PinnedMember-only“Modest is Hottest” is not in the BibleSince at least the 1950s, conservative evangelicalism’s overarching sexual ethic has put a substantive emphasis on “modesty” — that is, how [Christian] women dress, specifically in terms of highlighting their sensuality. I admit that I hesitate to make a blanket statement like this, because I don’t mean to belittle the…Christianity9 min readChristianity9 min read
Sep 13How To Be A Buddhist Jewish Christian Pagan AtheistMost of us are familiar with the image, often seen on bumper stickers, of the symbols of various world religions spelling out the word “COEXIST,” a clever plea for tolerance and pluralism in a world that so often seems hell bent (pun intended) toward the opposite. But I find myself…Deconstruction11 min readDeconstruction11 min read
Mar 10, 2022Why I Am Running For Congress in TennesseeHi. I’m Joel. I’m 33, married for 11 years and the father of 3 elementary aged kids, and I live in South Nashville. I’m a United Methodist minister, a small business owner, and a singer-songwriter, like about 97.2% of this town. I’m running for Congress because I believe in this…Politics4 min readPolitics4 min read
Feb 5, 2021Member-onlyMarjorie Taylor Greene Doesn’t Surprise Me in the Least, and that Scares MeOne of the biggest ongoing issues I face as an adult from growing up in sheltered, fundamentalist Christian circles is how much I take for granted that the rest of the world knows about extremism. …Politics5 min readPolitics5 min read
Dec 26, 2020Member-onlyCommon Sense PoliticsIt’s easy to get overwhelmed by the news, by politics, by the constant onslaught of issues that seem never-ending and unnecessarily complex. It’s easy to feel like the issues facing us are nearly impossible to solve. They’re not. It’s time for a return to common-sense politics, a retreat from the…Health Care5 min readHealth Care5 min read
Dec 7, 2020Member-onlyNo One Is Put TogetherWhen I was in my early 20s, I had a hard-to-obtain meeting with the COO of the organization I was working for. It’s hard to overestimate how much the staff and interns idolized this guy. He was and is a fantastic leader, always dedicated to improving his leadership ability, emotional…Leadership4 min readLeadership4 min read
Aug 12, 2020Member-onlyHow to Cope with the Blustery Days in the 100-Acre WoodDearest Ones, I’m writing today to encourage you, if you find yourself in a similar situation to me. Like many Americans, my livelihood was drastically disrupted by COVID-19. On top of that, we moved across the country in a move that was already planned, right as everything closed down. That…Pandemic4 min readPandemic4 min read
Apr 15, 2020Member-onlyDo We Know Jesus At All? I Fear the Answer.The “Religious Right,” it seems, is principally concerned with two things when it comes to reforming society: abortion and “religious freedom.” This is ironic, because, as “people of the Book,” ostensibly, Christians ought to emphasize what Scripture emphasizes, no? Doubtless, there were forms of abortion in ancient times. The Bible…Religious Right4 min readReligious Right4 min read
Jun 3, 2019Member-only“Voting My Conscience,” Re:ConsiderOne of the most sacred duties we have as American citizens is the right to vote. For whatever holes in the system you might think there are, or mechanisms that stifle the democratic process and keep the status quo intact, the fact remains that we still have the right to…Politics5 min readPolitics5 min read
Published inHuman Parts·May 23, 2019Member-onlyI Didn’t Want to Go to HellOne thing I learned from the cult of my youth: Dressing lies pretty don’t make it the truth — When I was 7 years old I walked down an aisle Because I didn’t want to Go to hell What a thing to tell a kid And as long as I can remember I wondered If anyone could break the spell Of the shame I felt As a 7-year-old boy …Religion4 min readReligion4 min read
