The Church or the Family?

By Calvin Lane There is, arguably, no greater imperative for the Church at this moment than deep formation in the Christian narrative. Everything we do hinges on our story, the story we hold deep within that... Read More...

Tradition for Teens

I wonder what personal attraction draws teenagers to traditional Catholic devotion?

Youth ministry as parish ministry: Sui Generis no more

The “entertainment model” of youth ministry is conditioning our young adults to see their walk with Jesus as one activity (among many) that can be dropped when they are too busy or it isn’t “fun” anymore.

Forgetting our memory verses

Among the greatest gifts of my upbringing in a little prairie Lutheran church was all of the Bible memory verses. My wife had a similar upbringing, and my memory for verses is not what hers is, but nevertheless it does not take much for them to come to mind, e... Read More...

Hot pockets and the hierarchy of good

Teenage boys like Hot Pockets. I do not know why. They also do crazy things like destroying microwaves with overheated Oreos. That’s a new one for me. I’m just settling in to my new job as a boarding school ... Read More...

The rotten fruit of ‘niceness’

The problem is that a gospel of niceness provides little support for the true terror and tragedy of life. It doesn’t stand up to death, loss, failure, and the reality of other people’s sinfulness and our own.