Ed Cyzewski's Blog, page 37
March 18, 2014
Let’s Forgive But Let’s Not Be Stupid Either
Hope is precious and wonderful. We should use it, but we shouldn't waste it on people who deep down either have no intention of changing or possess no capacity for change.
March 17, 2014
Can You Relate to Judas? I Can
I’m talking to Shawn Smucker, Writer today about Unfollowers, Derek Cooper’s amazing organizational skills, the ways I can relate to Judas, and the fact that “lemon” should never, ever be considered a “candy” flavor. There are a lot of books out there, and I’m sure there are a lot of various things you’d like to write about. Why […]
March 13, 2014
The Leap of Faith That Jesus Is Always Better
I’ve been a noncommittal Catholic who slipped out of church right after communion. I’ve been a combative fundamentalist who feared his faith was always under siege. I’ve been a bookish Baptist who underlined and highlighted page after page of Paul’s epistles. I’ve been an uneasy Calvinist who finally found peace among Wesleyans and charismatics. My […]
March 12, 2014
It’s Not Cool to Hate the Popularity Bubble-My Post at A Deeper Story
“We need to talk, Ed.” My college roommate, Steve, sat down next to me on the couch where we roughly saw eye to eye. At 6’6”, it always seemed, to me at least, like there was too much of him. He crossed one leg over the other so that I could see his massive foot. […]
March 5, 2014
Jesus Came to Save Us from the Bible
I’m guest posting for Micha Boyett today, who happens to be one of my favorite bloggers AND has a fantastic new book coming out in a month. I’m writing on Micha’s blog about an unexpected lesson I learned about Jesus’ uneasy relationship with scripture while working on my new book Unfollowers: Unlikely Lessons on Faith […]
March 4, 2014
My Least Favorite Gospel Stories: The Unappealing Bread of Life
During Lent we’re often disciplining ourselves to undertake challenges, to give up things we like, and to dig deeper into spirituality. I have some plans to cut back on my screen time, but I also wanted to give up something else: my comfort—particularly my comfortable theology. As I worked on my book Unfollowers: Unlikely Lessons […]
February 27, 2014
I Didn’t Know How to Stop Being a Pharisee
Despite the walls of theology books I’d set up as a defense, God still saved me from myself. I have seen God’s mercy descend—even in the unlikely space of a seminary library. I’d been in seminary long enough to consider myself clever without overlooking how much I really needed to learn. Nevertheless, something shook inside […]
February 26, 2014
Christians Have an LGBT Dinner Party Problem
Who are the “notorious sinners” today? (Brennan Manning and his friends don’t count, by the way.) In the time of Jesus, one group of “notorious sinners” would have been the tax collectors (Matthew 9:9-13). It’s kind of hard to relate how much people hated them. We don’t love the IRS in America, but calling them […]
February 25, 2014
The Relationship Between Sin Prevention and Hating Survivors of Abuse
I first learned about my youth group’s “hands off” policy when a leader ripped my girlfriend’s arm off my shoulder. We were just standing around in a circle having a conversation, she put her around me in a very casual way, and then the leader struck. “Hands off!” That event in and of itself wasn’t […]
February 19, 2014
The Church Was Super Lucky to Have Me as an Online Consultant
I keep hearing from researchers and polling experts that the church in North America is doomed, only one generation away from extinction, in fact. I’m here to tell you: That’s not going to happen. Not on MY watch. The church in America is deeply blessed to have a powerful resource that it has never had […]
