(Enjoy this final post in Alan Hirsch's eleven-part series.) When the church gets its act together, it is the most potent force for the transformation of the world. One of the most profound ways to embody countercultural dissents against the…
Pastoral ministry can be a hazardous occupation. Many get into this work with a noble and godly calling: to bring glory to Jesus by shepherding and equipping his flock to make disciples who make disciples. However, too many of…
(Post ten in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read part eleven here.) The kingdom works covertly to undermine the way things are now and to initiate God’s rule in its place. Contrary to a narrow fundamentalist understanding of…
(Post nine in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read post ten here.) Stop being overly “spiritual,” using insider, religious language, to talk about God—it mostly alienates people. The reality is, to become a missional Christian, we begin by simply…
(Post eight in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read part seven here.) We live as if there is an insurmountable distance between the “sacred” and the “secular.” One of the important dimensions of incarnational mission is to break…
Will leaders, called of God to minister, rise to the challenge of equipping the body to do the work of evangelizing others to Christ during this unique and pivotal time in the life of the church? At times, outreach…
(Post seven in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read post six here.) It is false to say that only Christians can experience God. One of the most basic assumptions of the incarnational missionary is to assume God is already…
(Post six in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read post five here.) Don’t presume you really know what’s going on. A few years ago I ran and organized a conference called St. Paul Goes to the Movies. The idea…
(Post five in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read part four here) Whether we like it or not, we live in a world that is culturally fragmented and fragmenting. We are called to be a missional (move-out) people, and…
(Post four in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read post three here) Every Christian is a missionary, and we are called to live out our commitment to Jesus’ lordship in every sphere and domain of life. The first…
(Post three in an eleven-part series from Alan Hirsch. Read post two here.) You are the church before you do church. If we take Jesus at his word when he says, “As the Father has sent me, I am…
We have lost the art of thoughtful dialogue. Left to ourselves, we seem to avoid controversy or handle it poorly. It's impolite to discuss religion or politics. These are issues held with the head and the heart. Beliefs become convictions,…
Listening to and Pursuing Unity with Jesus’ Church
"This Jesus-way of bringing his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven has a lot of political implications." - Craig Greenfield We're going to bring this introductory series to "Politics with Jesus in Mind" to a close with…
The Story of God and Our Practices of Justice Today
"Faithful political action is about pursuing public justice." - Rev. Dr. Michael Goheen in Seeking the Justice of the Kingdom This post is the 2nd in a 3-part introductory series entitled, "Politics with Jesus in Mind." The first post was:…
How the Hope of Belonging to Jesus Shapes Our Politics
"Our most revolutionary political act is to hope." - James K.A. Smith Awaiting the King: Reforming Public Theology Introduction To Become a People Who Consider What to Say, How to Say It, and Are Quick to Listen and Be…
This post is the fifth post in a series based on a conversation with Rich Plass on the Saturate Podcast. You can listen to the episode here. Jared Pickney: Rich, we know you've done a lot of work on…
The Holy Spirit will not allow me to issue statements signaling my stand against racism without confessing my sin and the cacophony of clanging idols that have become my first loves and have blossomed into the first fruits of…
This post is the fourth post in a series based on a conversation with Rich Plass on the Saturate Podcast. You can listen to the episode here. Brad Watson: I think what you’ve described is some of the beauty…
I've been asked by a handful of people what resources have been helpful for me in my own process of listening and learning about racial reconciliation and justice. I have so much to learn, but I'm happy to point…
Note: The last seven days have brought renewed and visceral images of systemic racism in our culture and society. We are members of that culture and we’re appalled by it. George Floyd was a brother in Christ, killed on…
This post is the third post in a series based on a conversation with Rich Plass on the Saturate Podcast. You can listen to the episode here. Jared Pickney: That's helpful. Would you say that one of the…
This post is the second post in a series based on a conversation with Rich Plass on the Saturate Podcast. You can listen to the episode here. Adam Breckenridge: Rich, I've heard you say that we are permeable souls.…
This post is the first in a series based on a conversation with Rich Plass on the Saturate Podcast. You can listen to the episode here. Brad Watson: Jared Pickney, Adam Breckenridge, and myself were able to talk with…
This post is part of a series on Caring and Sharing Hope during COVID-19. If you haven’t yet, read the first post in the series here. Not-yet-believers have been and will be deeply affected by COVID-19. If they’re not connected…
Gospel Fluency in COVID-19 from Saturate on Vimeo. When we're faced with a crisis our tendency often goes to management. How can I manage my behavior, emotions, and beliefs? How can I manage other people's behavior, emotions, and…
One of my favorite things in my book A Field Guide for Everyday Mission is the “101 ways” we suggested, to help followers of Jesus engage not-yet-believing neighbors, co-workers and friends in winsome, tangible, and meaningful ways. In a…
This post is part of a series on Caring and Sharing Hope during COVID-19. If you haven't yet, read the first post in the series here. What Might a “Care Call” Look Like? Prepare Well and Ask Good Questions…
What if the thing most remembered about 2020 was the way that the church responded? What if our churches became more famous for love, both internally and externally? After all, love — for God, for one another, for neighbors,…
In a recent conversation with a sister in Christ, she told me, “Pastor, I find it incredibly hard to be happy in days like this. When I can’t know what God is doing and why he is doing it, I…
Once when my husband was on his way to a meeting, he saw a woman loudly screaming at the air as she stood in the middle of the street. Everyone nearby heard about the abuse she and her children…
We have two apple trees in our backyard. All spring our family watches as first leaves, then buds, then flowers grow on the branches. Then, we finally see apples appear— first small and green, but eventually plump and red.…
It was not a question I ever expected; it was not a question I ever thought I’d have to answer. A half-week into the COVID-19 lockdown, I ended an email to a pastor with the phrase, “Let me know…
When I moved to Los Angeles, I never thought I would have over two months of parenting that looked so much like Swiss Family Robinson and Little House on the Prairie. But, here we are. We’re working at home, eating…
We're about to embark on perhaps the strangest and best Easter of our lives. It will be an Easter without large brunches, egg hunts, and large worship services. In fact, it will be an Easter of sheltering in place, rising…
There’s a time to create content and build a resource. And then there’s a time to stop, wait, feel, listen, and pray. As a team at Saturate, we’ve felt the need to go slow and not rush. We believe we…
My wife took our three young kids to her parents’ house this week to add some variety to the suddenly three-week spring break produced by coronavirus-related school closures. The kids are enjoying the longer break and playing with cousins, while…
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