a·bom·i·na·tion [uh-bom-uh-ney-shuhn] Show IPA noun 1.anything abominable; anything greatly disliked or abhorred. 2.intense aversion or loathing; detestation: He regarded lying with abomination. 3.a vile, shameful, or detestable action, condition, habit, etc.: Spitting in public is an abomination. -Dictionary.com Anyone who knows me, knows that I tend to be open to other views even when they... Continue Reading →
Learning to Live in the Tension
I haven't really blogged about what's happening in the Presbyterian Church (USA) when it comes to changes in its ordination standards for a simple reason: I get paid by them. I know people who are more conservative and opposed the change and liberals who supported it and I haven't really wanted to offend folks or... Continue Reading →
Panic at the Narthex
Just a bit of a warning here: I'm about to go all "get off my lawn" in this post. I guess at 43 I do earn the right to be the cranky middle aged guy. What's getting stuck in my craw lately is the perceived lack of enthusiasm for the continuance of the mainline/progressive/liberal church. ... Continue Reading →
Repost: We Can’t Be Friends
First off, welcome to all the new visitors who saw my post on Freshly Pressed. Below is a post from last year. It was about 20 years ago, that I attended a large Baptist church in Washington, DC. The church was an odd mix, or at least it would be odd today. Evangelicals and liberals... Continue Reading →
How a Clockwork Pastor is Becoming Human
When I started seminary 15 years ago, I had come to accept that I would never pastor a church. I just wasn't a people person. Maybe I'd be a seminary professor or something. I didn't know it back then, but I was basically acknowledging my Aspergers limitations. Of course, as you can tell, I didn't... Continue Reading →
What J.C. Penney, Sears and Montgomery Ward Taught Me About the Mainline Church
Ever since it appeared a few weeks ago, I've been thinking about John Vest's blog post called "The Vine is Dying." The Presbyterian pastor from Chicago has been involved in finding ways to help the Presbyterian Church (USA) rebound after decades of decline and his February 27 post was one borne of frustration with the... Continue Reading →
Sermon: “Three Beeps Means ‘I Love You'”
This is a sermon from my Community of Grace days. I think my sermon writing is a lot better than it was back then, but the essence of the sermon is still prescient. “Three Beeps Means ‘I Love You’” Micah 6:1-8 January 23, 2005 Community of Grace Christian Church St. Paul, MN I’m going... Continue Reading →
There’s Still Hope for the Mainline
Anyone who's read this blog knows I tend to be critical of mainline Christianity. It's not that I want to leave what has been my theological home for two decades; it's that I get frustrated at some of it's shortcomings. Despite all of that, mainline/progressive/liberal Christianity is my home. As much as I respect my... Continue Reading →
Wait for the Healing
Back in May of 2012 , I shared a story of what happened at a Baptist church I attended in Washington, DC in the early 90s. It was a story of how people who disagreed with each other on the issue of homosexuality were able to still be friends and support each other. Around that... Continue Reading →
Mainline Churches Don’t Give a Rip About Church Planting.
As 2012 draws to a close, I'm taking some time to reflect on the new church ministry in the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest and the hopes for 2013 and church planting in within Mainline Protestantism as a whole. Earlier this year, I kind of fell into leading a ministry team of people interested... Continue Reading →
The Clockwork Pastor 