This Papal Conclave Will Not Address the Single Most Important Issue: Celibacy

Last updated on: March 12, 2013 at 12:21 pm By Tim Suttle

The issues facing the Roman Catholic Church are daunting and well documented: decades of sexual abuse aided and abetted by irresponsible cover-ups, moral and leadership failures, financial corruption, the role of women (or lack thereof), redefining the priesthood, homosexuality, gay marriage, birth control, shrinkage in West, growth in the South, and the list goes on. I’ve read a lot – especially from progressive Christians – on what the Roman Catholic Church should do: clean house in the leadership, sack every... Read more

Monday Morning Confessional

Last updated on: March 11, 2013 at 10:03 am By Tim Suttle

I confess that I am excited about watching from afar as the Catholic Church elects a new Pope. Despite my excitement, I confess that I’m bothered that the way the process is covered makes it seem less like a solemn religious conclave and more like a royal wedding, which is regrettable. I confess that my favorite coverage will probably come from The Daily Show and Stephen Colbert, which means that I am part of the problem, not part of the... Read more

Saying Goodbye to My Friend Bob

Last updated on: March 9, 2013 at 9:51 am By Tim Suttle

My friend Bob Starkey died last week, and we will say goodbye to him tomorrow. Bob was the first homeless man who ever called me his friend, something I count as a great blessing. Here’s an excerpt from a book I wrote called An Evangelical Social Gospel, where I tell a bit of Bob’s story. I have a friend named Bob. Bob is a homeless man who has been an alcoholic for about a decade. He lives in a tent... Read more

Clueless but Hilarious Reactions to the “New Pope” – A Little Friday Funny

Last updated on: March 8, 2013 at 6:16 am By Tim Suttle

The new Catholic Pope has not yet been named. It’s been only one week since Pope Benedict stepped down, and the Conclave is not yet in session. However, that doesn’t stop these folks from having a reaction. Oh my goodness, I hope my children grow up to read the newspaper. Or, you know… just read. Jimmy Kimmel presents your Friday Funny: Read more

Lent as an Intentional Wilderness Experience: Barbara Brown Taylor and Cloud Cult Show the Way

Last updated on: March 6, 2013 at 3:07 pm By Tim Suttle

Hold your breath for a better day, and you’ll never learn how to breathe. You’re afraid of the dark, but that’s where you learn to see. Your no good to the living if you’re too afraid to bleed. And that’s why your show starts now Your show starts now. – The Show Starts Now, by Cloud Cult If you follow Jesus for any length of time, you will undoubtedly spend some time in the wilderness. I’ve been through the wilderness... Read more

Forgiveness: Maybe We Should Let Women Run the World For Awhile

Last updated on: March 5, 2013 at 10:00 am By Tim Suttle

I sometimes think that if women ran the world, it would be a very different place – a better place even. When I watch this video, I start to believe it more deeply. To be a human being in the world is to be vulnerable. To be vulnerable is to be hurt… sometimes deeply hurt. The reason the world is such a mess has to do with how we have reacted as human beings when we have been hurt. We... Read more

Monday Morning Confessional

Last updated on: March 4, 2013 at 7:49 am By Tim Suttle

I confess that I make my confessions with a heavy heart today because my friend Bob Starkey died yesterday. Actually, we’re not sure when he died. He was found yesterday when he didn’t show up for church and some folks from RC got worried and went to check on him. I confess that Bob’s sobriety, after years of homelessness cause primarily by his drinking, gave me hope. Bob was such an important part of our church community that I cannot imagine worshiping every week... Read more

Spiritual but Not Religious – Or Just Lazy?

Last updated on: March 3, 2013 at 8:43 am By Tim Suttle

I read this today and thought it looked pretty interesting… I might have to use some of my amazon.com-cred to get this one: From Religion Dispatches: The Reverend Lillian Daniel’s latest book, When “Spiritual But Not Religious” Is Not Enough, will not disappoint readers who have come to enjoy her self-deprecating humor, her theological insights, and of course, snarky jabs at those fence-sitters who want it all: the SBNR. The book is a collection of stories and essays, some more sermonic... Read more

Best Game Ever – I Really Want to Play… Your Friday Funny

Last updated on: March 1, 2013 at 7:02 am By Tim Suttle

Okay, true confession time: I’m afraid to play paint ball. I have tons of friends who have played it, or still do. I’ve been invited many times but have never played. It’s not that I’m pain averse, I’m okay with pain. However, I am deathly afraid of being startled. I’ve never liked it. Even as a child. To this day, if someone jumps out of the dark to try and scare or startle me? What can I say? My fight/flight... Read more

Simply Jesus by N.T. Wright for only $2

Last updated on: February 28, 2013 at 7:46 am By Tim Suttle

Amazon.com is running a deal right now where you can get N.T. Wright’s book Simply Jesus for only 2 bucks. It’s the electronic version (Kindle Version is what they call it). I do not own a kindle, but I use the free Kindle for PC software and use it read electronic books on my computer. Thanks to Doug Stuart for drawing this to my attention. If you are curious, here are a couple of videos that introduce the book: Read more