While things political are currently out of whack and in a state of alarm and distressing tantrum, we live in a beautiful, beautiful world. I’m on a 4 1/2 hour drive and the rugged autumnal scenery is reminding me that the personal and social storms of our lives are transitory and so very fleeting. No matter what happens with our elections, no matter how things play out at work, no matter the state of our love lives, and regardless... Read more
Hope Givers by Daisy Rain Martin is not a book you should read – unless you’re a human being seeking to find meaning in life – unless you’re seeking to scrap together some sense of a healthy perspective on the many travails and ups and downs of life – unless you follow Jesus in some rather unorthodox, non-conventional, humble, really down-to-earth, and utterly outrageous ways – unless you’re the sort of person who finds that reading anecdotes and slices of... Read more
Most all of the world religions share a common teaching to not harm others – “the Silver Rule.” “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.” – Rabbi Hillel That’s one of the many teachings among the world religions that state this in “the negative.” Two religions, Christianity and Jainism, state it in the positive teaching to pro-actively do good to others. As Jesus... Read more
When asked “who is your favorite person in the Bible?” I don’t say Moses – even though at times I’ve felt adrift in life and like I’m floating down a river into the unknown I don’t say Peter – even though I relate to his epic adventures in missing the point I don’t say Paul – even though I relate to his ego, and the unnamed thorn in his side I don’t say Mary – even though my heart sings... Read more
I recently overheard the following observation about various students at a certain liberal arts college: “What white feminists say: “I am a spiritual entity first and a human body second.” (privilege) What women of color experience: “I cannot identify as a spiritual being first, no matter how badly I want to, because society puts limits on my identity based on my skin color and ethnicity.” (oppression) I’ve seen these very insights named and called out several times over the years... Read more
Having a hard time sleeping at night lately? Has all of the hatred, bigotry, Islamophobia, misogyny, homophobia, anti-immigrant rhetoric that Donald Trump has been spewing and evoking in others been getting you down? Baffled that Trump has now been having his followers raise their right hands in a neo-nazi “Heil Hitler!” fashion? Insomnia can take years off our lives. I have an answer…. “..But it could be that we don’t need to sleep at night... Read more
Another election year political season is upon us and it’s unlike any other I’ve seen. It’s over the top. It’s reptilian. Actually, that’s not very fair to lizards. The heated rhetoric spewing forth from many of the candidates is vitriolic, bass, crass, and ugly. Those debates have been slug fests of rivaling Lords of the Flies – and they’ve all but incited the masses to riot. But we can’t put all of the blame on those candidates, they’re simply saying... Read more
in the bleak midwinter millions are unemployed, uninsured, and under pressure. widening gap between the haves and the have nots widening and gappening like mick jagger about to eat all of the billions of burgers mcdonald’s serves from the deforested brazillian rainforests turned into grazing land to feed our addictions to cheap bovine carcasses infused with hormones, antibiotics, and monsanto’s irreversibly genetically modified pastures. “corporate person” funded presidential candidate cacophany of outrageous claims to undermine and dissolve whatever might be left... Read more
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Thanksgiving. Seems like a goodthing right? Seems kinda holy. Seems kinda churchy. Except, it’s not a Christian holiday. It’s not part of the liturgical calendar, and they don’t really train us preachers in how to deal with it. Like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, it’s just one of those secular, civil holidays that many American church-goers “assume” is blessed and sanctioned by the Church. Now it’s not like Thanksgiving is foreign to Christianity. We tend to think it’s... Read more
The Holy Kiss
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