Remember, Church: the stock market does matter to your survival. Embrace this perilous time as the best of all occasions to practice serious self and institutional reflection, repent from and leave behind encrusted habits and dysfunctional modes of operation, and see this as a different way to celebrate Easter. I’ve seen a lot of dismissive comments about how silly it is to worry about the stock market while the pandemic is raging. Why? It is obviously more important to contain… Read more
April 1, 2020
Yes, Church, The Stock Market DOES Matter To Your Survival
April 1, 2020 By Christy Thomas
3 Comments
March 25, 2020
Are Older People Useless? Does Dan Patrick Want My Husband To Die?
March 25, 2020 By Christy Thomas
21 Comments
Are older people useless? Well, Dan Patrick thinks so. My husband turned 78 today. Does Lt. Gov. Patrick want him to die? I suggest that killing off the older people, the repository of massive amounts of wisdom and healing energy, may not be the best way to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. My husband is 78 years old today; clearly one of the older people and Dan Patrick wants him to die. Yes, Dan Patrick, the Republican Lt. Gov. of Texas,… Read more
March 20, 2020
“Leave The Children Out,” The Mediated Reality of Streaming Worship
March 20, 2020 By Christy Thomas
3 Comments
If we are not going to leave the children out in this new world of necessary mediated worship, we must engage in extremely creative, barrier-breaking holy thinking. Remember the novel coronavirus crisis will leave both church and society forever changed. Nothing will ever be the same again. I wrote much of what is below years ago, but never, for some reason, hit the “publish” button. However, in light of what is happening in the US right now, and my real… Read more
March 19, 2020
The Grocery Store, Coronavirus Diary, March 19 2020
March 19, 2020 By Christy Thomas
3 Comments
Who knew going to the grocery store could be so treacherous? I lay out the game plan on the way home: Take the bags in; careful handwashing. Take the groceries out, toss the bags, repeat the handwashing. But, of course, it dawns on me later that everything we bought still has been touched by at least three people: the person(s) who restocks shelves, the cashier, AND the bagger. What pathogens might linger? Who knew just going to the grocery store… Read more
March 18, 2020
“Will Your Church Survive?” Coronavirus Diary, March 18, 2020
March 18, 2020 By Christy Thomas
2 Comments
Will your church survive? Not in the form it is in now. Some budgets cannot recover, mainly if we stay in recession mode for a while. Unpaid mortgages could easily lead to many buildings going back to lenders, although most lenders will probably make drastic moves to keep that from happening. Church staff will see massive layoffs. And people will discover the joys of relaxed Sunday mornings. As I continue with my morning habit of reading the print news, I’m… Read more
March 17, 2020
“Get It While We Can”, Coronavirus Diary, March 17, 2020
March 17, 2020 By Christy Thomas
1 Comment
And yet, I understand the “Get it while we can” urge. Scarcity has been part of human existence from the beginning. There is always something scarce. But we leave out the poor, the hungry, and the naked. They can’t get it at all. I nearly went under while reading the newspapers today. An article about what the novel coronavirus does to the body finally put me over the edge. I put down the newspapers, tidied the kitchen, and headed outside…. Read more
March 16, 2020
“Just Trust God,” Coronavirus Diary March 16 2020
March 16, 2020 By Christy Thomas
2 Comments
I do not find the “just trust God” mantra helpful. Anyone who is not alarmed is just nuts. It’s not just our health care situation; it is a fractured economy. Millions are going to be out work, many small (and large) businesses will not survive; countless people will be thrust suddenly and quickly into poverty. The news gets consistently worse. Some epidemiologists predict that the US is only about ten days behind Italy, where the medical profession and hospitals are… Read more
March 15, 2020
Bradford Pear Snow, Coronavirus Diary March 15 2020
March 15, 2020 By Christy Thomas
1 Comment
And then I went outside and saw the “Bradford Pear snow” from our currently flowering tree. These trees, planted in abundance 20-30 years ago, are now officially labeled as “junk” trees and are slowly being removed. But they are also magic in their messiness. They remind me that spring is just around the corner. A couple of days ago, I checked on one of my sons, who, along with his wife and my 13th grandchild-to-be, live in NYC. My son’s reply,… Read more
March 11, 2020
For Goodness Sake, CANCEL GC2020! Unfortunately, We Can’t Do This Legally
March 11, 2020 By Christy Thomas
7 Comments
It’s time to cancel GC2020: 864 delegates, primarily older, many with chronic diseases, and many from overseas, a host of reserve delegates and support staff. All meet across tables, rarely get enough sleep, see little or no fresh air, grab food when they can, and are often tired, stressed, and on-edge. It’s irresponsible. But we can’t cancel it legally. Well, I’m glued to the news, extremely worried about my aging friends and family and others who are already ill, and… Read more
January 3, 2020
Response To The Great Divorce, i.e., “Protocol Of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation
January 3, 2020 By Christy Thomas
30 Comments
Even as I appreciate their attempt to mediate the great divorce, frankly, every single one of the people who created and signed this document is himself/herself guilty of disobedience to The Discipline of The United Methodist Church and should have charges brought against them. And I support, with reservations and questions about constitutionality, what they have done. At 9:50 am, this article from the Washington Post article hit my news feed. Lead-in reads this way: Church leaders agreed to spin… Read more
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