Most of us know the story of the moving moment just after Pope Francis arrived in Philadelphia when he told the driver to stop his car. Francis opened the car door, walked over to a barrier and kissed a 10-year-old wheelchair bound boy. The boy, Michael Keating, has a twin brother, Chris, and a sister, Katie, two years older. This link goes to the larger story of Michael’s family and his adoptive parents, Kristin and Chuck, life-long and loyal Catholics. I... Read more
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: As a pastor, I have come to dread “Pastor Appreciation Month,” because it quickly becomes “Pastor EVALUATION Month,” where people express their resentments. I’ve spent three decades doing this work that has swallowed me whole and left me and my family exhausted and lonely. I wish we had a month designated as, “Treat the Pastor Like a Human Being” month. What are your thoughts about the Pastor Appreciation season? ~Exhausted Dear Exhausted, When I was in... Read more
Are you as confused as I am about the situation in the Middle East and the recent Russian involvement? Knowing some history about the Russian involvement there, which goes back deep into the Middle Ages, helps. This brief history of that involvement appeared today in the NY Times. I encourage you to read it if you can access it. Here’s a brief summary of the deep history: Russia’s ties to the region are rooted in its self-assigned role as the defender... Read more
I just saw a great article on “The Nature Cure,” where a physician actually prescribes outside sitting time in local parks, no electronic devices allowed. We need this. We need to sit outside. We need to sit outside without headphones or ear buds. We need to let the serendipity of the less-controllable world of nature seep into our souls. We need to let breezes blow our hair. We need to let the rain hit our heads, the sunshine warm our... Read more
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: We have several examples of the power of prayer and the direct influence it can have on our lives and the lives of those around us. Yet you, in a previous column, would discourage people from believing that prayer has any real power, and encourage them to think of prayer as little more than a way to “still and quiet” the mind. You are deliberately diluting God’s word and robbing prayer of its very real power... Read more
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I am interested in your thoughts–or your take on God’s thoughts–about abortion. Many years ago I made the miserable and unhappy choice to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, and while my reasons were very good, I have never been able to make peace with that decision. How can I find peace? Or do you think I have a right to find peace? ~Troubled Dear Troubled, When I see a question like this, I start aching inside for the... Read more
Did you know that SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) funds cannot be used to purchase feminine hygiene products? Can you imagine what it would be like to be a girl or woman living in deep poverty and unable to take care of such a basic bodily need? “Around the globe, managing menstruation can be a debilitating, even deadly, problem – fueled by a combination of poverty, misinformation, stigma and superstition. One in ten girls in Africa misses school for the duration... Read more
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: Because one objects to certain aspects of Scripture, how does or can one believe the whole word of God?’’ ~Non-objectionable Dear Thoughtful Pastor: The Bible has been accepted as the inerrant Word of God for centuries. By what authority do some self-professed Christians as well as preachers of the gospel now ignore and contradict the Bible in regard to what is says in specific and unambiguous language in regard to homosexual behavior? This same question can be... Read more
Battling the Systems Like just about everyone I know, I am in a constant battle with my body’s survival desire to put on weight. Vanity drives my battle. Cellular memory and human history drives my body. My body will ultimately win. It might be a good idea to be thankful for that. The way the human body puts on weight (quickly) and takes it off (slowly) has kept humankind going from the beginning. Were it not for the tendency, even the... Read more
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: Do you believe in prayer? Does prayer work? If I pray for a friend with a disease and she dies anyway, did I just not pray hard enough? ~Disappointed Dear Disappointed: Three questions here. First question: do I believe in prayer? Well, not exactly, although I think I understand what you are asking here. I believe in God. Prayer, for me, is one of the essential disciplines of the formed spiritual life. I need time set aside... Read more
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