iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 15/07/2025

#Dallas friends, I'm thrilled to join my friends at the Sachse Muslim Society to discuss the legacy of Abraham. I hope you can make a plan to join us in a couple of weeks on July 29. PLEASE RSVP so the SMS can be sure they have adequate room.

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 09/07/2025

The first tool fascism employs to create and consolidate its powerbase is the Mythic Past. In this essay, I explore why it works and why it's so dangerous. Plus: the biblical authors were also myth-makers, and why what they did is essentially different. open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 02/07/2025

Today's 15-min Revelation brief explored a church who used their privilege to opt out of resisting authoritarian politics. Sound familiar? open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 13/05/2025

Did I write way too much about how Remmick embodies the dangers of whiteness? Yes I did. Did I put a KILLER joke in the footnotes? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT! (happy to discuss but you have to read and engage the article!) open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 06/05/2025

After far too long, I have finished my series on churches and our transgender siblings. This final post has a lot of practical ideas for how churches can center our trans siblings. Would love to hear more ideas! open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 30/04/2025

Join a book club with some rad new friends. May-July picks are here. Women turning into dragons, a dissection of fascism and a satire on rape culture. What's not to love? Sign up: bit.ly/DOFBookClub

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 17/03/2025

More Peru pictures! Have you heard of the floating islands of Lake Titicaca? They’re home to the Uru people. Their story is one of ingenuity, persistence and beauty. Read about my experience with them in my newsletter: open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 10/03/2025

Wanna see my vacation slideshow? This article is about the engineering marvel that is Machu Picchu, one of the Wonders of the World! open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 03/03/2025

The latest season of #LoveIsBlind featured a convo about racism btw two white contestants that illustrated our a desire to not be PERCEIVED as racist that's much stronger than our desire to do the WORK to be anti-racist. I'd love your thoughts: jrforasteros.substack.com/p/love-isnt-...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 27/02/2025

I loved @joshruben.bsky.social incredible new Slasher/Rom-Com HEART EYES. I wrote about why it's such a delightful mashup: it combines the superficially opposite genres to reveal a deeper similarity (that he then goes on to critique). My take here: jrforasteros.substack.com/p/heart-eyes...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 25/02/2025

THE MONKEY A- Don't call it a toy. No cobras in Maine? Forget it; let's dance! #ReviewHaiku #ReviewGram

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 24/02/2025

Until we recognize that God is Trans, we cannot know Jesus. My latest essay draws on James Cone’s Black Liberation theology and monster theory to explore what is required of us in this moment: open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 24/02/2025

PARTHENOPE C+ "You young people all want answers. But none of you have learned how to ask questions." -- Marotta

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 23/02/2025

This cartoon by Kevin Necessary ignores that the Nazis in Germany studied the *US Jim Crow laws* in order to design their "Final Solution". Let's put away the lie that fascists in the US are something new. We've beat 'em before and we'll beat 'em again. www.history.com/news/how-the...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 17/02/2025

Of course God loves queer people. God is queer. Churches have a particular obligation to stand with queer people because queer people bear God’s image. I explore what it means to say God is queer and why it's an essential confession for God's people. open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 15/02/2025

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD B- A movie about an over-qualified Black man who has to save the world from a white man who would rather run for President than go to therapy. Apropos of nothing. He works twice as hard And no serum handicap... He's the Captain now. #ReviewHaiku #ReviewGram

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 14/02/2025

Happy New Moda Spiral Music Day to all who celebrate!! youtu.be/pgAxHEM3lHY?...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 12/02/2025

The rhetoric GOP is using to discriminate against Trans people should sound familiar...I explore how anti-Trans language is just old-timey racist tactics barely updated at all to convince the rest of us to hate our Trans siblings. open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 10/02/2025

That anti-Trans executive order deployed rhetoric that's been used against Black people. It was racist and wicked when we used it against Black folks. It's transphobic and wicked today when we use it against Trans people. My latest newsletter article dives in: open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 07/02/2025

HEART EYES B+ What's Slasher to do When Final Girl gets Meet-Cute He's in the wrong film!? #ReviewHaiku #ReviewGram

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 07/02/2025

Gladiator II (now streaming) is not good. But there was one scene that rang uncomfortably true: when the emperor appointed a monkey to be consul, and the Senate applauded. What does that scene tell us about American democracy? #CabinetConfirmations open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 05/02/2025

Trump's Executive Order targeting transgender Americans is an existential danger for all of us. I'm exploring it in my latest series of newsletter articles. First up: why the State has such a vested interest in defining marriage according to a false sexual binary open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 03/02/2025

Hey #Dallas people: come out to the Boozy Bird in Carrollton tonight for a #BoardGames night! Starts at 6pm. They've got some great specials for us, too! gamenightsjr.com/events/games...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 30/01/2025

COMPANION A What's intelligence? Don't confuse it with Truth, Beep. Why so afraid, Boop? #ReviewHaiku #ReviewGram

