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!
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. […]
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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.
Last June, I posted an observation about pruning, and what I saw happening in 2020. Today I went out to harvest the wild blueberry bush in my front yard. This February I pruned it more heavily than ever before. Today was the first harvest after that pruning. Take a look at the increase. Here’s the
I learned a few new facts about grapevines this year that really amazed me. I think most Christians have been told, many times, the general principles of grapevines and pruning and how they relate to our spiritual growth, but I found out a few new things this year that made it even MORE interesting. I’ve
Being a “safe place” is hard. In two separate topics in the last year, I’ve been confronted with discovering that I had not been a “safe place” for others to talk about their real and personally-lived experiences. Both people are very close to me – much closer than an acquaintance, with whom I have regular
1,256 houses burned down. 215 more houses and businesses looted across 35 city blocks. At least 3 dozen, but more likely hundreds, of people of all ages dead. 6,000 more held under martial law armed guard to prevent further bloodshed. Firefighters turned away by armed rioters. An entire thriving business district and residential community wiped
The past year and its many upheavals has forced me to think hard about just where I place my trust, and what provides my peace. A president? A political party? The very nature and greatness of my nation? The stability and permanence of my cultural ideals? What I think of as “church?” The freedom to
