Joseph Givens

Caffeinated Chronicles Part 13: From Suitcase to Soulwork – Mission Year, Pictionary, and the Blues Musician from Memphis

Oof, it’s been a while. I believe my last post in this series had me talking about signing up for Mission Year. Wow, how am I going to cover that year in one post? Maybe I won’t. I applied for this program out of a deep desire to find like-minded people who wanted to liveContinue reading “Caffeinated Chronicles Part 13: From Suitcase to Soulwork – Mission Year, Pictionary, and the Blues Musician from Memphis”

Not About Hell: What Jesus Really Meant by the Narrow Path

“Go in through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction is broad and the road wide, so many people enter through it. But the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it. –(Matthew 7:13, 14, Common English Bible). What does the above passage mean toContinue reading “Not About Hell: What Jesus Really Meant by the Narrow Path”

You Are Loved: The Central Message of Scripture

My friends, There is one simple truth in Scripture that can change everything about our world. But we often fail to take it seriously. Consider the words of John: “This is love: it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as the sacrifice that deals with ourContinue reading “You Are Loved: The Central Message of Scripture”

Stop Striving: An Incomplete Interpretation of Psalm 46:10

What if we’ve misunderstood one of the most quoted verses in the Bible? What I’m speaking of is Psalm 46:10. I learned this verse as a young person, and we always used the King James Version (KJV), so this is how I memorized it: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will beContinue reading “Stop Striving: An Incomplete Interpretation of Psalm 46:10”

We Already Know the Answer. We Just Choose not to Live It.

I’ve been sitting with a question from the Gospel of Luke lately, a question that has echoed across centuries: “Who is my neighbor?” For context, this question comes from a moment when a lawyer was trying to trip up Jesus. This lawyer would have been extremely familiar with the most intimate details of the JewishContinue reading “We Already Know the Answer. We Just Choose not to Live It.”

Caffeinated Chronicles: Part 12–From Holding Back to Leaning In: Faith, Pacifism, and the Girl with Curly Hair

Hello, my friends, I’m sorry for the extended silence. It’s become harder to write these posts. As I get further into the story, there are more things I want to say, more details to share. Like all people, as I got older, my life became more complex, as has the story I want to tell.Continue reading “Caffeinated Chronicles: Part 12–From Holding Back to Leaning In: Faith, Pacifism, and the Girl with Curly Hair”

Failing the Commandments, Clinging to Mercy

Father, You gave us two rules and we didn’t keep either of them. The story of humanity is the story of you telling us the same things over and over and of us failing to follow. For some reason we humans feel the need to create more rules for ourselves, to misinterpret the things you’veContinue reading “Failing the Commandments, Clinging to Mercy”

Shoots of Spring

I was a young idealist. I thought the world could change, That green shoots of spring would emerge From the dark frosty ground. If I could just say the right words Then people would hear; Their minds and hearts would open To the suffering they now ignore. The world could be better If people cameContinue reading “Shoots of Spring”

Against the Darkness: Living Out the Gospel in Troubled Times

Ok, I’ve got to say something. I can’t just leave it open to interpretation. I try not to be overly political here, and I’ll try to continue to maintain my sense of grace when I discuss these things. However, this fight is real. It seems that the Powers of Darkness are winning, and I won’tContinue reading “Against the Darkness: Living Out the Gospel in Troubled Times”

Caffeinated Chronicles: Part 11 – From Fundamentalism to Fractured Faith: Seeking a Holistic Gospel

Hello, once again, Introduction It’s getting harder to write these posts because there are so many things I want to say that to include everything would be a never-ending quest. I want to hit the highlights of my theological development, but there are so many twists and turns in my own mind that it’s trulyContinue reading “Caffeinated Chronicles: Part 11 – From Fundamentalism to Fractured Faith: Seeking a Holistic Gospel”