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 "deprogramming," "deconstruction," "reconstruction"... pick whatever term you want, but basically a process carefully examining many different aspects of my social, political, and religious beliefs to see what really 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.
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.“ – Mark Twain? I have a very long history with a certain mode of sociopolitical thinking. Nearly everything in my upbringing viewed the world that way. All the data that informed my thinking was […]
Bunkers of Thought Read More »
There’s a big difference between(a) analyzing and identifying and understanding the existing divisions and groupings of people,and(b) causing division between people. I propose that failing to accurately understand existing groups and their uniqueness and specific concerns is actually more divisive, because it inevitably leads to animosity when they are singled out either for special or
Let’s talk about being “made in the image of God” – the “Imago Dei.” Perhaps we’ve played right into our enemy’s plans to disrupt the maturing of the eternal Body of Christ. The Creation of Mankind The NASB translates Genesis 1:26-27 this way: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to
In the Image of God Read More »
A Christian coffee shop that I know about has a non-binary-identifying employee. The shop’s motto is “Love God, Love People, Love Coffee,” and their Facebook presence is full of customers celebrating God’s love. The shop chose to celebrate God’s love for that individual on social media a couple days ago. I’m deeply disappointed. Surprise: It’s
It occurred to me recently that I’ve had far more training at our church in various classes and recommendations from the pulpit on how to make my money work for me to secure my future, than training in how to make that money effectively serve the poor and needy in my community. Our financial training
Live Like No One Else… but why? Read More »
As a man, I’ve always identified more with verses about being a son or king or priest than being a daughter or queen. Lately the Lord has been talking to me about being the Bride of Christ, and what that looks like. All my life, I’ve been interested in Revelations, and the verses about the
“CRT denies that objective truth exists.” “CRT denies that objective truth exists in current politics and social science.” Those are two dramatically different assertions. The phrase “objective truth” has suddenly become a common talking point by anti-CRT activists and politicians. They assert that CRT denies that objective truth exists, period. Just Google “CRT objective truth”
CRT and “Objective Truth” Read More »
“Come now, let us reason together; though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow.” That’s a favorite verse for many Christians, myself included. What recently caught my attention was the context in Isaiah 1: “Stop doing evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, obtain justice for the orphan,
Hello, world. 2020 and 2021 have been a challenge for everyone. To me, the process felt like a refining, like living through a crucible experience. Many things in my life were burned away. Many choices had to be made about what really matters. Gold cannot be refined in a crucible without fire, without significant heat.
By Way of Introduction Read More »
Here’s today’s parable: I didn’t really feel like picking berries today. But I realized that I don’t get to choose when the harvest is ready. I either respond to the Lord’s timing, or the fruit is wasted.
