Saint Patrick is a symbol of Irish nationalism. He and the Harp of Tara are quickly recognizable. They are good beer sellers. Green beer on St. Paddy’s day and dark as sludge Guinness every other day. Then there are the shoemaker elves- the Leprechauns -promising crocks of gold when captured. Wear your green lest you get pinched for dishonoring the day and your heritage. When people look at this stuff and think it is nonsense, they are correct. Because, as... Read more
Christians opposing healing for other people on moral grounds sounds righteous. Should Christians receive the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Johnson and Johnson because of how it was developed? Should we oppose other people from receiving it? The experience of our history shows trends from mere opposition to prohibition. And so, the step toward self-righteous accusation of others crops up in our dialogue. Healing In The Synagogue It was all right for Jesus to teach in the synagogue. I bet the... Read more
Tolstoy’s Letter to a Hindu, which I read again this week, is a homily on the Perennial Philosophy. For Tolstoy, the Law of Love is the point of living. The old saint of nineteenth century Russia struggled with learning how to live. There are people in every age who struggle with a moral crisis in their lives. Some of them find answers. Tolstoy argued that among those who did were the founders of the Great Religions. And the conclusion shared by most... Read more
I am the idiot who doesn’t know what I am talking about. This is how some bitter people describe me. That’s me, the commie lib-tard snowflake. I am the false pastor who isn’t a true Christian. I do not respect the authority of the Bible like those who never read it. These are the words of my friends. I know they are talking about me. Because they constantly attack people who share the same ideas as me. Obviously, they mean... Read more
Voltaire said, the perfect is the enemy of the good. I add, the zealot is the enemy of the faithful. Zealotry is a form of spiritual illness. It is dangerous. Zealots would destroy the faith in order to save it. It does not matter what zealots believe so long as it consumes them completely. Zealot Origins The Zealot movement came about during a Roman census in AD 6. Opposing this census, according to Britannica, was understood to be a mark... Read more
I have spent the last thirty years listening to Christian victimhood. And I am tired of it. Neo-charismatic evangelicals and old-time fundamentalists use victimhood as their default position. Everyone else appears to recognize this fault. Like many character flaws and addictions it is hard to recognize it in ourselves. Persecution and Victimhood John Wesley was considered evangelical in his time. He refused to read the last book of the New Testament Canon publicly. Yes, that’s right. An evangelical refused to... Read more
People have been saying a lot about accountability. My years of church work and community involvement have taught me something important. For most people, accountability is just another word for punishment. It is unpopular to say this. But it is true nevertheless. Why do we get angry if someone is held accountable but not accountable enough? That last word is the point. Personal Accountability Take a look at this popular meme on social media. I grew up and began my ministry in... Read more
Addicts are surprised to learn that recovery requires spirituality. Recovery does not require adopting a theological or religious position. It does require some kind of spiritual practice to work. “It works if you work it,” is a common slogan. They are surprised for one of two reasons. First, addicted people are emotionally and physically exhausted. Withdrawing from the substance is manifested physically so they naturally assume the problem is physical. They may also feel emotionally numb. Usually addicted people feel... Read more
Nothing illustrates the consumerist model of Christianity than the Worship Wars. A few decades ago, protestant churches embarked on a struggle within themselves to define the object of worship. Should churches sing hymns or more contemporary Christian songs. What is wrong with the old favorites? Nothing, except they were not everyone’s favorites. It was that word that explained who it was churches ultimately served. Congregations were in a crisis and needed a way out of it. Bring Them In I... Read more
“When we were kids,” a church member said, “we pledged allegiance to the Bible and the Christian flag.” Well “we’ didn’t. The look on my face gave away my confusion. “Pledged allegiance to the Bible?” I asked. “You should know it. It is in the Bible.” This person was my age and grew up in the county next to the one I am from. The so-called “Christian flag” was familiar to me. But the church in which I was raised did... Read more
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