Christopher’s teaching asks students to take God’s activity seriously. In preaching classes, he urges preachers to enter the pulpit with a combined sense of humility and collaboration, knowing that preacher, listeners and the Holy Spirit will all be active helping to discern the meanings of scripture for today. In worship classes, he similarly emphasizes our collaborative work with God and the gathered community.

“Many students come to my classes with an uncertainty or even wariness about what, if anything, God is doing during worship, or during a sermon. One of my main goals is to help open up that possibility in a way that calls forth an openness to the Spirit and a creative, cooperative impulse.”

Christopher’s teaching also focuses on the role worship has in forming, re-forming, healing, freeing and calling us out for the sake of God’s larger project in the world.

His research currently focuses on the ways that we are formed by sacramental participation, particularly in relation to issues of power and violence. He has published essays and sermons for The Chicago Theological Seminary Register, The Journal of Religion and Abuse and Homily Service.

Christopher is ordained in the United Church of Christ, and served congregations in Iowa and Kansas. His sense of vocation includes being a husband to Carla Tellor Grundy, and parent to sons Ross and Liam. He has also been writing, recording and performing music for local, regional and national church gatherings for 13 years. His music was recently included in the United Church of Christ songbook Sing Prayer, Sing Praise!