Anatomical humor in the church is always so inappropriate that you can’t help laughing. I was there one morning when the preacher said that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the ass of a colt. It took a while even for him to restore himself. I was there another time when something was said to a bunch of kids about the disciples going to fetch Jesus’ ass. Uncontrollable. There’s a worship song where there’s a line, “Let me lay my head... Read more
I do not judge this man. I feel for him. Maybe this is the anniversary of his wife’s leaving him. Maybe he has no friends and is lonely. Maybe his church gives him a hard time. Maybe he just found out one of his kids is in trouble. Maybe he’s lost his faith and doesn’t want to lose his job. Or maybe he’s an alcoholic. Maybe the bartender is the closest thing he’s found to someone who cares. Please join... Read more
I don’t subscribe to using IC to stand for Institutional Church in a negative or pejorative way. Institutions can’t be helped. Biblically, institutions are of the created order. They just are, just as we are. My own immediate family is full of institutions. Marriage is an institution. Family is an institution. Public education is an institution. The government we find ourselves under is an institution. Even our supper is an institution. We have instituted it almost every day at around... Read more
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Some days there is just no getting through. ADDED NOTE POST-POST: This would’ve been better if I had gone to one room in my house where there is no coverage for my cell phone. It would’ve said, “No Service” at the top. Dang! Please join my newsletter by clicking HERE. Thank you! Read more
One of the things I don’t miss at all about being a clergyman is the tempest in a teapot syndrome. Looking back now, I can see that a lot of the things that were argued about, fussed about, and complained about were silly, insignificant and unimportant. Much ado about nothing. In 1977 I read a line in a book by Easum and Bandy called, Growing Spiritual Redwoods: We found that thriving churches shun codependent relationships. I remembered how that shocked... Read more
What came first? The conversion that creates the fundamentalist mindset? Or was it the fundamentalist mindset that triggered the conversion? What changes people from colorful, curious thinkers into predictable black-and-white ones? And I suppose the conversion can go both ways. I’ve seen and experienced both myself personally. Please join my newsletter by clicking HERE. Thank you! Read more
I originally was going to draw a two frame cartoon. The first one was going to depict a man diving into a pool of oughts and musts and shoulds. The next frame would be the one shown here. Instead, I decided to just show this frame. A man diving into a huge pool of love and calling it salvation. It is love. It is all about love. So I’m going to swim in it. You? Please join my newsletter by... Read more
In a TIME interview, the Dalai Lama was asked, “How do you stay so optimistic and faithful when there is so much hate in the world?” He responded: I always look at any event from a wider angle. There’s always some problem, some killing, some murder or terrorist act or scandal everywhere, every day. But if you think the whole world is like that, you’re wrong. Out of 6 billion humans, the trouble-makers are just a handful. I would suppose... Read more
This is a new miniature landscape I’ve done. It’s available in my online gallery. ALREADY SOLD! Please join my newsletter by clicking HERE. Thank you! Read more
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