When Jesus speaks to the church in Pergamum in Revelation 2:12-17, He begins with this powerful image:  “These are the words of the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan’s throne is. Yet you remain true to my name.”   Pergamum was a tough place to follow Jesus. It was a city of influence, art, politics, and power—a place where people literally bowed to Caesar to survive. You could choose to follow Jesus, but only if He came  after  empire. Jesus’ followers there had to decide daily who they would serve.   And in this letter, Jesus says, “I see you. I know it’s hard. You’ve stayed faithful.” But He also adds a loving warning: some have begun to compromise—mixing their faith with the values of empire, blending worship of God with the worship of power and pleasure.   It’s easy to read that and think of obvious sins. But Jesus wasn’t just talking about behavior; He was talking about  allegiance . The issue wasn...

  Jesus’ life was protest. I often find myself thinking how wonderfully counter cultural the Kingdom of God truly is. We serve a king who was born into a family in the lowliest strata of His society where status and influence meant everything.  Yet this carpenter’s son born in a basic animal shelter who was announced to the world by lowly shepherds was the promised messiah who would live a life protesting the religious as well as the political foundations of His day. He was the most political King the world has ever seen yet He was never partisan . His message of a new kingdom would serve as an equal opportunity offender. He constantly called out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of the day. We see Jesus flipping tables in the temple and challenging the power structures of the religious leaders. His message to them should have served as a passionate reminder that the God they claimed to serve required that they act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly for the glory of God ...

  Discomfort doesn’t necessarily mean what is being said is causing disunity. I believe firmly in the concept that a true mark of Messy Middle Living is finding common ground across the divide of our differences. This common ground will create a unity built on diversity & trusting the good intentions of other people because we value them as our siblings. This isn’t a blind unity where we are always comfortable. It isn’t unity at the expense of principles either. In my experience, true unity is focused on acknowledging the humanity of the other side rather than making “them” the villain. It requires a willingness to be pushed outside our personal comfort zones, challenged to leave our echo chambers, and an intentional choice to listen to the story of the other person to understand how their lived experiences have led them to believe as they do. It doesn’t mean we stay quiet about injustice or mistreatment but that we name those actions in order to stand more fully with the margi...

I want to share my journey to the Messy Middle Spaces I believe God has called me to embrace.  The spaces where the beauty of the Great Commission meet the deep love found in the Greatest commandment where Jesus’ grace shines the brightest. My Story: From Hate to Grace But first, I think it would be a good idea to share a bit of my personal story to help paint a picture of the journey I am on.  I grew up in chaos—addiction in my home, no moral compass, trapped in alcohol, drugs, and pornography before I even reached high school. My father was openly racist, and our house was filled with anger and strife. Later in life, when my wife and I adopted our son—who is biracial—my father walked out of my life for good. In that environment, was bred a hateful young man named Rob Townshend. I judged everyone else, while hiding my own shame. Grace was foreign to me. And then Jesus found me in college. He interrupted my life and began the slow, messy work of discipleship. But here’s t...

Whenever I am tempted to see myself as the judge of other people’s sin I find myself reflecting on the way Jesus handles a difficult situation between religious leaders and an adulterous woman. I remember that in the story of this shame filled woman every single one of her accusers had to drop their stones! On top of that I reflect on the reality that this amazing story isn’t about exactly what we think it is about. In John 8:1-11 we see a detailed account of this woman being dragged in front of Jesus while He was in the temple courts. The men seemed to be filled with rage, self-righteous indignation, and less than pure motives. Their goal was to trap Jesus into condemning this woman publicly to thwart His message of Grace.  Make no mistake about it she had very likely broken the Law of Moses they were accusing her of and according to that law could have been executed. But Jesus knew the hearts of each person present. Jesus knew that the hearts of these men were equally if not more...