The Perch
He Only Did It Once
Jesus flipped tables exactly once. He didn't build a brand around it. So why have so many Christians made righteous anger their entire personality?
I'm Anthony, a Christian pastor and theologian reclaiming Scripture for love & liberation. Affirming. Feminist. Antiracist. Universalist.
Reclaiming Scripture for love and liberation. Affirming, Antiracist, Feminist, Universalist.
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20 verses to rebuild your faith
Read It Like You're Free Day 20: The Trajectory of Grace
A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child. The righteousness of the
1 corinthians 11
Misused Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:27, "Eating and Drinking in an Unworthy Manner"
This passage isn't about God punishing you for taking communion wrong. It's about what happens when the wealthy eat and the poor go hungry.
20 verses to rebuild your faith
Read It Like You're Free Day 19: I Want To Hold Your Ham
Certain ideas get so deeply embedded in the tradition—repeated so often, sung so confidently—that no one stops to ask whether the original actually says what we think it says.
The Perch
The Perch - March 2026
This week: why Paul would kick someone out of church, the chaos monster hiding in your Bible, and what to call a group of TSA agents.
Credo
The Kingdom of God
When most people hear "Kingdom of God" or "Kingdom of Heaven," they think of the afterlife. They think of where you go when you die. They think of clouds, harps, and a gated community in the sky. That's not what Jesus was talking about. Not even close.
20 verses to rebuild your faith
Day 18 God In Technicolor
Hosea looked at a massacre the Bible said God ordered and declared: no, that's not what God wanted. The lens gets better. The picture gets clearer. What we thought God was like five or fifty years ago doesn't have to be what we think forever. Color was always there. We just needed better tools.
You Did Not Weep
If only you knew—even now—the things that make for peace. But you did not want peace. You wanted power. And now the things that make for peace are hidden from your eyes.
retreat
The Second Perch: Faithfulness Doesn't Happen Accidentally
I was rescued from a lot. That's why I refuse to let my life happen accidentally. Inside my annual personal retreat and the roles-and-arete framework that keeps me honest.
john 17
Loosen Your Grip: John 17 and the Art of Becoming God
Jesus didn't pray that you'd try harder. He prayed you'd be pulled into the life of God. Maybe it's time to loosen the grip.
20 verses
Day 17 These Things Are Allegories
Paul looked at the story of Sarah and Hagar and said, "These things are an allegory." No disclaimer, no apology. Ancient readers knew the difference between history and myth. Maybe it's time we trusted them—and ourselves—to read Scripture for what it means, not just what it says on the surface.
Public Journaling
Being Held
I don't remember being held as a child. To briefly remind folks, I didn't know my biological father. My biological mother,
john 18
How to Tell If Something Is Actually True
You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free