ReImagining
Christianity

I am Borderland wanderer in search of the hereto unobserved, always have been, and still am. The collection of Curious George stuff in my office is not there by happenstance. I am a curious being who pokes into things and often asks, “Why?”

I refuse to be boxed in. I am not easily swayed by dogma of any stripe. I tend to be mystical and a subversive who probes the unexplored material and spiritual wildlands of life.

I am the one looking around.

I am a Christian, a Jesus-follower, whose faith streams are multi-sourced. My God-thinking is speculative, lightly held, progressive and drawn from Celtic Christianity, Christian Universalism and the broad-meaning of the “Incarnation.” Putting it all together: I am a liberal Christian Universalist who draws inspiration from Celtic Christianity, Christian Universalism, and in particular, from the Incarnation, as I seek to see the Face of Christ in the ordinary and build a larger table to accommodate the entirety of the universe.

It is in the garden that I find God. It is through the camera lens that I learn to see that which is between the line formed by the overlapping of lines. It is everywhere that I seek to see the Face of God. It is with the written word that I seek to express my ponderings and speculative observations.

And I enjoy a robust conversation.

I go by “Frank,” not “Reverend” or “Professor,” although I was both.

For the pragmatic, I am a ordained minister and university professor (retired from both). My church roots are in the old United Presbyterian Church, although today, many branches have been grafted on to that root stock. As a professor I taught primarily in the field of Celtic Studies, although on occasion I branched into urban studies and elsewhere. For several years I also worked as an urban consultant, specializing in neighborhood behaviors and future-visioning.

Although retired, I spend time pondering how we might reimagine Christianity for a meta-modern age. I write, as well as review books, and manage the Liberal Christian Universalist and Reimagining Christianity Facebook Groups. I still preach, officiates weddings and funerals, and teach various classes (Celtic, Urban, etc.) online and in-person, as the opportunity arises. I also dabble with photography: Words+Images.“Freedom of religion too easily translates into the emptiness of freedom from religion. Without strong and vigorous structures, vital worshiping communities, and a faith that sustains more than a self-satisfied few through times of crisis and hardship, our much vaunted freedom and openness remain spiritless abstractions. We must not forget that what we offer is an alternative religion, not an alternative to religion. It is religion modified and shaped by the principles of freedom and open process; it is a liberal religion, but a religion nonetheless.” – Forest Church, “The Church Of The Future In Light Of Our Past”

Plotting my escape from the "box."

If you would like me to speak to your group, church, etc., I would love to see if we can make it happen. Likewise with weddings.