Anne Rice’s engaging book Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt is being made into a movie that’s currently slated for release in the Spring of 2016. That’s how I met Jesus in Rome. I also walked the streets of Alexandria, sat in the throne room of King Herod and stood on the steps of the Temple in Jerusalem – all in one day… while in Rome. I was fortunate enough to be invited out to the set for the movie. They... Read more
As you will hear in the video, the United States only has 4% of the world’s population, but we have 25% of the world’s imprisoned population. When you add those who are under parole or probation supervision to the numbers for those who are in jail, 1 out of every 31 adults in the U.S. is under some form of correctional supervision. African Americans make up a disproportionate percentage of the U.S. prison population. The U.S. has one-third of the world’s... Read more
There’s a strange and very unbiblical thing in us playing a big role in slowly destroying the Church. And it is all too human. The good news is that this “thing” that is in us can be somewhat deprogrammed out of us. That is, we can unlearn it. And, more than that, we can use it to improve our lives and, through that, we can improve our churches. The surprising reality is that it may very well be the best... Read more
(A Prayer of Confession) Good and gracious God, We confess, as we attempt to follow the teaching of Jesus which encouraged us to love all people, that our lives are not as welcoming as they should be. We confess that we do wish to love everyone and we do try to love everyone but it’s just a whole lot easier to love some people compared to others.... Read more
“I’m tired of hearing the Church is dying.” In the past 12 hours, I’ve heard that statement no less than half a dozen times. I’m sorry. I understand. But here’s the thing: the Church is dying. (It’s important to note that by colloquially saying, “The Church is dying,” folks are really just saying the Church is continuing to shrink and doesn’t seem capable of recapturing its heydays of the previous century.) The thing is, just because we grow weary of... Read more
Fury is a film that pits humanity against the machines of war. It’s a film which intentionally wears its angst-riddled heart on its sleeve simply for the sake of capturing a glimpse of life. It willingly casts aside any interest in preaching to you for the opportunity to show you the underbelly of war. It blatantly thumbs its nose at the long history of how war movies are typically crafted in Hollywood for the chance to give us something new... Read more
This is one of the most important mid-term elections ever. The balance of the Senate hangs on each vote. Why does that matter? Because the Republicans have already made it clear what they will do if they control both the House and the Senate. A friend recently sent me a Robert Reich video that explains it very well. It’s a short video and well worth the watch. All of the things Reich talks about in the video will deeply impact... Read more
Recently, a friend and I were at a local book and coffee shop talking about our faith. We both tend toward what I think of as having an “evolving faith.” That is, one which is both willing to question the traditions of the Church and also to incorporate other perspectives. We talked about the value of various faiths, the importance of new information and a variety of other topics that aren’t welcomed in as many churches as they should be.... Read more
I took a vow to sign no more wedding licenses “until all can wed” in the state where I’m a minister. That was three and a half years ago. The denomination that ordained me for ministry had just made it possible for LGBT folk to be ordained as ministers of Word and Sacrament of the Church. While I was elated about the ruling and how it took seriously the biblical reality that we are all created equally in God’s image,... Read more
Once upon a time, there was a segment of Christian believers who lived under the fear of everything and anything that wasn’t exactly like them or what they had been taught to be true. One day, one of these folks, a lady and mom named Grace Anne whose user name was proud housewife, decided that her wee little ones were being deprived. You see, they wanted to read books – Harry Potter books – but Grace Anne was afraid because... Read more
The God Article with Mark Sandlin
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