@reverendwild1.bsky.social
Pastor. Professor. Sociologist. Author. Coach. Consultant. https://passionalchurch.substack.com/
Heading to Walnut Ridge, AR to share #NeverAlone with United Women in Faith, honoring the women who shaped my faith, from my grandmother to countless mentors. UWF has lived βlove in actionβ since 1869, changing the world for women, children & youth. Please keep us in prayer!
05.09.2025 12:39 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0For 15 years weβve been being church in tattoo parlors. Hereβs our gathering today in Ocala.
Many in our community may never step inside a conventional sanctuary, but here we circle around the Risen Jesus.
What people group in your community will remain unreached if church stays attractional-only?
the world the same way again. Sociology isnβt just a field of study in which to master content, itβs about discovering a new superpower: the ability to see hidden patterns, question assumptions, and understand the deeper forces shaping our lives and communities.
Please cover us ππ½
βLord, fill these seats with students, and fill the students who sit in them with your Spirit. Amen.
This morning begins a journey with a new group of learners. Iβll share with them that no matter their major or career path, once they encounter the sociological perspective, theyβll never see the
So excited to discover Rooted in the Wild is a #1 New Release!
Iβm deeply grateful for each of you who have supported my writing. Thank you π
The book is available on Amazon today, check it out ππ½
#ReleaseDay #RootedInTheWild
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0FF...
Ferguson is learning Koine Greek this summer π
12.07.2025 13:53 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0Have you tried to start something new only to hear, "tried that, didn't work"?
You are not alone! Hereβs some thoughts on why that becomes the organizational default and how we might move the needle in an environment shaped by that kind of skepticism...
open.substack.com/pub/passiona...
How is it that two people can interpret the same situation in such profoundly different ways?
Americans increasingly inhabit non-overlapping plausibility structures. One personβs trusted journalist is anotherβs βenemy of the people.β
passionalchurch.substack.com/p/war-of-the...
Not exactly what I said but close enough!
βWho do you say I am?β
www.youtube.com/live/BKJuhCQ...
Whatβs most alarming is the collapse of compassion and the rise of cruelty as a political virtue, where empathy is mocked and power is measured by how much pain one can inflict on the vulnerable. (3)
open.substack.com/pub/passiona...
At the same time, we face a growing anti-intellectualism that thrives on keeping people uninformed, trapping the working class in an echo chamber of misinformation and fear. (2)
28.06.2025 12:29 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0π§΅We are living in dangerous times.
We have a president who is profoundly ignorant of history, law, and social theory, yet skillful in co-opting Christian language to baptize violence, exclusion, racism, and American exceptionalism. (1)
Angel and I stopped by the local bookstore yesterday. Itβs always special to see your own work on the shelf. Weβre having a picnic and book signing Wednesday afternoon, and Iβd love for any Lakesiders to join us. Come say hello, grab a book, and share some good conversation under the summer sky!
23.06.2025 11:19 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0Angel, Alexander, & I are heading up to Ohio. Excited to share this sacred space & make new memories. Iβm the resident theologian at the Lakeside Chautauqua this week. The theme of my sermons & lectures is βsharing the gift of community in a lonely world.β If youβre in the area letβs connect!
21.06.2025 14:39 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0Juneteenth calls us not just to remember, but to resist.
As W. E. B. Du Bois said:
βNow is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient seasonβ (The Souls of Black Folk).
Letβs keep pressing forward, for truth, for liberation, for all.
#Juneteenth #EmancipationDay #AbsoluteEquality
π§΅Today we honor Juneteenth, a celebration of freedom, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of justice.
While we celebrate, we must also name the truth: the current administration has emboldened efforts to roll back civil rights, suppress voting access, and whitewash history.
Writing has always been a spiritual discipline for me. Itβs a bonus if others read with me. This week I became a Substack Bestseller and hit #4 on the Rising Contributors list in Faith & Spirituality. π
Join the conversation!
open.substack.com/pub/passiona...
Fascism playbook, βfascinate fools and muzzle the intelligent.β
Russell, Bertrand. Freedom and Organization: 1814β1914. London: Allen & Unwin, 1934.
open.substack.com/pub/passiona...
Lord, fill this space with people, fill the people who gather here with your Spirit, amen!
11.06.2025 01:04 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0Our nation is once again erupting with civil disobedience. As citizens protest with courage and conviction, they are met with vulgar displays of militarized power. Foolishness saturates our feeds, broadcast through black mirrors, 24/7. And wisdom? Increasingly rare
open.substack.com/pub/passiona...
Current mood.
07.06.2025 21:55 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0This morning our Fresh Expressions Cultivators presented a report on the 200+ new faith communities across our conference! #FLUMC25
06.06.2025 18:48 β π 3 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0ππ½
open.substack.com/pub/passiona...
If this trajectory continues, academic institutions risk becoming instruments of political control rather than places of critical inquiry, research, innovation, and truth-seeking. 4/
04.06.2025 11:44 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0we were informed that all graduate instructors must now use a standardized, pre-selected text.
This signals a dangerous politicization of higher education, where ideological conformity is prioritized over providing a quality educational experience to our students. 3/