Author: Aaron J. Smith
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Because No One Has Hired Us
The office was small and cramped. A desk took up most of the room, but there was a couch. White, if I remember correctly. I was sitting on it, talking to Jerry. As he faced me, we discussed this thing I was doing. Maybe it was a church plant; perhaps it was just an alternative… Read more
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ATMN Byron Borger- Embodied Words
Friends, today we get to talk with Byron Borger. Before opening the Hearts & Minds Bookstore, Byron worked in college ministry for the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach), working on staff of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in McKeesport, PA, as well as working on various peace and justice issues while being an Associate Director of The… Read more
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Christ the King Sunday
The Utah day was sunny, not too warm. I was feeling well and enjoying it. I prayed my rosary as I walked, which I often did in my early twenties. Everything seemed right in the world. As I prayed, “The whole earth is filled with his glory,” my eyes fell on the dead, decomposing bird on the… Read more
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The Point of Evangelism
I believe in hell. The hell I believe in is empty, though. Hell has been harrowed and sits as nothing more than a mausoleum memorial to the universal salvific power of Christ’s love. It is a shadow, a memory, with no power to terrify or threaten any more. Hell is a no place, a no… Read more
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A Church on Fire
The evangelical church in the United States of America is on fire. This isn’t the fire we prayed for, sang about, and worked towards in youth groups. This isn’t being sold out for Jesus, being all in on faith. This isn’t being on fire for God. No, this is a dumpster fire, a Gahanna, a… Read more
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ATMN Episode: Erin Jean Warde-Sober Spirituality
This week, we get to talk to a long time internet friend Erin Jeane Warde. The Rev. Erin Jean Warde (she/her) is an Episcopal priest, spiritual director, recovery coach, and writer. She is the author of Sober Spirituality: The Joy of a Mindful Relationship with Alcohol. She offers a course, Discerning Sobriety, which helps participants bring spiritual… Read more
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ATMN: Terry J. Stokes-Jesus and the Abolitionists
The Rev. Terry J. Stokes is an anarchist theologian who seeks to foster political and spiritual radicalization through his writing and speaking. He holds degrees from Yale University and Princeton Theological Seminary, and was ordained by Park Avenue Baptist Church. They live on Munsee Lenape land (central NJ) and work with children and youth as… Read more
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ATMN Episode: Stephen D. Morrison-All Riches Come From Injustice
Friends, this week we get to talk to a new friend and theologian, Stephen D. Morrison. Stephen D. Morrison is a prolific American writer, ecumenical theologian, novelist, and literary critic. He is best known for the Plain English Series (Karl Barth in Plain English), which examines the work of modern theologians from the perspective of… Read more
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ATMN Episode: W. Scott McAndless-Retelling the Bible
Friends, this time we get to talk to a new friend, W. Scott McAndless. W. Scott McAndless is an ordained minister with the Presbyterian Church in Canada. He lives and works in Cambridge, Ontario in Canada. About a decade ago, Scott wrote and published the book “Caesar’s Census, God’s Jubilee,” which offered a new interpretation… Read more
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Call Him Here
The gatekeepers of this world stand proud, haughty, wielding power to keep their authority absolute. They keep people deemed unworthy, outside, marginalized, and unless you meet their strict criteria, you too become one of the shunned. Filled with ideas of propriety and decorum, the gatekeepers dictate when hoops you must jump through, what rules you… Read more