Fascism is a death cult. It does not matter what form or name it takes. It seeks absolute order and promises once achieved, if ever, every true citizen will have peace and prosperity. The other, those who seek to harm, the true citizen must be neutralized. Death is the ultimate goal. Authoritarianism cannot give life. It cannot live in peace either. There is always an enemy to be fought and destroyed. Dictatorship is the most efficient way of accomplishing it.... Read more
How did we ever get to this point? What pillars did we build? The churches tried everything the looked successful only to never succeed. We built an illusion. All we needed was the right formula. The church would succeed if we did it right. The pandemic pierced the illusion. Now people are searching for it. Like chasing mirages in the desert, we know the relief is just ahead. And then we find only dry sand. This gloom and doom piece... Read more
The evangelicals/fundamentalists lost by winning. They won a Supreme Court that overturned their great target Roe v. Wade. It is gone and done. The ruling in 1973 will never return again. In states where the GOP is practically run by fundamentalists, the legislatures already agreed to bans of abortion or are about to do so. But the victory is not a culture of life. I truly wish it was. The gun culture and the desire to destroy other people gives... Read more
Violence is authoritarian. And authoritarianism is violence. This is demonstrated throughout history. Church can be a violent place. Media pay attention to attacks on worshippers. Yet, death threats against clergy are on the rise. Unfortunately, it is not discussed enough. But lay members know about it and tell some curious stories. My Annual Conference recently spoke up about the threats African-American clergy in our conference experience. Another Annual Conference brought security guards into the conference because of death threats against... Read more
I am not comfortable with the term “prayer warrior.” Never have been. Recalling Frank Perretti’s thriller This Present Darkness, I see the pitfall in believing greater numbers of people praying causes victory. The term is deceptive. It implies prayer empowers God. Therefore, more prayer equals more power. The book was a real change in the understanding of prayer as motivating God to use divine power. An idea that is still problematic. I realized how force is the deceptive influence when the... Read more
Para-Church organizations regularly abuse the Bible. It is easy to do when one has an agenda. If the program is about “winning souls for Jesus,” then the whole of Scripture becomes nothing but proof-texts for evangelism. We all know how pre-millennial dispensational sensationalism changes the entire Bible to teach about the “Rapture” and “The Great Tribulation.” Bible abuse is all too common among people who claim a high regard for it. Why is that? Abuse And Agenda First, there is... Read more
Cool and warm are not often used the same way. Yet, a person may be a cool character with a warm heart. Experience is a great teacher in how to keep our cool while on fire for justice. All one must do is watch another person lose it publicly in pursuit of a goal. What respect do you have for that person? It may depend on how much one agrees with that person. Those of us who desire to see... Read more
Racism is not mentioned in the Bible. Yet, we call it sin. What makes it sinful? Dr. King is quoted about a day when his children will be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. It is quoted as both an unrealized ideal and a criticism of any affirmative action attempts. Is there a double-bind when discussing racism? Not if you actually know what we are discussing. What Is Racism? The MLK quote... Read more
Easter season ends with Pentecost. Often it is lost in the shuffle in church worship and program planning. This year I will leave church to rush off to the beginning of Annual Conference. Hopefully, our worship that night will link the birthday of the Church with the business of the Church. But I want to see how these matters relate to discipleship. Pentecost and Shavuot A rabbi described the High Holy Day of Shavuot to my confirmation class. I said, “We call... Read more
Am I required to pray for my enemies? Can I pray they get judged, condemned, or zapped? Or must I pray for their welfare? Accepting the doctrines contained and implied in the creeds is easier than praying for enemies. To quote some early skeptics, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Prayers for those who wrong us (or we believe wronged us) are difficult. And what about Psalm 137? I suppose the first action to take is look... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In