One of many reasons why the film Selma is so riveting is that it focuses much more on the behind-the-scene dynamics of the Selma-to-Montgomery marches than the more familiar public events. And the often-hidden background is what I would like to focus on in this post. Among the many important and significant figures that made Dr. King’s leadership possible, I would like to share with you about “Rosa Parks: The Rest of the Story.” I’ll be drawing from an important... Read more
I have posted previously about “Building Your Own Theology.” And this idea that you can “build your own theology” — as opposed to ascribing to a pre-existing theological system designed in the past or by someone else — is connected to what is meant when Unitarian Universalism is described as a theologically liberal religion. I should add that when we talk about Unitarian Universalism as a theologically liberal religion, that does not necessitate political liberalism. Irrespective of one’s politics, the... Read more
A colleague reminded me recently of a quote from Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God that is resonant with this time of year: “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” What was 2014 for you? “A Year of Questions,” “A Year of Answers,” or somewhere in between? From a different perspective, the online magazine Slate spent last year tracking what various people were outraged about. If you follow the news regularly, it’s probably not surprising to hear... Read more
The following is a compilation of my recent “Top 10″ and “Best of” posts for 2014. Enjoy! Top 10 Best Books Read in 2014 Top 10 Best Albums Listened to in 2014 Top 10 Best Netflix Streamed in 2014 Top 10 Best Podcasts of 2014 Thanks for reading in 2014, and happy new year to you and yours! Related Posts Best of 2013: Books, Music, Film, and More The Best of 2012: Books, Music, Film, and More The Rev. Dr. Carl Gregg... Read more
The following are the podcasts I’ve enjoyed listening to the most consistently since this time last year. This list is also in alphabetical order because agonizing over a precise order would take out all the fun: Buddhist Geeks – A short podcast, averaging only about 20 minutes: “after a few years, and well over a million downloads of the show, it became clear that Buddhist Geeks was something closer to a movement or community, rather than just a podcast.” Their general... Read more
This list is not my favorite new releases of the year. Instead, it is the best of the content I watched since this time last year. It also does not include films that I saw in the theater. In addition, this list is in alphabetical order because agonizing over a precise order would take out all the fun: Broadchurch Series 1 of this critically-acclaimed in the U.K. is now available streaming in the U.S.: The ratings in Britain this spring... Read more
My favorite season is summer, but I aspire to love the winter. Winter and I are on better terms we used to be, there’s still work to do. As with many other people, when the seasons change, I can feel a difference in how I relate to the world. For the past few years, I’ve kept an exercise log. And I noticed recently that, starting around mid-November — as the days started growing darker and colder — I stopped exercising for... Read more
Ridley Scott, is the director of such classic films as Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, and Gladiator. So when I heard that Scott, who is a self-described atheist, had been given a $140 million budget to make a film of the biblical Exodus story, my curiosity was piqued. It’s been almost sixty years, since Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments, so we were probably due for a update using twenty-first century special effects. Now, if you, like me, are... Read more
This list is not my favorite new releases; instead, it is the best of the albums I listened to for the first time since last year. This list is also in alphabetical order because agonizing over a precise order would take all the fun out of remembering these albums: Alt-J, This Is All Yours: Judging from Alt-J’s 2012 debut An Awesome Wave, here are the minimum requirements to earn the “next Radiohead” tag: be a British band that likes guitars... Read more
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New Lectionary Trilogy for Progressive Christians
The season of Advent is upon us again, marking the start of a new lectionary year in Christian congregations. For Christian ministers searching for new resources for preaching the lectionary texts, a member of the congregation I serve has recently completed a trilogy of lectionary commentaries: Theology from Exile: Commentary on the Revised Common Lectionary for an Emerging Christianity: Volume 1, The Year of Luke Volume 2, The Year of Matthew Volume 3, The Year of Mark This series is for “believers in exile,” who are drawn... Read more