Like everyone else, I am guilty of listening to what I want to hear. Most of the time, this bias only applies to music. You are not likely to catch me listening to “worship music” in my car. Very rarely will I sit through country music. I like Rock, Metal, Punk, and a little (what was once called) New Wave. Some country rock is fine with me. It all depends on my mood. When Jimmy Buffet died, I listened to... Read more
Jesus showed up just after I began my sermon Sunday morning. He was in the guise of an older man with long white hair and beard. His shirt was blue. The chain around his neck sported a cross. He wore shorts. When he entered the sanctuary he sat in an empty back pew. Strange for a church, I know. He appeared to pay attention to my sermon on accountable discipleship. Once or twice I thought he was raising his hand... Read more
A straight white male attended our local pride event. It was me. I am not the only professing Christian that attended. There was no telling how many were there throughout the entire event. Another group of Christians were kept out of the event for reasons of safety. So, a large local police presence was there as well to keep order. The culture war is alive and well where I reside. Pride and Shame The Christians who were kept out were... Read more
Church, we need to talk. I know we do a lot of it. We talk about acting. We discuss resources. And we speak about the future and about preserving the past. But we really need a sit down. A serious discussion should ensue about what we are doing. Conflicting Talk I know you are tired of hearing about decline, not doing enough, loving our neighbor, and all the other stuff we preachers say. I am tired of saying it too.... Read more
United Methodists ask that question in our membership vows. Will you be loyal? Today, I want to ponder the virtue of loyalty. In my childhood, the value was instilled in me from both the Boy Scout Law and Fred Flintstone’s Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes. Being true to your school, true blue, or standing with one’s own, marked the essence of a person’s character. There is a line one will not cross. Beyond that there would be dragons. Loyal Devotion... Read more
A lot of my early ministry was filled with either/or thinking. The extent of me contemplating any idea was either it is true or false, right or wrong, and either it works or it does not. A body continues in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. It took many outside forces for me to break that mode of thinking. One of those was the first time I saw a Great Blue Heron in the “wild.” I use quotes... Read more
Is a seminary education worth getting? It is a major commitment to earn the Master of Divinity degree required for ordination. The three or four years of schooling at the graduate level appears daunting. In my own case, I had been out of college ten years, had a young family, and a student appointment of three churches. I attended a school in another state from where my family and churches were. I made it through in three years. Other students... Read more
The Bible has religious propaganda within its pages. Some friends of mine will say it is nothing but religious propaganda. But that stretches the meaning of the words too far. The best example of what I am talking about is found in Acts 19:21-41. Before getting to this text let me clear up a common misconception. Propaganda is not about big lies. Few people are persuaded by total fabrications. However, a majority of people may be persuaded by half-truths and... Read more
I saw a license plate that read, “Jesus The Ultimate Volunteer.” It was orange lettered. Where I live, the word volunteer and the color orange are as common together as peanut butter and jelly. Someone thought this was a good evangelistic tool to link Jesus to University of Tennessee sports. Jesus is one of our team, so to speak. Does Jesus exhibit the volunteer spirit? Volunteer History The Tennessee Volunteers is a militaristic name. It began with Andrew Jackson leading... Read more
Humility is overcoming hubris. This time of year spiders remind me of it. In the film Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce begins with him trying to hold onto a mystical experience. He calls it “getting a wet ass and wanting nothing but spider webs.” I am sure his experience inspires these thoughts to some degree. Outdoor Humility The storm of the previous day led to the fog last Sunday morning. This time of year, when Summer has only a... Read more
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