matt tullos: writer
When the mighty winds of change shake the foundation of life, He is there. When the storms of life flood our souls, He is there. When the grey slush days seem to never end, He is there. When death steals a friend, loved one, or brother, He is there. When it’s so dark we can’t see any way out, He is there. When we are […]
It was a moment of utter shock. It was unexpected The Oscar for Best Picture of 2017 envelope was opened. Millions of viewers experienced the shock, embarrassment and confusion of the presenter as the wrong winner was called out. The social media world exploded. It sent the accountants, actors, winners and losers scurrying. In short, it was a circus […]
Dearly Beloved, We are here to say good-bye to an old friend: a friend we have loved for years. We did not come to praise her; we came to bury her. What can you say about a church that weathered the riches of the 90s, the emergent movement of the 2000s, and the schisms of the 10s? In […]
We are a savage tribe. Often hiding behind our rules to make us as a sort of spiritual hall pass. We live in a world where poverty is the dominant issue and we, the rich Christian nations, are more concerned about sports, tax breaks, and oil prices. In a larger sense our prayers are feeble […]
The Doctor walked into the examination room and asked me why I decided to come in today. He could tell something was wrong. I said, “You see, I’ve been putting off seeing you hoping that this would go away but it hasn’t. I’ve read all the books, the self-help guides, the miracle cures and I’ve googled […]
So your boss sends you on a business trip and, somehow, you and your wingman decide to stay in a prostitute’s abode. This does not look good. It’s scandalous at the very least but it’s also straight out of the Holy Bible. Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies from the Acacia […]
Let’s take a familiar journey to the foot of an ugly hill of slaughter outside the walls of Jerusalem. Your imagination has been there before, I’m sure. It was the auction block of the cosmos. Jesus Christ put everything on the table for us, willing to bear the brunt of a fallen world to rescue […]
The bread of brokenness The wine of grace The fellowship of His sufferings Our hearts long for communion with the One whose glory overshadows every joy, ever fear, every act of contrition and amazement. The broken bread The red blood washing away cleansing, rectifying, forgiving, renewing, like rivers of hope Flooding the arid field of […]
Here’s a simple poem that works great as an ending to a sermon on the Healing of the Paralytic in Mark 2:1-12 Dust and shingles fall on the floor Hypocrisy has blocked the door A suffocating crowd around And all of this distracting sound These four guys had no building code To renovate this small abode. To […]
I grew up under the theology of scarcity. It centered around the hear-tell rumours that I didn’t have what it took to be a “really good” Christian. There were those repetitive voices outside and inside my head that said, “try harder, do more, get better.” I gazed up at the impossible bar and counted myself out. My inadequacy […]