I believe in … the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, Earlier this year my husband and I took a trip to Germany and visited a number of churches as well as Veste Coburg and Schloss Wartburg where Luther spent time when the Protestant confession was being debated.  He worked on his translation of the Bible into German during this time. Travels around the world and immersion in the history of the Christian church drive home the importance of… Read more

Reuters: An unprecedented 31.3 million Americans plan to costume their pets this year. The largest group of these are millennials aged 25 to 34, the National Retail Federation said. “Spending on pet costumes alone is expected to reach $480 million,” said NRF spokeswoman Ana Serafin Smith. Dog skeletons are showing up in ghoulish decorations. Sales of bony decorations modeled on breeds ranging from Chihuahua to Doberman have grown 18 percent since the decorations were introduced in 2014, said spokeswoman Michelle… Read more

By T Following the most recent bomb attempts on several of the President’s critics, President Trump said several things that are typical for presidents during times like this of national tragedy caused by horrible violence. He called for unity and civility, though he was, within days of the bombs being intercepted, back to calling the media the enemy of the people. But at a rally following the bomb attacks, he made an equally telling statement, and it made me wonder… Read more

You Are What You Speak: When Politics Becomes a Holy War, People Get Hurt and Sometimes Killed, by Allan Bevere No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces… Read more

By my friend Allan Bevere: In this post, I am not really offering any new insights or a new perspective. But I decided to post on this subject because I think it is important to make the case once again that the so-called Wesleyan Quadrilateral (as has been said many times) is neither Wesleyan nor a quadrilateral, even though we UMs continue to employ it. The fact that we do so reveals we are much less Wesleyan than we in actuality… Read more

There is a history of interpretation and re-interpretation in the church’s reading of Revelation. Many American evangelicals, and those throughout the world where American evangelicalism’s pet themes have been exported, have learned to read Revelation through the lens of dispensationalism and rapture theories. This approach has compelled many to discover a worldview or adopt a social, historical hermeneutic that makes sense of the world in which we live.  A good book on how theologians and others in the history of… Read more

Source Many of the elders of this Jewish community have passed away in this tragic senseless shooting, including one Holocaust survivor. At a press conference Sunday morning, officials said victims of a shooting rampage at a Pittsburgh synagogue range in age from 54 to 97. All but two of the victims were over the age of 65, and include one married couple, and two brothers. Six others were wounded, including four police officers. The Allegheny County Chief Medical Examiner released… Read more

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen. BCP Read more

We condemn the attacks on innocent lives and the murder of Jews at the the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The anti Semitic rhetoric and behavior that incite these violent acts are inexcusable and indefensible. We pray for our Jewish friends and neighbors and call on all people to turn from violence and perform deeds of mercy, love, and justice. We call on Christians and churches to be God’s agents of love, reconciliation, and peace. Read more

JS saved me this week for Meanderings as I was tied up often enough not to get many on my own. Thanks to JS. We say a big “We’ll miss you!” to Eugene Peterson while we affirm with him life eternal. I love the Boston Red Sox #1: In his first year as manager of the Boston Red Sox, Alex Cora is already making history: His team set a franchise record for the most wins in one season and, after clinching the… Read more