Tip #3: Good Writers are Good Readers

I’ve had many writing teachers over the last few years, though I’ve never met most of them and some of them were dead. Of course, you don’t have to be physically in one’s presence to learn from them. You can learn from someone through the transmission of their ideas and studying their work.

In my last post,...

Humans unfortunately have a tendency to accept the status quo. We’re like the arcade machine aliens from Toy Story, seemingly pre-programmed to respond in certain ways. After all, common advice says if you “keep your head down, do what you are told, and wait your turn,” you will likely advance over time. If you break with convention or...

Tip #2: Hone Your Craft

We’ve all heard a pastor, basketball coach, or parent use “the muscle analogy” when referring to the importance of practice. The point is well taken: when it comes to any life skill, you have to work if you want to grow and develop. The same thing holds true for writing.

One of my mentors told me years ago that if I wanted...

Recently, I wrote a column in Christianity Today in response to the question, "How concerned should Christians be about environmental care?" The title of my column was "As Much as God Is" and it centered in on the connections between creation care and the gospel. The following is that column. Take a look and leave your comments where you think...

In 1984, Van Halen released their sixth album entitled, MCMLXXXIV, with eye-catching cover art featuring an angelic baby . . . casually smoking a cigarette. Such a cover was controversial 26 years ago, inciting the ire of many religious Americans. Despite the controversy, the art itself raises a profound, theological question about the...

When I felt a calling to be a writer in October of 2004, I was completely unqualified. I had no formal education in the field. My Bachelor's degree was in Biology, which is about as helpful for breaking into the writing world as a degree in knitting, and I tested out of all college-level English courses except one in Civil War Literature....

As Americans reel from the worst environmental disaster in our nation's history, the Christian community has been forced to ask difficult questions about our witness on environmental issues. How should we respond when the structures of human society cause mass damage to the world, our wildlife, vulnerable people, and our economy?

Using the oil...

This piece originally published on RelevantMagazine.com

What does the Gulf oil spill symbolize to you? Perhaps American consumerism? Maybe the incredible potential of human beings to destroy creation? What about the coming apocalypse? According to a recent Newsweek article by Lisa Miller entitled, “Blood in the Water,” some Christians see...

Looks like Christians aren’t the only ones with an image problem. Now Atheists are now struggling with the way people perceive their movement. "Atheism is quite often mistakenly seen as a cold and distant world, rather than the beautiful, important, and engaging philosophy that it is," says Matt Luckhurst, an MFA student at the School of...

This article originally appeared on Washington Post's "On Faith"

The most destructive oil leak in U.S. history has been devastating: 11 people are dead, approximately 20 million gallons of oil now drift along the western coast of Florida, destroying or threatening untold numbers of birds and marine wildlife, and wreaking unknown economic...

Over one month ago, the massive BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico exploded beneath the surface, causing unbelievable damage. The blast killed 11 people, and hundreds of gallons of oil have poured into the ocean at the rate of at least 210,000 gallons per day. Over one month later, oil is still gushing and criticism of BP and the U.S. ...

Belief in God and eternity and other basic religious assertions have dominated public opinion surveys for some time, but there are some who now believe that non-belief may...

This article first appeared on Washington Post's "On Faith" Blog.

Everyone seems to be going green these days, even a growing number in the faith community. A recent Sierra Club survey reported that 67 percent of Americans said they care about the earth because it is "God's creation," a figure that has prompted many secular environmental...

The following is adapted from Green Like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet .

The area surrounding Raleigh, North Carolina where I lived during seminary is one of the premier regions for factory farming in the United States. For two years, whenever I flew into Raleigh-Durham International Airport, I would peer out my oval window...

This three-part post was originally published in Preaching Magazine

D.A. Carson in his essay on "Challenges for the Twenty-First Century Pulpit" discusses what Paul meant when he says in Acts 20:27, that he did not shrink from preaching "the whole purpose of God" (NASB). Carson writes,

"[Paul] taught the burden of the whole of God's...

