The Roofless Church

Author: Higher Up IDEALS

  • In The Name of Justice

    In recent sermon, I chose to write a letter to my name in order to express to the congregation how in our society something as small as our name can be used by some people to discriminate. I further illustrated my point by giving them a list of famous people who changed their names because…

  • Mixed Feelings on Race?

    After hearing about the recent shootings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling I started asking myself what I might be able to offer to the community in terms of creating an opportunity for transformation. Soon I was supplied with an answer and a subsequent confirmation. On Thursday afternoon as I walked down Pearl Street in…

  • Message In A Body

    On a trip to Bali, Indonesia in 2016 with my family, I had an experience that is somewhat difficult to describe. I was meditating our first evening there asking God to guide our family to a good driver who would take us around the area. I asked that it be someone with whom we would…

  • The Land of Confusion (This Is The World We Live In)

    With the recent murders  in Orlando, the increasing number of teen suicides all over the headlines, and a general sense of foreboding among many people, I sometimes find myself wrestling with my role as a pastor. A large part of my role, as I understand it, is thinking about these issues and trying to find,…

  • Do Your Names and Labels Define You?

    How do you relate to the labels that have been assigned to you or that you have assumed?  Are they prisons that bind you or do they demonstrate choices that you have made and relationships that you are a part of? Do you define the labels or do the labels define you? Here is a…

  • Bending Racism With Your Mind

    Can you imagine a world without racism? What would that world look like? What would you give to make that world possible? Better yet, what would you give up to make that world possible? In Together Colorado and other justice seeking organizations, there are people who put in a lot of effort in order to…

  • International AIDS Candlelight Memorial: A Reflection

    Recently, I was asked by the Boulder County AIDS Project to give a short reflection and closing words on May 15, 2016 for the 33rd Annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial. Below is the content of the reflection. My hope in sharing this is that it will increase awareness of how–even with the advancements in medication–AIDS…

  • Love the Players, Hate the Game

    Many years ago, a business consultant, who specialized in military transitions, took an interest in me. She started a conversation with me as I waited for a friend in the Family Support Center of Andrews Air Force Base. Part way through the conversation she jumped in and said, “INTJ or INTP”. Being unfamiliar with the…

  • Singing Down the Road to Redemption

    As the cast stood in the line preparing to enter the sanctuary, I could almost feel myself getting younger and the space getting narrower. Was it getting darker or was it just me?  Where did that spotlight come from?  Why am I so warm? I guess that’s what happens when you time travel and that…

  • The Truth Isn’t Going Anywhere

    After coming back to the world after my week-long retreat with the Bethany Fellows, I was initially concerned about being able to hold on to the insights I gained while with this ecumenical group of young ministers. I particularly wanted to hold onto what emerged out of the silence. But, after meditating for a while,…