A few years ago, I was invited by a Lutheran friend of mine to take part in a group of church planters. I knew these folk came from an evangelical background and my "shields" went up. Would these people accept me? Did I have to go into the closet here? After a while, the woman... Continue Reading →
Quote of the Day
I personally believe that twenty years from now most churches will welcome gay and lesbian families, will call gay and lesbian people to live lives of faithfulness and sacrificial love in their relationship just as they call heterosexual couples to do, and that they will see the passages on same-sex attraction as reflecting cultural... Continue Reading →
Grace and Race
I sure loves me some Maria Dixon. Dixon is a Methodist minister and decided to share he thoughts about the whole Paula Deen affair and decided to take Progressive Christians to task for their selective grace: When it comes to discussing race, progressives have little tolerance for intolerance–past or present. We throw labels around as... Continue Reading →
Sermon: “Feels Good to be Forgiven”
“Feels Good to be Forgiven” Luke 7:36-8:3 Fourth Week of Pentecost June 16, 2013 First Christian Church Minneapolis, MN I’ve always found the choosing of a new Pope as fascinating. I love the mystery and pagentry of this event, which seems so anachronistic in our modern, democratic age. I can remember seeing the... Continue Reading →
It’s Not Your Fault
I’ve been following Musings of An Aspie for a while. This post rings rather true to me, so I thought I’d share it.
It’s not your fault.
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Some days I feel like I should get this tattooed on my forehead.
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When I withdraw into myself and fall silent, it’s not because of anything you did.
When I blow up over some inconsequential thing you’ve said, know that the real trigger happened hours ago.
When you do something that unexpectedly makes me feel trapped or panicked, there was no way you could have known until I told you.
When I zone out in the middle of a conversation, it has nothing to do with how interesting the conversation is.
When I ignore you because I’m engrossed in writing or reading, it’s not a reflection on how I feel about our relationship.
When I twist out of your embrace or push your hand away, it doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong.
When I forget to call you, it’s not because I’ve forgotten you.
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Theocrats to the Right of Me, Theocrats to the Left of Me
Southern Baptist blogger Jonathan Merritt has a pretty good article about his denomination as it deals with a decline that is not unfamiliar to mainline Protestants. He offers a few ideas on how to stem the decline and the one that gets the most attention is where the he faults the SBC for mixing religion... Continue Reading →
An “Abomination” Speaks
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 →
Repost: Church Planting; A Step of Faith
I'm not saying that pastor and other church leaders should not be paid. What I am saying is that in many cases, we aren't so willing to take a step of faith, in planting churches and in the funding of church plants and planters.
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 →
The Clockwork Pastor 