There has always been a conflict between science and theology. I am not supposed to say that. But it is true whether I say it or not. And that is the reason there is a conflict. Assertions by so many of us that there is no real conflict, is wishful thinking. Right now wishful thinking is killing people. I have the Covid-19 virus. I will probably not die from the disease. It appears that I got it at the time... Read more
Our timing is really off this time. I proposed to my now fiancee just as word about a flu-like virus was ravaging Wuhan in China. It was just a few weeks later everything started getting serious in the States. And then the shut down. It was a bad time for this to happen. There were so many events to look forward to. We had Holy Week, Easter, Earth Day, Graduations, and the Annual Conference had appointment week. The United Methodist... Read more
There are serious errors in Evangelical exegesis and theological assumptions. The worst actions though are not about any of these areas. It’s the bait and switch aspect of Evangelical church growth methods. They are often deceitful. As a young student minister from an evangelical church, I engaged in recruitment campaigns that were designed to look like something other than what they were. We knocked on people’s doors and claimed we were there “to take a survey.” We ended the survey... Read more
Liberal Christians do not take the subject of miracles seriously. Bultmann and many others told us to look beyond those things. People living before the scientific era saw miracles and magic at work. Even, Martin Luther, the Great Reformer himself was prone to believe in supernatural events including St. Anne miraculously intervening to save him during a storm. Isn’t the world a much more rational and realistic place when miracles have no place in it? A Discussion of Miracles The... Read more
“”Why does someone need an assault rifle for protection but refuses to wear a mask for protection?” It is a common meme for some liberals of the United States’ variety. “Aha! I just defeated your logic,” is the claim. The problem is that there is no logic involved. Openly carrying a rifle while not wearing a mask during this pandemic is about ego. How do I want to see myself? How do I want others to perceive who I am?... Read more
Wedding rehearsals occur because of how everything is supposed to happen during the ceremony. It is not so much about rehearsing the lines. It is to make the wedding party comfortable with what they are doing. Someone’s need for comfort is where many weddings fall apart.They may decide to be self-indulgent. I learned many years ago to warn the couple getting married, “If I smell alcohol on you, the wedding won’t happen.” A Recent Story Weddings are both celebrations and... Read more
Campaign season is here. Presidential campaigns begin on January 21st of the new term. Posturing renews. Partisan fighting does too. And then there is the peculiar quality of it all. Every candidate has a message. And they ask people to “deliver a message” by voting for them. Whatever the messages are they must be important. But they are not effective. Because we get them every cycle. The Parable Of The Trees The trees needed a king. They thought they did... Read more
Groucho Marx once said, “I would never join a club that wanted me as a member.” It was a painfully humorous statement. He was referring to exclusive clubs that barred Jews from membership. They were not wanted. The spirit of exclusion affects more places than it should. Often, the exclusivity principle is not recognized for what it is. Community Organizations So-called community organizations practice exclusivity in many overt ways. The Boy Scouts of America is one of the worst. As... Read more
Something did not happen in 2020. The United Methodist Church did not split. It wasn’t for lack of trying. COVID-19 brought with it social distancing, travel bans, and concerns about infection rates. The very idea that something more important than deciding which group will get to call itself a new denomination or how congregations will affiliate was not in the minds of the leaders from all sides. Insurance liability jargon considers a pandemic “an act of God.” It appears strange to... Read more
This morning I did something I have done more times than I like to think about. I moved into a new Pastor’s Study in a Church building. The funny thing is that I am always excited when I do this. I look forward to the new pastoral ministry. I always do. There are a few reasons for this. Being Wounded in Ministry Pastoral ministry is comedy meeting tragedy and attempting to define one another. We are all counseled at one... Read more
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