Welcome to Crucible of Thought! I'm Brandon, and I was a member of conservative evangelical congregations for 45 years. This blog is about things that I've learned since 2020, as I've been undergoing a process of carefully examining many different aspects of my social, political, and religious beliefs to see what actually aligns with the Bible and specifically the teachings of Jesus, more than what aligns with the host of dogmatic statements I inherited in years of church training. I'm not trying to persuade anyone: I'm sharing my process, in the hopes that it inspires and enlightens others. I welcome you to join me as we move forward in our faith together. Check out the book I'm writing!
A Jewish pastor read a sermon written by AI to his congregation, and they thought it was human-written. Can a robot or AI ever replace a human pastor? Perhaps that’s the wrong question. Do most Christians today even understand what a pastor is supposed to be?
The ChatGPT AI Pastor of the Future Read More »
Which takes precedence – the Bible or Jesus? On Twitter, this question has blown up into a rather ugly argument in the last couple days. I’ve watched the dispute, occasionally chipping in here and there myself, but mostly learning from the various viewpoints thrown into the fight. There’s a lot to be learned from it,
Is the Bible the Word of the Lord? Read More »
The origins of the Bible are fascinatingly complex, much more than I had understood as a younger believer. Why would God let it be so complex?
Was the Bible Created, Intelligently Designed, or Evolved? Read More »
2022 was a challenging, interesting, and fulfilling year for me. I couldn’t have predicted many of the “firsts” that happened, but I’m thankful for all of them.
A Year of Personal Firsts in 2022 Read More »
The point of the gospel is not to get the work done. The point is accurately represent the Father. Jesus’ charge in Matt 28:19-20 wasn’t colonial; it was to be ambassadors in the fullest sense of the word – to personally BE an extension of the Kingdom and to fully embody Jesus to those around us. That looks a lot different than many approaches to the gospel.
The Gospel According to Jesus Read More »
Jonah was so opposed to the people of Nineveh that he couldn’t abide God’s forgiveness of them. There are parallels with evangelical Christians’ insistence that God punish people in a fiery hell for all eternity. Is that insistence righteous?
Rejecting A Jonah Spirit Read More »
Jesus’ signs to John the Baptist’s disciples were all tangible and immediately restorative… except preaching the good news to the poor. Why is that? Or did we misunderstand it?
Signs For John the Baptist and For Us Read More »
I’ve noticed an interesting trend in my online discussions and readings: contempt as a starting point of interaction. I can only conclude that this issue has always been there, but I’m only newly noticing it. As I think about my own history, I realize that this was often how I approached others for years. So
The younger generation of Christians are looking a lot more like Caleb and Joshua than like Moses. They’re willing to go at risk with the Lord into a dangerous but bountiful new land. And it’s stirring up a lot of anger among the elders.
A Caleb Generation Read More »
It’s instructive to evaluate our immediate, automatic, and unspoken response to dramatic news. It tells us a lot about our inner selves. What was your first response to the news about Club Q?
To Live and Die at Club Q Read More »
