The Thoughtful Pastor - Page 3 of 103 - A pastor ponders life, death, hope, despair, theology and the nature of God

Wife-Beating Is Not Normal: No Longer “Disappear” the Women

February 12, 2018 By Christy Thomas

Here’s the truth about those who step up to complain of abuse: those who hold power seek to “disappear” them. I myself nearly did a permanent disappear. Until I decided to live. In a damning article about who knew what when in the Rob Porter, high-powered assistant to President Trump, wife-beating scandal, a writer for Slate magazine makes this painful point: There are many ways to disappear a woman complaining about predation and abuse. You can insult and demean them,… Read more

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: How Do I Escape the Mundane and Experience Life?

January 29, 2018 By Christy Thomas

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Ultimately, all the greats say that self-mastery underlies any accomplishments or hope of a truly fulfilling life. We pay attention to the mundane to free us to tackle the more significant and complex problems. Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I am eighteen years old. Shouldn’t I be like experiencing life and learning new things and being awed by the world at this age? Instead, I feel beat down by trying to make sense of my life. It’s past the point of wishing… Read more

An Obvious ****hole Country: Don’t Accept Immigrants From This Place

January 16, 2018 By Christy Thomas

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Warning: Don’t accept immigrants from this ****hole country. They have untreated parasitic infections, a high murder and incarceration rate, massive opiate problems, and an inability to pay medical bills. Don’t accept immigrants from this place. A significant number are infected with a parasitic roundworm of the Toxacara family. It is rarely treated and may cause significant brain damage. Which ****hole country is this? The USA. Don’t accept immigrants from this place. Every day, an average of 82 people die by handgun… Read more

The Answer is NO! And the World Changes for the Better

January 15, 2018 By Christy Thomas

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Meditations on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day One young woman, eight years old and well before the age most people start thinking for themselves, said “NO.” “The answer is NO!” “No, I will not permit you to forcibly hold me down and cut my genitals so you can keep your traditions. No, I will not permit you to mutilate me in the name of ‘we’ve always done it this way’ and societal acceptance.” Because of her determination and courage, 50,000… Read more

Barbarians to Bureaucrats: Why the UMC Needs its Donald Trump

January 9, 2018 By Christy Thomas

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Trump–and his avid disciples–are barbarians. They are not politicians. They don’t understand or honor the slow process of making policies. The “way we’ve always done things” cry is irrelevant to them. They are here to destroy and to rebuild the US in their image out of the ashes. And that is precisely why the UMC needs its Donald Trump. Background: I am married to a business owner who has given me a front-seat education on the effect that the policies… Read more

You Want to Make the Visitor Welcome? Twelve Church Website Tips

January 9, 2018 By Christy Thomas

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In my past role as “mystery worshipper” for a newspaper column, I am offering a few pointers for an effective church website. The number one issue: Never, ever change your normal worship time without splashing it all over your website! But other than that particular rant, below are some things I have learned after perusing hundreds of church websites. One: Do not assume that a Facebook page provides adequate electronic presence. You still need an actual, up to date, reasonably professional looking… Read more

It’s the Little Things that Bring Big Things: Meditations on the New Year

December 29, 2017 By Christy Thomas

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Little things make the big things: what little things that make big things could we do in the big “do-over” time that we call the New Year? For the last four months of 2017, I lived with foot one or another in the “toes above the nose” stance. I had finally decided to undergo the surgeries necessary to correct inherited foot problems that have plagued me since I was a teen. And that was a long time ago. As the… Read more

Tax Bill Repercussions: Church, Watch Out!

December 20, 2017 By Christy Thomas

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Below is my, admittedly limited, take on the repercussions of the tax bill. Keep in mind that because of my husband’s occupation, when he is home, we watch a lot of business news. It is neither Republican nor Democratic–just questions and concerns about various aspects of the economy. 1. Of course, the bill benefits the uber-wealthy. They bought and paid for those currently in office. Just a fact of life. We might as well get over it. Money always talks…. Read more

Lack of Institutional Support: A Recipe for Clergy Destruction

December 20, 2017 By Christy Thomas

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To say that I did not have the institutional support that I needed to keep going as a clergy could qualify as the year’s most significant understatement. We had our office Christmas party earlier this week. My husband and I sat at the head of the table. [Note: Technically we co-own the company. Truth: he built it from the ground up. Even at 75, he works four to six days a week. I married into this and am the cheerleader and… Read more

A Subversive Act Calling For Justice: The True Story of Christmas

December 18, 2017 By Christy Thomas

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Mary reveals that the entrance of the Savior into the world is a subversive act on the part of God. God is initiating a social revolution against unjust rule. These words shout: “justice for the masses!” Mary, mother of Jesus, hears the words of the angel. She will bear a special child. Almost immediately she sets out to see her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, at least a five day and often dangerous, walk. Why? Because the angel also told her that… Read more