June 2023

June 14, 2023

Doctrinal Purity: Southern Baptists Bar Women From Ministry

The headline grabbed me the moment I opened the paper as Southern Baptists ready themselves...

September 2020

September 04, 2020

Will The Church Survive The Covid-19 Damage? No, But This Is The Time For Rebirth

Will the church survive the Covid-19 damage? Probably not. But the massive uncertainties that just...

September 01, 2020

Essential Workers: The Lowest Paid And Lowest Status Among Us

Am just wondering: do you see the same pattern I see as I consider our...

January 2020

January 03, 2020

Response To The Great Divorce, i.e., “Protocol Of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation

Even as I appreciate their attempt to mediate the great divorce, frankly, every single one...

February 2019

February 19, 2019

My “Don’t Knowness” Is Bringing Me To The Breaking Point

It is that "don't knowness" that is now bringing me to a breaking point. I,...

July 2018

July 30, 2018

From 95% To 5% Church Attendance: Clergy Overreach Or Evil Feminists?

Depending on your perspective, the demise of the Roman Catholic Church in Quebec is due...

June 2018

June 20, 2018

Texas Bishops Suck Up to Donald Trump

Oh well, the Bishops won't offend the big GOP donors in their various conferences. Money...

April 2018

April 10, 2018

Gleanings From Todays Newspapers: Ditch Privacy, Pot, And Posture Problems

Privacy no longer exists--and that is a good thing. And I've gone to meddling today as...

February 2018

February 28, 2018

The Will of God, Jesus, the Bishops and the UMC

I don't know what life would look like if one entered with perfection into the will...

January 2018

January 09, 2018

Barbarians to Bureaucrats: Why the UMC Needs its Donald Trump

Trump--and his avid disciples--are barbarians. They are not politicians. They don't understand or honor the...

December 2017

December 20, 2017

Lack of Institutional Support: A Recipe for Clergy Destruction

To say that I did not have the institutional support that I needed to keep...

July 2017

July 05, 2017

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: do you believe anything in the Bible is true?

I believe Bible is true. But that doesn't mean it is historical in the sense...

May 2017

May 30, 2017

Could Diverse and Especially Female Clergy Be What Is Killing the UMC?

A third reason the UMC is dying may be because of a thorny issue we...

May 03, 2017

Help! Do abusive people keep power by defining forgiveness?

When abusive people, those who misuse the power entrusted to them, face accusations of misconduct,...

April 2017

April 24, 2017

It’s time. Blow up the UMC. My own breaking point.

These responses may be the breaking point for me. A church based on a theology...

March 2017

March 22, 2017

Help! Did God really want that child to die? Why didn’t God heal her?

We who call ourselves followers of Jesus carry the expectations that we will also heal,...

January 2017

January 06, 2017

SILENCE: a must-see profoundly Christ-centered film

It all goes wrong for two idealistic young Portuguese priests in Martin Scorsese’s brilliant work,...

December 2016

December 20, 2016

The Brother printer, customer service and the church

Bissell vs Brother Customer service at its worst. Endless correspondence, multiple useless fixes, and a...

October 2016

October 03, 2016

Notes from a retired pastor: musing from the cruising

My life has not turned out in any way that I expected when I decided...

September 2016

September 13, 2016

The view from the pew, reflections from a retired clergy: guilt and peace edition

The Guilt Factor I've been retired from formal ministry for nearly three years now. Frankly, Christianity...

September 02, 2016

I could be brilliant too if . . .

So, Donald, yes that great Republican and ever-so Christian man, is getting ready to be interviewed...

April 2016

April 26, 2016

Secret Shame and Church Offering Plates: Let’s Talk about Money

"Viral" hardly describes what happened to this recent article in The Atlantic. It's called "The...

March 2016

March 20, 2016

Jesus Is On The Cross–Sit Still and Think About It.

"Jesus is on the cross. You will sit quietly for the next three hours and...

February 2016

February 09, 2016

The UMC Appointment Process with the Not Big/Not Rich Charge

And I also contend that the UMC connection, with its politically-influenced appointment process, really only...

January 2016

January 07, 2016

A Violation of Integrity: "Coming Out" as a Lesbian Clergyperson?

She's been living a lie and I'm deeply troubled about this even as others are...

December 2015

December 16, 2015

Shall We Do Evil So That Good Will Come?

I watched part of the Republican debate last night (Dec. 15). I chose to listen...

November 2015

November 09, 2015

To Trust in The Lord

Most of us can agree on major goals.  For the church, it is “Love God...

November 06, 2015

Observations About Worship From a "Professional Church Worshiper"

My primary observations about worship: If you are a pastor and are reading this, do not...

October 2015

October 14, 2015

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Clergy Appreciation Month and Reluctant Communicant

  Dear Thoughtful Pastor: As a pastor, I have come to dread “Pastor Appreciation Month,”...

September 2015

September 21, 2015

Fighting the System: The Aging Body and the Aging UMC

Battling the Systems Like just about everyone I know, I am in a constant battle...

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