Brandon M, Author at Crucible of Thought

Law and Order and Unintended Consequences

Government, Justice versus Oppression / June 13, 2022

A few weeks ago, a supermarket in Buffalo NY was the scene of a mass shooting. A few days later, another horrific shooting incident occurred in a primary school in Uvalde TX. Ever since the spate of police shootings and brutality erupted into the news in 2019 and 2020, I’ve been reexamining my position on gun rights and laws, and these recent incidents prompted me to spend some time considering the situation. Since it’s timely, I thought it was worth addressing school defense here on my blog.

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Relics

Church, Deconstruction, Growth, My Journey / June 8, 2022

Faith isn’t just carrying around someone else’s bucket of old dusty relics; faith is doing the hard work of examining each one carefully to see which are worth keeping.

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Who’s Actually Grooming?

Church, Deconstruction, Evangelicalism, Justice versus Oppression / June 5, 2022

For Pride Month, I was wrong about LGBTQ grooming. I’m not proud of my particular Christian heritage: it’s been revealed as unloving. But I am deeply proud of my Savior who challenged His culture in how He loved the unlovely, the outcast, the sinner, and the oppressed.

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To Be A Christian in Babylon

Christian Nationalism, Church, Deconstruction, Growth / May 20, 2022

Taking Native American land and life to secure European refugees the ability to worship God freely is deeply enshrined in the Christian Nationalism view of American history. But that seems to run counter to the nature and actions of God described throughout the Bible.

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Further Up and Further In

Church, Evangelicalism / May 16, 2022

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me in this season of my life is that faith itself is not static. We’re being called to go “further up and further in” – as God reveals more to us, our understanding of faith and doctrine must be free to expand and grow.

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Things I Have Learned This Year

Deconstruction, Evangelicalism, Growth, My Journey / May 3, 2022

I am finding that many things I was taught were dangerously one-sided and served to uncritically reinforce the views I was given. But when I add additional history to my understanding, I am forced to pull back from many conclusions and doctrines and political understandings.

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All-Inclusive

Gender and Sexuality / April 27, 2022

I highly recommend this video from Pastor Zach Lambert at Restore Austin church, discussing being an all-inclusive church.

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On a Donkey, Not a War Horse

Christian Nationalism, Church, Deconstruction / April 22, 2022

Do we think like the Jews of Jesus’ day, hoping that our King would ride into Jerusalem on a war horse instead of a humble donkey? Consider the story of Jesus’ celebrated entry into Jerusalem. 11 And as they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,

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The Women of Passover

Church / April 13, 2022

You probably know that in the Old Testament, God established a practice of anointing a new king by pouring oil on them. Did you know that Jesus was anointed not by men, but twice by women, and each time in the week before a Passover? Each time the Lord selected women to anoint Jesus as king.

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Military-Speak

Christian Nationalism, Deconstruction, Evangelicalism / April 4, 2022

We’re so accustomed to living at DEFCON-1 in the spirit realm, constantly being on a wartime footing against demonic forces and a culture that’s falling apart, against unbelievers and misguided fellow believers, that we fail to see the bad effects that it’s having on our culture and our unity and our peace. But Christ already won the victory – so why are we demonizing each other in the name of making America a great Christian nation?

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