Mystery Worship Six
Note: this is part of an ongoing series. Mystery Worship One is here; Mystery Worship Two is here; Mystery Worship Three is here. Four is here. Five is here. Reasons for Choice of Church From the...
View ArticleReflections Upon Heading Home
My bag is packed, and shortly I’ll head out, flag down a taxi like the best of New Yorkers and head to the airport. I still have the rest of July for the Sabbatical, and massive amounts of work to put...
View ArticleSix Words
The race card project (http://theracecardproject.com/) has been inviting people to send in six word descriptions about their experience of race. According to a story I heard this morning, this idea...
View ArticleEaster Conversation with God from a Troubled Pastor
Me: “OK, God, can’t you see that I’m in the midst of doing all this for You? Look at all the services we’ve planned! See how creative they are! We’re doing such a great job telling that Passion...
View ArticleThe Two Way Betrayal
It is Holy or Black Saturday and I’m deep in a place of emotional and spiritual pain. Last night, at Tenebrae, as I was leading the service, I saw again the shock of the disciples. I saw their need to...
View ArticleUnited Methodists, Take Notice: This May Be Our Future
United Methodists, take notice: an extremely prominent Presbyterian Church, Highland Park Presbyterian, is suing the PCUSA , (Presbyterian Church USA) its mother denomination, as a preemptive strike...
View ArticleAnd WHO is My Neighbor? (with apologies to Luke 10)
A certain man, life-long student of sacred texts, faithful in religious obligations, admired for doing good deeds and giving favors to those in his friendship circles, found politics fascinating. He...
View ArticleThe Crusty Poinsettias; The Crusted Over Soul
Yearly, members of the church I serve order poinsettias to decorate the worship center during Advent and into Christmas. We purchase them through a local non-profit agency that helps the impoverished...
View ArticleThe Celebrity Pastor Issue
Two “celebrity” pastors hit the religion news in the last week. One is internationally known for hate speech and representing an angry God and leads a small church of about 100 people, primarily...
View ArticleGeneral Conference Day One: A Beautiful Morning for a Gay Ordination
OK, Portland is gorgeous. Lovely flowering bushes sweetly frame the craftsman-style bungalow, an Airbnb rental where I’m staying with the United Methodist Reporter team. Delicious coolness kissed the...
View ArticleGeneral Conference, Day One, Late Afternoon
I’m tired. I admit it. And this is just the first day, and a half day at that. I’ve been observing/writing since early morning. I just finished writing up the first worship service with its clarion...
View ArticleGeneral Conference Day Two: And Are We Yet Caffeined Up?
I didn’t get around to eating today. We left the house early and our live-in cook for the team, Charles Harrison, who also functions as the chauffeur and two dozen other absolutely necessary things,...
View ArticleGeneral Conference, Day Four: in worship love, in practice ???
My back, arms, butt all ache. Too much sitting, too much typing, too much tension. My heart aches. Too much anguish. Wonderful morning worship–read all about it here. We heard loud and clear: If we...
View ArticleFatigue, Fights, Questionable Biblical Interpretation: A week into General...
I’ve backed away from blogging a bit. Too many emotions hitting, not able to sort it out, too many articles I need to write, too much utter fatigue. But oh so many thoughts!!! So, time to leap in....
View ArticleSlogging through General Conference on our way to implosion
First: you want to know why the UMC is so stuck? Read this piece I wrote for the United Methodist Reporter. We’re a muddy administrative impossibility. As for me, it is Tuesday, late afternoon. Still...
View ArticleOur continued stuckness at General Conference but with glimpses of hope
As those who have been following this saga at the UMC General Conference probably already know, I’m here with the United Methodist Reporter team and most of my stuff is posted there. They found this...
View ArticleDebating the mission statement: a revealing moment at General Conference
At about 5:10 pm on Thursday, May 19, Rev. Bill Arnold, Chair of the Faith and Order legislative committee brought the report from that committee. The first item was a petition to amend the mission...
View ArticleTheological Education and the Spread of the Gospel: Antithetical?
This morning at General Conference, we saw a heated debate about providing much, much more money for theological education in Africa. The statement kept coming up about how fast the church is growing...
View Article“Twenty Minutes of Action”–the new definition of rape
By now, I would guess that most have heard about this privileged Stanford student who brutally raped a young woman and then was sentenced only to six months in jail. The young athlete’s father wrote to...
View ArticleLord and Lady Peter and Marriage Equality
The long-pursued Harriet speaks with Lord Peter, the man who loves her and now wonders if he has done good for her by finally convincing her to marry him. From this conversation comes my favorite...
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