recent events--major events--that took place in our country: an insurrection and an inauguration. I don't need to summarize these events for you nor do I have a profound insight on how [...]
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A House Divided: 10 Ways Trumpism is Harming Rural America
In a whirlwind of chaos, violence, and absurdity, the administration of President Donald Trump is coming to an end. As easy as it is for parachute journalists to assume rural America is a monolith, the reality is that rural America, like the rest of the country, is divided in its perception of President Trump. To [...]
Hillbilly Elegy and the Danger of a Single Story
That best-selling Appalachian memoir Hillbilly Elegy is popping up again, now in Netflix form. I watched it. I enjoyed it. I have some issues with it. But mostly, it's giving me flashbacks... What’s the Story? I woke up on November 9, 2016, and gazed out the window at what looked like another cool and crisp [...]
Saying and Seeing Grace: Exploring the Practice of Gratitude
The Practice of Gratitude Taking the five loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks… I’m writing a book. Have I told you that? Well, I am. It’s a book about this whole recovering abundance concept and about all the amazing the amazing people like you who are bringing renewal and [...]
Serious Wounds: Becoming the Balm of Gilead
I’m convinced that small towns and rural regions have a critical role in determining the direction of our nation. A couple months ago Ashlyn and I began to feel a call to organize a vigil in our own small town and joined with some like-minded local folks with similar stirrings. It was stretching, to say [...]
The Rest of the Story: One Confession, Ten People, and Many Questions about Racism and Rural Action
"What's the deal with that colored fella out in the parking lot?" An older patron asked me this question when he came into the library to return his DVDs. It was so unexpected and inappropriate that I stood dumbfounded for a few seconds before responding with a mix of confusion and irritation: "Pardon me?" "I [...]
Five Local Actions that Give Me Hope
The famous apologist and social critic G.K. Chesterton wrote that original sin is the only part of Christian theology that can really be proven. He argued that there are lots of abstract philosophical concepts we can debate but this quality of basic human sinfulness is observable; we see it all around us and all the [...]
Pandemic Possibilities (Part 2): Getting Grounded by God
In my last blog I reflected on the story of Jesus feeding the multitude, extracting wisdom from how Jesus responded to a public health crisis that we can use as we live in a time of pandemic. I considered how the challenges of our current crisis not only bring pain but also reveal possibilities. If [...]
Now the Green Blade Rises
This is a guest post from my friend Anthony Kirk. I asked if I could share his reflection because I think it speaks to the season and the divine wisdom hidden in creation. It reminds me of Martin Luther’s quote about the mystery of Christ in nature: “Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, [...]
Pandemic Possibilities (Part 1): Testing God, Caremongering, and Jesus in a Public Health Crisis
The last several years of my life have been gripped and guided by the gospel story in Mark commonly known as The Feeding of the Multitude, or incorrectly named The Feeding of the 5,000 (5,000 men but easily 20 or 30,000 people). It has shaped my faith and practice in a number of ways and [...]
Recovering Abundance 