As we approach Labor day, I find myself pondering what the Messy Middle has to do with labor. Afterall, this blog, along with this ministry, is a labor of love born from a heart committed to standing with the oppressed and marginalized of our communities. And, if I am honest, it is specifically a labor of love focused on my dear siblings in the LGBTQ+ community. So, what is labor? Labor, according to various dictionaries, is defined as making great effort but also implies having difficulty in accomplishing your task.  Of course, it also refers to the work force required to accomplish a job or task. In Christian circles, we often find ourselves referring to bible verses that describe the fruit of our labor for God or the need to labor for the cause of Christ (1 Cor. 15:58, Col 3:23, Proverbs 16:3, & others).  Although I affirm the basic truths in this thinking I believe that we are missing the point of Jesus’ and Paul’s messages when we focus to heavily on labor...

Perhaps you’ve seen Christians posting the following on their social media profiles: “God break my heart for what breaks yours”. I have seen an increase in these declarations in many spaces I reside as a Pastor. On the one hand, this brings me great joy. However, in far too many cases, the lifestyle we see unfold on those same pages provides evidence of living a life that is contrary to this declaration. As someone who has often fallen into the same trap, I want to assure all of us that when your heart starts to actually break for those that God’s heart breaks for or those who you once viewed with disdain, that is when you know the Holy Spirit has finally reached into the depth of your soul with a deeper understanding of the love that God has for ALL people, including you. For me, I can count too many of those days in life to begin to unpack them all. But there are three that stand out as exceedingly transformational.   The first was the day that I realized people on the other...

“But Pastor Rob we have to remember that love without truth isn't love. ” My friends in the evangelical community often feel the need to point this out after any message or video I produce that challenges us to love ALL people.  I have learned a valuable lesson in my years as a follower of Jesus who is blessed to also be called a Pastor. That simple yet profound lesson is that my mission is to live a life of love that allows others to experience the fullness of God’s grace through how I treat them. Or said another way, our role is to shower unconditional love on every person we encounter because we have benefitted from unconditional love ourselves. I suspect that many of us are confused by the idea that we are supposed to “judge people by their fruit”. I wholeheartedly agree with this concept, but probably not in the way you hope to hear. It is my heartfelt & biblically supported position that what I am supposed to actually focus on above all else is my own fruit.  If my a...

  Mark Twain once famously stated “ Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect)”    As a white cis gendered economically blessed American man this statement serves as a steady reminder to count or evaluate my blessings. Not so I can rest in them but to ensure I recognize any advantage as something I must leverage for the benefit of those oppressed or forced to the margins by the majority culture. Just as Paul challenged the Philippians to have the mind of Christ it is imperative that as a Pastor I challenge people to live in the same way. You can’t get any more majority than being God, the creator of the universe, but astoundingly in Christ we see the ultimate setting aside or leveraging of advantage for the benefit of “the others”.   A casual survey of our social media or newsfeeds alongside what we are witnessing in much of modern day American Christianity reveals a much different vision for the church in...

  Over the past few weeks I have been reflecting on my journey to the messy middle life that I am so loudly calling us all to lean into. I want to be sure to communicate clearly that my path into this space has been filled with turmoil and resistance from both inside myself as well as outside from my theological tribe. The positions I hold so dearly now are hard fought positions bathed in prayer, bible study, and honest repentance for the harm many of my earlier positions caused. One of my favorite Bible verses is found in Proverbs 3:5-6 which states: “ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. ” Throughout my journey with Jesus these words have served as my guide as I have constantly sought to allow my God to deconstruct my faith wherever it is missing the mark of love and justice that He calls His followers to live out for the benefit of all they encounter. My journey to the ...