It's Not Easy to Follow Jesus

Last updated on: August 4, 2015 at 1:42 pm By Christy Thomas

People Want Tight Boundaries In this year of visiting churches, I have become increasingly aware that people are very much drawn to church groups with tight doctrinal standards. As many have noted, these are the ones that still show growth both in the US and overseas. The more theologically progressive mainline denominations with looser theological boundaries are indeed declining in numbers. The more rapidly growing churches rarely ordain women. Female voices are generally excluded from any top level decision-making bodies. Many are... Read more

Who Owns the Title to Orthodoxy?

Last updated on: July 23, 2015 at 12:10 pm By Christy Thomas

Orthodoxy–authorized or generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice. Many claim it for themselves. But I ask: who really gets to own this word? Timothy Tennent, President of Asbury Theological Seminary, wrote last year claiming “orthodoxy” for the conservative arm of the United Methodist Church: What we actually have is a group (however imperfectly) which is committed to historic Christianity. The second group (however imperfectly) is committed to a re-imagined church. One, however flawed, is committed to the recovery and defense of... Read more

Mystery Worship: Greek Orthodox

Last updated on: July 23, 2015 at 12:09 pm By Christy Thomas

[Note: this article is slated to run in the Denton Record Chronicle on Friday, July 24, 2015. Further commentary on the nature of “orthodoxy” can be found here.] The liturgy is confusing, unfamiliar, mostly chanted or sung without recognizable tunes and half in a foreign language. The overly-incensed air produces an immediate headache. We stand for most of the two-hour service, rarely enjoying the minimal comfort of the unpadded wooden pews. Instructions make it clear we are not welcome at... Read more

Unity: The Conservative’s Worst Nightmare or Our Best Hope?

Last updated on: May 18, 2017 at 1:04 pm By Christy Thomas

The Problem with Unity This past Sunday, while sitting in the Sunday morning session at the Unity Spiritual Center of Denton, I had a powerful flash of insight: This is the religious conservative’s worst nightmare and is one of the reasons why a split within The United Methodist Church seems to be nearly inevitable. A quick overview of Unity: There are no doctrines to speak of, although there is much emphasis on healing. All spiritual paths are considered valid. None of... Read more

Mystery Worship: Unity Spiritual Center of Denton

Last updated on: May 18, 2017 at 12:56 pm By Christy Thomas

[Note: commentary on this particular day of worship can be found here. Below is a version of the article that is slated to run in the July 17, 2015 edition of the Denton Record Chronicle.] On this past hot Sunday morning in July, I take in the delightful odor of a freshly mown grass parking lot at the Unity Spiritual Center of Denton in Krugerville. The peacefulness of the quiet neighborhood enfolds me as I walk to the building. Entering... Read more

Ponderings on Itinerancy and Appointability

Last updated on: July 10, 2015 at 10:35 am By Christy Thomas

I originally wrote this a number of years ago, but with the recent post by blogger John Murdock, I decided to post it again. Murdock writes eloquently of the problems smaller churches face with the frequent rotation of clergy. Here’s the situation from the point of view of a pastor (now retired). One of the reasons I chose United Methodism as my place of service is the connectional system. I think such a system ultimately reflects more health and has... Read more

Bodily Constrictions and the Nature of Freedom

Last updated on: July 4, 2015 at 11:45 am By Christy Thomas

I saw this article in the NYTimes from Friday, July 3. It’s about the various means people, particularly women, have used over the years to lessen or enhance various body parts depending on the current standards of beauty. Pretty constricting stuff–even babies were stuffed into corsets at one point. Today, July 4, is the day we celebrate freedom, a freedom I am grateful for daily. Our freedom to say what we think, live where we wish, vote for our preferred... Read more

The Return of the Seven Month Full-Term Baby

Last updated on: July 3, 2015 at 9:56 am By Christy Thomas

After I wrote of my support of the recent SCOTUS decision that affirms marriage for all citizens, one commentator wrote of his agreement for certain civil rights for gay couples and then added this caveat, “Marriage is a contract between two people of opposite sex that want to have children and raise a family. That is not biologically possible between gay and lesbian couples.” So, I ask these questions: Should we then make fertility a requirement for marriage? How would hetero... Read more

Get Over it, Christian Pastors: You are NOT Being Persecuted

Last updated on: July 1, 2015 at 10:37 am By Christy Thomas

The first amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads this way: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” We commonly refer to this amendment as “separation of church and state” or “separation of church from state.” Either way, the intent... Read more

Worship at St. James AME: "The Doors of the Church are Still Open"

Last updated on: June 23, 2015 at 12:45 pm By Christy Thomas

“The doors of the church are still open.” The media will soon forget the horror of the June 17, 2015 murders of nine good people at Mother Emanuel, the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The next big tragedy or scandal will grab headline space. But the people will not forget. Not the people of Charleston, not the families and friends of the ruthlessly murdered, not the African-American community. Every time I think about it, I have two... Read more