I get caught up in the melodies of life. The rhythm often escapes me. In other words, I lose track of the timing. Life is lived as one long series of notes that repeat. But the beat is hard to find. Strangely enough I thought being a member of the clergy would help my find an appropriate rhythm to my life. But it does not happen often. It is as though someone claps at the wrong time and is not... Read more
Have you ever had the problem with someone not returning emails, texts, or phone calls? When people do that to Kathryn, she says “crickets.” It is a familiar trope in television meaning silence. Now we use other terms. Ghosting comes to mind. However, when we hear crickets at dusk we are not hearing silence. We are merely hearing less noise. Crickets vs. Noise Summer nights are filled with many sounds. Bird’s flapping their wings can be heard. Cicadas, June Bugs,... Read more
Did Jesus practice inclusiveness? Not too long ago, I saw a meme claiming Jesus ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners not to be inclusive but to call them to repentance. Curious. I hear the distant voices of ancient Pharisees. What is not inclusive about calling people to repentance? I find no reason to think the two are mutually exclusive. Again, while discussing this with another clergy person, he claimed these people repented at the preaching of John the... Read more
I ask myself every week. What would St. Paul think about the value the Church places on conformity? I grew up hearing the mixed message. “Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is — what is good pleasing and mature.” (Romans 12:2) The message was bizarre. Do not do the bad things the people of the world do. God’s will is do... Read more
Comparing sins to debts in Christian teaching and preaching is not as common as it once was. Even though, we sometimes sing, “Jesus paid it all” claiming he paid our debts we could not pay, we do not hear about it from the pulpit enough. We often hear sins compared to crimes in teaching and preaching. Crime is the preferred metaphor for sin in the minds of many Christians. Youth are often told accepting Christ as their savior “wipes the... Read more
Christians, non-Christians, and just about everyone including seminarians believe a few myths about clergy. Today, I will add my feeble voice to setting the record straight. I do not have much hope that it will. Some people will not believe what I say out of prejudice. Others will wonder why any one thinks the way(s) refuted here. I thought about these issues while reading a post about clergy “quiet quitting” church. So here are what I believe are major myths... Read more
Anthropologist and essayist David Graeber coined the term “rights-scolding” to name the phenomenon of lecturing people on where they are wrong and what they should be doing instead. Rights-scolding is really a new term for an old practice. We used to call it “preaching.” Gospel Scolding The definition for preaching I am using here is the baser form that is commonly used as “preachy.” People respond to such scolding about being poor because they are lazy, to check their privilege,... Read more
The church is dying! My life in professional ministry began in 1990. People said, “the best days of the church are over.” I was ordained in The United Methodist Church in 2005. Again, everyone was saying, “The church needs revival.” And now people are anxious the church is dying. In every decade, people claim to know why this tragedy is occurring. Ideas for programs are proposed. And year after year, church people wring their hands over “things not being like... Read more
Could I be following the wrong Jesus? “So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Messiah?'” (Matthew 27:17) We know how this story turns out. Barabbas is released. We know very little about the man. Matthew describes him as “a notorious prisoner.” John claims he was a “bandit.” Both Luke and Mark say Barabbas was guilty of insurrection and murder. Only Matthew says... Read more
Progressive Christians know there is not one liberation theology. United Methodist theologian Joerg Rieger has provided another approach that promotes intersectionality of liberation and identity in his new book, Theology in the Capitalocene. In the interest of full disclosure, Professor Rieger asked me to read the manuscript prior to publication for any insights into the experience and identity of the American working class. I offered some suggestions. Climatologists often refer to the present geological era as the Anthropocene due to the... Read more
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