Category Archives: Build

The Quota

Bands of masked, heavily armed men roam the streets. They are hunting. Dangerous people. At first, they are told exactly what they are hunting for: criminal immigrants. They are promised abundance. Easy work. A target-rich environment. Three thousand hunters are deployed. They are organized into five hundred teams of six. Each team is given aContinueContinue reading “The Quota”

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics What’s a lie—and can we see it coming? Over the past few years, I’ve changed how I consume information—news, politics, even everyday claims. I no longer assume that authority equals accuracy. Instead, I do two things: It takes more time. But it replaces certainty with clarity. That framework is whyContinueContinue reading “Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics”

Extraordinary Threats

Extraordinary Measures This piece did not begin as an abstract inquiry. It began with a convergence of events—and a surge of emotion that would not settle. It all started when ICE operations expanded across Minnesota, producing fear among non-citizens.  Anger when a fellow SEM student from Africa was detained and informed he was being deported.ContinueContinue reading “Extraordinary Threats”

Killing Good

Are we, as a society, now literally killing good? On January 7, 2026, Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three and U.S. citizen, was fatally shot during a federal immigration enforcement operation in south Minneapolis. She was inside her SUV on a residential street when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents approached her vehicle. AnContinueContinue reading “Killing Good”

Masculinity Reclaimed—or Rebranded Empire?

Shalom allows bends. Empire demands straight lines. In recent years, a growing chorus of public voices has urged men to “step up,” reclaim leadership, and take charge of their families—and society itself. The movement goes by different names and arises from different places, but its message is consistent: Society is in decline because men haveContinueContinue reading “Masculinity Reclaimed—or Rebranded Empire?”

The Fraud of the Fraud

A Brief Word Before You Read This reflection occupies a difficult space. It names real wrongdoing—and also how that wrongdoing can be stretched, repurposed, and narrated in ways that distort rather than clarify, often causing additional harm. It is not written to excuse failure, defend institutions, or minimize misconduct. It is written to protect proportion.ContinueContinue reading “The Fraud of the Fraud”

Libertas or is it Autonomy?

And the distinction between “freedom through autonomy” versus “freedom in Jesus”. In a recent seminary discussion, a few classmates described what might be called a Libertarian Lifestyle Ideal: minimal reliance on the state, no taxes, limited technology, an off-grid vision of self-sufficiency. I was genuinely grateful for their sincerity and their desire for simplicity andContinueContinue reading “Libertas or is it Autonomy?”

What’s Enough?

By Peter Brandt | SeePhas The Socioeconomics of Enough A Reflection on Economics, History, Scripture and a Conversation with a Young Buck Every one of us eventually faces the question: How much do I need? Do I have enough? Not enough in the shallow, consumer sense — but enough in the sense of our flourishing.ContinueContinue reading “What’s Enough?”

A Thanksgiving Parable

🌾 The Parable of Old Soil and New Earth There were once two neighboring fields, each weathered by time. One field, called Old Soil, had been planted for countless generations. Its people knew every bend of the river, every rhythm of the seasons, every voice of the forest. Their stories were as old as theContinueContinue reading “A Thanksgiving Parable”

The Rise of Therapeutic Christianity

Sometimes my mind drifts into the uncomfortable places—the ones most people avoid because they raise questions that disrupt the mood and challenge the assumptions in the room. I used to think this made me overly critical or pessimistic. But lately I’ve been wondering: What if these thoughts aren’t flaws? What if they’re invitations? Invitations toContinueContinue reading “The Rise of Therapeutic Christianity”

Who am I?

October 5, 2025 This question has grown more important to me in recent years. John Calvin (1509–1564) was a highly influential French theologian, pastor, and reformer during the Protestant Reformation. For much of my life, I’ve wrestled with the Calvinist idea of Total Depravity—the claim that we are born corrupt and incapable of good on our own. ItContinueContinue reading “Who am I?”

David and Donald: Flawed Leaders, Different Hearts

Lately, King David—the second king of Israel in the 10th century BC—keeps surfacing in my world. This weekend I’ll see the Sight and Sound production of David in Branson, MO. Over the past few years, I’ve spent time in the Hebrew Bible, trying to understand its literature and what it means for God’s kingdom. David’sContinueContinue reading “David and Donald: Flawed Leaders, Different Hearts”

2025 – Big Chill

What is the most important thing to know in life? We’re excited to gather for “Big Chill” again this summer! Each year we have a time of “devotion” – usually Sunday morning, but the time is flexible. And, as always, participation is optional. This year, our devotion time will focus on one big question: WhatContinueContinue reading “2025 – Big Chill”

The Journey to my Core Beliefs

Not to the center of the earth What Do I Believe? Over the past three years, my beliefs have undergone a profound transformation. Working within a “Christian” organization, I often found myself unsettled by the disconnect between what was professed there and what resonated with my core spiritual convictions. At its heart, my faith hasContinueContinue reading “The Journey to my Core Beliefs”

In the Beginning

Using study of the Bible to Discern Big Chill 2024 Genesis 1 and 2 Background Our aspirations for this devotion and how we come together around the text Communal – texts from the Bible are intended to be spoken, together. Meditative – texts are intended to make us think – the literature is not writtenContinueContinue reading “In the Beginning”