nakedpastor
This is pretty much how it happened. Happy Mother’s Day. Read more
This is pretty much how it happened. Happy Mother’s Day. Read more
An annual review this last week gave Catholic bishops high marks on their sex abuse prevention policies. That’s good news. However, there are still serious concerns about some pretty high-profile failings in many dioceses. You can read this report in more detail, with links, in the Religion News post Church Child Safety Officials Voice Concern Over Lapses By Bishops. In essence, these are the problems: Some bishops still fail to report incidents of abuse. Some bishops still shield abusive priests.... Read more
In the bible, stiff-neck refers to inflexible obstinacy. It doesn’t necessarily point to any specific sin. It simply describes someone who is unwilling to change. It is a stubborn attitude resistant to transformation. At the root of the biblical message is transformation. Change. Paul was right to indicate that true transformation begins in the mind: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12: 2). Behavior modification is one thing. Mind modification is another. Actually, it’s not about modifying... Read more
Jesus didn’t say this but by the way the church behaves you’d think he did. Actually, what inspired this cartoon is a BBC article I read this morning titled Cleveland abductions: Do white victims get more attention?. The writer, Tara McKelvey, claims that nearly half of those abducted in the USA are not white, but the news coverage certainly does not reflect it. She quotes McIlwain, a researcher, who says: “Our national ideal of who is vulnerable – and who... Read more
I’m sure Carl will come up guilty. All the evidence points in his direction. The spatter analysis indicate him as the source. There are many eye witnesses. He is willing to confess if they agree to a plea bargain: he can still receive the body and blood of our Lord next Sunday even though he can’t serve it. Deal! Now tell us everything. I have some funny communion stories: There was a minister who, having run out of communion juice,... Read more
Dallas Willard passed away with cancer today at the age of 77. I’ve always liked Willard. Especially his book, Divine Conspiracy. But when I was reading some biographical material on him today, I now like him a lot more. Many of his peers were disturbed by his openness to ambiguity and he was often labeled a universalist and a man who slipped into open theology or process theology. It began as a child with his insatiable “why” questions and continued... Read more
I watched a fascinating video the other day called “Killing Us Softly: Advertising’s Image of Women”. Take a few minutes to watch this powerful presentation on how we are told what to believe is beautiful and the incredible havoc it brings on our culture, but especially on women. We are conditioned to believe what is beautiful. The advertising industry and who it works for all benefit from our dollars. The disgusting but honest admission of Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie... Read more
I was very moved by the story about Elizabeth Smart (“like” her page), the young woman who was kidnapped as a 14 year old girl and held in captivity for 9 months. “She was forced into a polygamous marriage, tethered to a metal cable, and raped daily until she was rescued from her captors nine months later. Smart was recovered while she and her kidnappers were walking down a suburban street, leading many Americans who followed her story on the... Read more
Why are we told to not take God’s love for granted? Negatively, it’s usually used to control us. It’s used to make us afraid of not being able to get it or keep it. It’s used to dictate to us how to live our lives, how to feel, think and behave. Positively, it’s used to make us continually mindful of God’s love, always thinking about it, always thankful for it, always living up to it. I want to suggest that... Read more
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