This three-part post was originally published in Preaching Magazine

I became an environmentalist at a Southern Baptist Seminary.

Several years ago, I was in a systematic theology class at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary when the discussion shifted to the revelation of God. My professor began sharing with us about the two ...

This three-part post was originally published in Preaching Magazine

In 1843, Ludwig Feuerbach proclaimed, "Nature, the world, has no value, no interest for Christians. The Christian thinks only of himself and the salvation of his soul." Feuerbach wasn't the only one to claim such a thing. In the 1967 issue of Science, Lynne White Jr. ...

This article was originally published on RelevantMagazine.com.

In 1969, a Democratic Senator from Wisconsin had a novel idea that would change the world. In response to the Santa Barbara oil spill, Gaylord Nelson proposed a holiday for the environment. Environmental concerns existed at the street level in that time, but they had never...

The American people are growing increasingly disillusioned with politics. Broken promises are now accepted as part of the "political process," partisan in-fighting increasingly prohibits legislative progress, and front-page scandals are more likely to induce a yawn than outrage. As a result, the American people are consistently giving Congress...

Today, American President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the most expansive nuclear arms treaty in more than 10 years. The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) comes after a year of negotiations between the U.S. and Russia on the subject. It will eliminate some of our outdated weaponry and reduce the size of...

Matthew Sleeth is one of the kindest, gentlest, and most inspiring people I know. A former emergency room doctor, Matthew stepped away from the medical profession years ago to pursue a higher calling: caring for God's creation. Today, Matthew is one of the most sought after speakers addressing a Christian approach to environmentalism.

I first...

Anne Leonard is at it again. The girl who brought us "The Story of Stuff" has released a new video, "The Story of Bottled Water." The 8-minute video was released in honor of World Water Day tells of the bottled water industry's slick environmental-themed campaigns and the mountains of needless plastic waste they produce.

I'm a...

The 7th anniversary of the war in Iraq seems like an appropriate time to seriously look at and think through the morality of war. In Afghanistan and Iraq, war is dragging on at a pace even Aesop might question, and Christians have reignited the age-old debate on how we should address war. Traditionally, this debate has had only two sides: Just...

Today, I published an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution titled, "Fox's Beck Should Quit Preaching." The article centers in on Glenn Beck's recent comments about socially conscious Christians:

Glenn Beck, a popular conservative and Fox News television personality, is famous for sounding political alarms and giving teary-eyed...

My first years following college were some of the most difficult of my life. I partied often, worked out of necessity, and spent countless hours staring into my bedroom ceilng and wondering, "What am I supposed to do with my life?" The problem for me, and I think the problem for many twentysomethings today, is that we aren't grounded in our...

I my heart palpitates for the work of Compassion International and World Vision. But in these economic times, some people don't have $40.00 per month in disposable income. Many people are living on low, fixed incomes but still want to give something to a worthy cause. These people have a widow's mite, but they need a treasury that works for...

This week, my friends over at Renewal released their Green Awakenings Report, a run down of creation care initiatives at fifty Christian colleges. Some of the findings weren't expected. I assumed I'd find schools like Goshen College, Calvin College, Eastern Mennonite University doing good work. But I was shocked to find conservative Christian...

I first learned of Matthew Paul Turner when I read The Christian Culture Survival Guide, a satirical look at the wonderful world of American Christianity. I laughed, I cried . . . Actually, I just laughed. A lot. I knew then that Matthew Paul Turner wasn't going away. Today, Matthew has written or contributed to over a dozen books on subjects...

Oprah Winfrey is one of the wealthiest and most influential people in America. She is also one of the most controversial among people of faith. Winfrey's motto is "Live your best life," a maxim which bears eerie resemblance to the title of Joel Osteen's bestselling book and influences her talk show, magazine, book club, and unique brand of...

This article was originally published on RelevantMagazine.com.

I don't know when it began. The moment when Napster launched, maybe. Whenever it was, it set off a cultural ripple infecting the masses with an insatiable desire for more, faster and free. It's called the free culture movement, and it advocates increased access to creative goods...