One of the best books I read for school this past term was Blue Note Preaching in a Post-Soul World by Otis Moss III, an exhortation for preachers to expand their capacity for seeing God in brokenness, and to hold up both pain and promise as essential qualities of the gospel. The book is effectively … Continue reading The Music of Words: Otis Moss’ “Blue Note Preaching”
Author: Steven Gomez
Reading Old And New
It's the end of another calendar year, and our cultural trends decree that we compile best-of lists for everything from the music we heard to the socks we wore. Not to mention the books we read. I haven't ranked mine in any order; they appear here as I've thought of them, along with a word … Continue reading Reading Old And New
On Character
A version of this article originally appeared in the Et Cetera, Regent College's student newspaper, on Dec 13, 2022. Sometimes the voice in my head gets too loud to ignore: the one that says I simply don’t measure up compared to others. It recites like a litany or a creed all the things I have … Continue reading On Character
Why We Smile At Funerals
I pack my bag to get ready for the day. The usual: notebook, laptop, lunch. And the little ball of anxiety, tight as rubber bands, that still expands the more I find to wrap around it. Where is hope to be found, and where the faith that stands on tip-toe? I pack my bag with … Continue reading Why We Smile At Funerals
On Notebooks
This article orginally appeared in the Et Cetera, Regent College's student newspaper, on September 6, 2022. Sometimes you’re asked to name those who’ve inspired you. I’m going to start answering: people who fill up notebooks. The pile of my unfinished notebooks is (I’ve measured) waist-high, though I just realized that I’ve forgotten to add my … Continue reading On Notebooks
Even As We Are Fully Known: C.S. Lewis’ “Letters to Malcolm”
In the spring of 1963, C.S. Lewis found himself confined by heart trouble to an armchair in his living room, wearing a catheter, and unable to go upstairs. Despite this forced inactivity—or possibly because of it—he had the chance to finally get his thoughts straight about a project he'd contemplated for some time, but had … Continue reading Even As We Are Fully Known: C.S. Lewis’ “Letters to Malcolm”
The Love That Gives Life
A week ago I preached for the first time at my new church, on the Gospel reading for that week. The service is neither livestreamed nor recorded, so I thought I would put the text up here. I'm not a very 'scholarly' preacher, even though I find a lot of scholarly issues and certainly the … Continue reading The Love That Gives Life
On Manhood
In the summer of 2020, when the pandemic still had an air of novelty and our interest in redefining ourselves was at its peak, I bought a new razor. I dumped the old plastic Mach 3 with its overpriced cartridge blades and ordered a solid, wood-handled safety razor; the kind where you unscrew the head … Continue reading On Manhood
Flowers
Spring is in evidence in this little corner of the planet. For most of my life I've been less than wild about the wild outdoors; hiking or camping are not my cups of tea, although I can enjoy a walk through the woods. But it is foolish to deny the life-brightening capacity of things that … Continue reading Flowers
Crossroads
As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. (Luke 23:26) Like every journey, it had unexpected crossroads and unpredictable turnings. I took the road in stride, my faith rewarded with safe … Continue reading Crossroads
Marginalia 