Musings on Faith, Culture and ADHD
I've been noticing something. A mainline church either moves out of its current location or closes. Soon there after, an evangelical church or an immigrant church buys up the property. Here's the interesting thing: the mainline churches moves out because the community is no longer sustainable or the building is too much for a shrinking... Continue Reading →
I stumbled on this blog post about the renewal of United Theological Seminary in Ohio. The school now has 600 students but only a few years ago it had only 130. Some think their addition of distance learning has made the difference, but Jason Vickers, a professor at the Methodist seminary says the real difference... Continue Reading →
“Same As It Ever Was” I Kings 19:1-15 All Saints Sunday November 3, 2013 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN You may ask yourself, where is that large automobile? You may tell yourself, this is not my beautiful house You may tell yourself, this is not my beautiful wife Letting the days go by, let the... Continue Reading →
After 44 years on this planet, I've come to a startling conclusion: I really suck at making friends. It's not that I don't have friends. It's just that I haven't been good at making close friendships. You have to understand something when it comes to people with Aspergers- since we miss social cues we basically... Continue Reading →
Luke 18:9-14 October 27, 2013 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN This parable reminds me of General Akbar from Star Wars. He’s the fish like guy from the Return of the Jedi who realizes the Rebel forces are in danger. He utters a line that most science fiction geeks know by heart: “It’s a trap!” The... Continue Reading →
A few days ago, I lost my cat Felix. He was a few months shy of being 16. Felix was a scrawny tuxedo cat. I have to assume he was the runt of the litter because he was so small. But he was a fighter. He had a progressive kidney disease, that probably ultimately got... Continue Reading →
Here's this week's lectionary musings. Come Sunday: \"What Would Jesus Drive?\" (October 27, 2013).
Luke 18:1-8 Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost October 20, 2013 First Christian Church Mahtomedi, MN I’ve learned a lot about growing old from my parents...and my 15-year old cat, Felix. Maybe the most important thing I have learned is that growing old isn’t for weaklings. Now growing old is not all negative, but there are things... Continue Reading →
Well, it's been over a month since I became the pastor at First Christian in Mahtomedi, MN. So far I haven't crashed the church into a tree. I'm still a bit surprised I'm doing this. I had started to convince myself that I just couldn't pastor a church all on my own. Someone who has... Continue Reading →
Here's this week's lectionary reflection. Growing old is not for the weak. This past summer, my partner and I were busy shuttling between Minnesota and Michigan to move my parents from their house of over 40 years to a senior housing apartment complex on the other side. It was getting difficult for my octogenerian parents... Continue Reading →
The Clockwork Pastor 