A “hillbilly eulogy” for Appalachia is long overdue. I barely recognize my own culture in Ron Howard’s Hillbilly Elegy that is now showing on Netflix. The film is based on the book of the same name from author J. D. Vance. It is subtitled as “A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.” He means the culture in which I was raised and have worked most of my adult life. We are a culture that has crises and has overcome crises... Read more
Thanksgiving Day is controversial. No one should be surprised by it. I have often thought that the day points we the people to some sort of ideal community. Of course, even an ideal community is controversial. It should be. The question is, “ideal for whom?” But, the question is too vague. Some ideal views are not worth consideration. “Political Correctness” A common meme says that political correctness is a way of saying, “Don’t be a jerk.” Others claim that political... Read more
Four years ago, about this time, I stood up in a cluster charge conference and said, “I am going to take a stand against the ugliness that is coming. A church member told me about her Muslim friend who had a glass bottle thrown at her and hitting her in the face. She had just come from a wedding and was wearing a traditional head covering. I am going to oppose this whenever it happens.” Another clergy member told me... Read more
Disagreeing with Jesus does not seem to be an option. Jesus never agrees to disagree. Encounters with the Son of God in the New Testament, end in a variety of ways. A person will respond in positive ways, negative ways, or in no way. The rich young ruler walks away. The tax collectors respond by giving up some of their wealth. Oddly enough, Jesus loves them all. The response does not matter. But one disagreement prompted a response from Jesus... Read more
“We need more young people. We need more young clergy.” No doubt you have heard this from time to time. I have to say I am pretty disgusted by it. Being an early Gen-Xer, I know what it feels like to be told “wait your turn” until you are about 35. Then all you hear is “you can’t because we need more young people.” The other day I heard once again that churches need to bring in more “young adults.”... Read more
Acedia is a spiritual malady that requires a physical cure. “Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.” (2 Thessalonians 3:13) Acedia is a word from the Christian tradition. It is derived from a word meaning “under the afternoon sun.” In other words, it is the spiritual equivalent of feeling sleepy after eating a big lunch. The condition comes and goes. It is cured by a spiritual and physical means. Acedia Is Temporary Time is an... Read more
I am not surprised. No. Not in the least. Since the Bush/Gore election of 2000, the presidential elections in the United States have been contentious. The election in 2020 has been no different. I am not surprised. My spouse cautions me to “don’t harsh my mellow.” What does surprise me? The fact that I am pretty mellow about it. Election Anxiety Where does this feeling come from? I can’t say for certain. I have a lot of friends on the... Read more
United Methodists vote in ways pollsters hate. We are not so much bound by a central doctrinal formula as we are by a sense of Christian practice of grace and good deeds. It is the reason we vote differently on many issues. Recently, a non-Methodist Christian friend asked me about the “United Methodist position” on capital punishment. I responded with a direct quote from The United Methodist Book of Discipline 2016. I began musing on this and other positions. We don’t... Read more
The best biblical image for a veil is the “torn curtain” in the Temple. It is torn in response to Jesus’ death according to Matthew. There are also the images of Rebekah and Tamar veiling themselves. Rebekah veils herself as the she meets Isaac. Tamar veils herself as she tricks Judah. Veils are meant to hide things. The first example is to hide God. The others to hide women’s faces. Another example is the veiled Moses is asked to wear... Read more
What is a concrete mystery? It is not understanding what is real. I have always wanted to know how stuff works. It is probably because my father is an engineer. My son has the same drive. How does it work? Or more often why is it not working? And what made it work before it broke down? As always questions must be examined. The Mystery In A Lie “It was working just fine the day before.” If this statement leads... Read more
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