A Fear of Whales

I made vague reverences previously to being a Online Content Creator in other ways. Beyond the Facebook Groups I manage, and my website the largest new project has been my work on YouTube.  MOVIEPASStor, is a channel where I reflect theologically on the movies I watch, There is also a general channel just called Ryan…

Years and years ago I was inspired to start a little blog while i was in college. I wrote and I wrote and I wrote into what became “A Fear of Whales” which chronologed my very long (10 year) process of becoming a full time ordained pastor. I stopped and started, had seasons I was…

I know I said I was done with FearOfWhales, but two young confirmants asked me a question while I’m still in Texas, and this is the best way to reliably send answers to them with all the pictures I want to. (If you click on the pictures they should get bigger) Their question was: Do…

College Park Presbyterian Church had their congrogational vote this past sunday. I am going to be their new Pastor. The long road is finally at an end. There will of course be a few more hoops to jump. Examination by presbytery. Instalation and Ordination. But i will not be able to openly reflect on these…

A long long time ago I was in college and had a very clever college pastor. Things didn’t work out, it’s a long story told during my first year of blogging, but he had one very good idea that I keep coming back to. ”There are only really about ten heresies” He said. They just…

I like broccoli a lot, but didn’t always like broccoli. It used to be something that I tolerated, because I knew it was good for me. I didn’t hate it or anything. I just considered it palatable only when covered in gobs of ranch, or cheese. Then one say everyting changed. I found a recipie,…

A few days ago we all said goodbye to Carrie Fischer, perhaps the actress I most beloved in childhood. Prior to that were the deaths of Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, David Bowie, and the Great Barrier Reef. This combined with a grim election season, a increase in poliece shootings, and several crises on top of…

It’s Christmas, so I am rewatching a number of Old holiday favorites: Die Hard, First Blood, Elf, you now, the classics. I happened upon RENT this year, which I watched and enjoyed in theatres when it first came out. It’s a holiday musical about young people, alternative lifestyles, and telling Christians they are doing it…

Last week I opined on the importance of failure in generating success. I alluded to the fact that it isn’t taught or discussed enough. This week I want to talk about how I learned the truth of it, if noone taught me. I learned it the hard way. I’ve never failed harder then when I…

"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better." – Samuel Beckett I don’t talk enough about my failures. It’s a complicated situation to talk about. Many Christians don’t understand failure, and think failure and faithfulness do not go together. All of us, even me, have a tendancy to wonder what a…

More from Beliefnet and our partners
Close Ad