Often people will shout from the bleachers “Don’t talk about what you are against, talk about what you are for.” To me, this is a subtle attempt to silence anyone who would dare to speak up against their chosen beliefs or practices. This is especially true of organized religion. When we try to advocate for those that are wounded by church and religion, they respond with gaslighting and demand to know, “well what do YOU believe?” What they hope is... Read more
When rapper Snoop Dog received his star on the Walk of Fame, he stepped up to the microphone and exclaimed, “I want to thank me for believing in me, I want to thank me for doing all this hard work. I wanna thank me for having no days off. I wanna thank me for never quitting. I wanna thank me for always being a giver and trying to give more than I receive. I wanna thank me for trying to... Read more
We could probably all agree that fear is one of our biggest issues. We find it beneath issues like anger and anxiety. Holy books and wisdom literature admonish us to “fear not,” yet we continue to practice it, even though it yields unhelpful outcomes. The primary influences to fear practice are organized religion and politics, especially the way we practice them in the West. I have no idea what to do with politics, but I was a pastor for 20... Read more
I know the metaphor doesn’t make much sense, but I wanted to get your attention and ask for your help. Recently, our new book, Out Into the Desert reached best seller status. Help us ride the wave by sharing this amazing news with people you know. Description of the book: Sometimes when we begin to question our faith or have doubts about our tradition, it can feel like we are wandering out into the desert. When we take a... Read more
I have decided to embark on a new adventure. With a little advice from a few friends that have been there before, I’m going to accept the challenge to publish two of our books this year. The first is a novel called The Diner. It’s the story of a single mother that eventually overcomes the odds and becomes the hero of her own story. Her journey is not without struggle and personal growth. It’s an adventure from the Midwest... Read more
I’m not an expert at mental health issues, but I do know that anger is a very normal emotion. I know that it can be excessive and know that it can lead to other things, but it is also necessary sometimes when we see injustice and abuse in the world. I often use the illustration that if a neighboring school system was routinely doing things that were damaging to children, I would be upset about it. The excuse that our... Read more
Photo by Pixabay:Does God really need or want worship from us? If so, are current styles of worship anything close to what pleases God? What might be a better way to imagine worship? Didn’t Jesus put the kibosh on worship in the New Testament? What is all the “spirit and truth” worship he was talking about? Worship was important to me as I was raised in fundamentalist, evangelicalism. Actually, my elders considered the worship service primary. As you know, it... Read more
Let’s talk about the incident with Damar Hamlin the other night when the Buffalo Bills player suffered a cardiac event after colliding with another player. His heart stopped, he was resuscitated, and now he is recovering. People on the field knelt to pray. People prayed in the stands and people prayed in their homes as they watched the player driven away in an ambulance. “I pray that he’s okay,” was probably the most common phrase heard that night. My... Read more
Several years ago when I started questioning my beliefs, I began to feel lonely because everyone in my circle of friends thought much the same way I did. When I continued to change, it felt like I was wandering out into the Desert. Eventually, I resigned from the church that I was pastoring, and started attending a bigger church. A couple of things happened there that were harmful, but mostly church was just very triggering for us because of everything... Read more
1. I don’t think going to a place to “worship” is what Jesus prescribed. I can commune with others and the universe without going anywhere. 2. I personally have no need for clergy 3. I have no need for a church building 4. I don’t need the services the church provides, or I can do better elsewhere 5. Creeds and belief statements are controlling and promote stagnation 6. Indoctrination of children is abusive 7. Questions and honest dialog are not... Read more
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