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 29/01/2025

NICKEL BOYS B+ What crime is worth 5? A nickel costs a whole life When that life is black. #ReviewHaiku #ReviewGram

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 23/01/2025

I've been a pastor for more than 2 decades and I can confidently tell you that the vast majority of people who attend church do not attend to be transformed, and certainly not to hear a pastor (or bishop) offer challenging correction. 🧵 1/

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 03/12/2024

Finally put together some thoughts on #Wicked. There's a reason the film resonates so strongly with those of us deconstructing the Evangelical institutions and leaders who voted three times for a conman who campaigned on bigotry. open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 22/11/2024

#Reintroduction since we have so many new folks. Hi! I'm JR. I live in #Dallas and host weekly #boardgame meet-ups and bars around the metro area. They're inclusive and fun - I bring the games. You show up and play. gamenightsjr.com I also write about #film for @sojo.net and on substack.

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 06/03/2024

It's far past time to admit the 'diversity' movement has failed - in the church and in the larger culture. Why? Because 'diversity' isn't enough. It's not the same as justice. I dive into how we need to change, with a little help from Van Halen and canaries. open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 04/03/2024

🚨New Episode Alert🚨 Martin Scorsese's latest KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON is garnering tremendous praise in part for telling a Native story & depiction of Native peoples. But Dr. Randy Woodley finds the film to be lacking. Listen up! thefascinatingpodcast.simplecast.com/episodes/kil...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 26/02/2024

What could church look like if we rebuilt it from the ground up? What if it was centered on deep, authentic friendships rather than theological accuracy? My new series starts today. Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 09/02/2024

I quit watching the Super Bowl a couple of years ago - the ethics around the NFL just got too complicated for me. Don't worry - I'm not trying to convince you. Just wanted to think through my reasonings and get your insights too: open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 08/02/2024

Was I the worst youth pastor ever? Maybe not, but my first lesson was good for all the wrong reasons, and that failure taught me a lot about my calling. open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 31/01/2024

Genesis 1 isn't a literal account of the creation of the world. Tough idea for a lot of us: is the Bible a lie? Just a silly story? Not worth taking seriously? I've struggled with how to teach why this is GOOD news... Until Bugs Bunny came to the rescue. open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 29/01/2024

How Heavy Metal taught me where to find Jesus 🤘🤘 open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 26/01/2024

My favorite album last year was Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS. (I'm as surprised as you.) Even though I don't usually write about music, I haven't been able to quit thinking about what she has to say so... here we go! open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 23/01/2024

I'm revisiting some of the pivotal moments in my life that oriented me toward religious vocation. First up, that time I got in trouble for accidentally dancing and also when I surrendered (literally) to ministry. open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 19/01/2024

Our next Dusty Old Friends book club pick is LET US DESCEND by Jesmyn Ward. Ward is one of my new(ish) favorite authors. Her books blend magical realism, horror and terrific characters to unparalleled effect. Tues, Feb 20. 7pm on Zoom. Sign up: bit.ly/DOFBookClub

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 15/01/2024

Dr. King would be 95 today. I wrote about him in honor of his day - and since I’ve been working my way through his new biography. (yes, it’s a break from my Midlife Crisis series, but I do think it’s worth it!) open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 13/01/2024

MEAN GIRLS (2024) B+ Come for the Queen Bee Don't forget to mind the buzz Survive the hive mind #ReviewHaiku #ReviewGram

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 12/01/2024

NIGHT SWIM was a very dull movie. But it DID manage to get me thinking about ancient sea dragons, the lie of baseball and the American Dream so… I guess it’s not nothing? A bonus post for my paid subscribers - because the really weird stuff is just for y'all! open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 12/01/2024

THE BOOK OF CLARENCE A- The Passion of Clance Holy anachronism A sacred no one. #ReviewHaiku #ReviewGram

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 09/01/2024

What is even the point of church? My latest reflection on my midlife crisis is a deep (DEEP) dive into what Church even is. It's long because I'm showing my work. It's WEIRD. But I think you'll like it? Anyway... I'd love to hear your thoughts as always: open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 05/01/2024

NIGHT SWIM D+ Good ideas tread water... Sentiment keeps them floating Give us a deep dive #ReviewHaiku #ReviewGram

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 03/01/2024

I that my newsletter offers both free articles and bonus gems for people who support w/ subscriptions. First Paid Bonus: the worst movie of 2023 - even though I decided to quit using words like 'good' or 'bad' when I talk about movies. open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 02/01/2024

Y'all had so many insights on my first mid-life crisis post. I'm hoping you're not done because pt 2 is about how the church model we use has become less and less relevant to the massive changes in our culture. My thoughts (then I'd love to hear yours): open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 01/01/2024

What were the best movies of 2023? I count 'em down for you. What did I miss? Where am I wrong? What are YOUR picks? jrforasteros.substack.com/p/2023-round...

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jr. forasteros (he/him) @jrforasteros.com · 29/12/2023

My favorite movies of 2023. What did I miss? What are yours? open.substack.com/pub/jrforast...

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