Couldn’t my singleness just be temporary?
In a recent sermon at Calvary the Hill Church in Seattle I shared about the difference between temporary and vocational singleness, and why we should consider vocational singleness instead of living in limbo. Temporary singleness is the default state everyone is born into, whereas vocational singleness is a lifetime vocation of singleness for the sake of doing kingdom work with undivided attention.
“Is God’s wisdom for gay people good and beautiful?” at Asbury Theological Seminary
Checkout this chapel offered at Asbury Theological Seminary exploring God's true, good, and beautiful for gay people. Many Christians are theologically convinced of historic sexual ethics, but what we believe to be true doesn’t seem to be leading to good and beautiful in the lives of the LGBT+ people we know. As Christians, we have an inherent sense that what’s true should also be good and beautiful. So how do we make that a reality for the LGBT+ people we love?
Watch my Lifetime Commitments to NFOB & Vocational Singleness
Watch my lifetime commitments to NFOB and vocational singleness, check out some early reflections, and read articles along my journey to lifetime commitments.
My Love Letter to NFOB
In anticipation of my lifetime commitments to vocational singleness and to the Nashville Family of Brothers, I wrote this letter…
What is God’s wisdom for everyone’s sexual stewardship?
What did God make us for as sexual beings? What best paths did God give us to enjoy sexuality to the fullest? How can we resist sexual temptation, generally?
How can a person discern between vocational singleness and Christian marriage?
Why discern God’s calling to vocational singleness or Christian marriage? How can we discern between vocational singleness and Christian marriage? How can pastors and parents help Christians discern well?
Can vocational singles do more kingdom work than married parents?
Jesus intended vocational singles to live "for the sake of the kingdom" by reinvesting the time and energy they would have used to raise kids to instead do even more non-child-raising kingdom work. 50% more. Let me explain.
Marriage is Not the Solution to Untamed Lust
Marriage isn't the solution to untamed lust. Some claim that "better to marry than to burn" in 1 Corinthians 7:9 means that people who find abstinence challenging are automatically called to marriage. That's a common misinterpretation that has particularly hurt mothers and children.
Christ’s Invitation to Discern Vocational Singleness
What is the vocational singleness that Jesus and Paul invited every Christian to consider? Is it still a call to family? How does one discern whether they’re called to vocational singleness?
Called, not Conscripted (to Celibacy)
Missio Alliance published a piece I wrote about volunteer versus conscription armies and the similarities to called versus involuntary celibacy.
Making lifetime commitments to vocational singleness & NFOB
After five years of intentional discernment, I am confident that God is calling me to permanently commit to vocational singleness and to the Nashville Family of Brothers. On Saturday, September 30th, I'm gonna make those commitments!
How did God call me to vocational singleness?
I went on the Adventures in Theology podcast with Brayden Brookshier to talk about vocational singleness, including how God called me to vocational singleness. By the end of college I had experienced multiple long periods of singleness and studied Jesus & Paul's words about lifetime singleness for the sake of the kingdom…
Christ's dating advice for college non-Christians
At a public theology seminar hosted by the Charleston Anglican Cathedral Church, I got to encourage non-Christian college students to trade their hookup apps for more friendship and more public service…
Vocational Singleness is a Gospel Cornerstone
Some who know Jesus experience crippling doubt. Others who don’t yet know Jesus see a Creation in chaos. Christ’s promises seem to ring hollow, the kingdom is coming too slowly, the gospel feels feeble. Thankfully a potent vehicle of kingdom work and kingdom hope for the early Church is available to God’s people today, if we will only embrace and nourish it. Amid Christ’s ministry on earth, he instituted a vocation meant to give us hope for the kingdom to come and to bring forth that kingdom with undivided attention: the vocation of singleness.
Exploring the Gift of Singleness in the Bible
Read this interview with RENEW.org exploring what Jesus and Paul taught about vocational singleness. Plus learn how our churches can better support those called to abstinent singleness for the sake of the kingdom.
The Ascetic Fetish
Christian celibacy is a tragically misunderstood concept. Depictions of kingdom singleness, from Renaissance paintings to modern television shows, often misrepresent Christ's invitation and early Church practices, tempting some ordinary Christians to ignore their calling and others to indulge in a caricature of the vocation of Jesus. These thoughts swirled through my mind as I took up an invitation to spend a holiday weekend at a friend’s house in the land of 1000 lakes…
Recognizing & Responding to Romance Idolatry
What does idolatry of romance look like? How can Christians respond by right-sizing expectations of marriage, raising expectations of friendship, investing in thicker family in the body of Christ, and offering greater support for vocational singleness?
Building Committed Christian Community
My hope for the Church is that gay celibate Christians would find real family. What kind of family are we all made for? How can vocational singles, regardless of sexual orientation, build the permanent family they need?
A Pandemic of Romance Idolatry
Tiger King. Schitt's Creek. Perhaps the most popular shows of covid-times tells us something about what we value. Perhaps it reveals that we've suffered from a pandemic of romance idolatry long before masks and vaccines.