The Thoughtful Pastor - Page 5 of 107 - A pastor ponders life, death, hope, despair, theology and the nature of God

Broken Windows, Gluten-Free Food, Plus Sized Clothing And The United Methodist Church

May 17, 2018 By Christy Thomas

What broken windows can we fix in The United Methodist Church? Perhaps if we found one, we could find The Way Forward. Can life be entirely fair? I started wondering that yesterday when my husband and I decided to have lunch at a new restaurant in our area. My routine question: “Do you have a gluten-free menu?” The routine answer, “No, but some items are marked with the (tiny, nearly impossible to see) symbol.” And, as is the case with… Read more

Paige Patterson To Baptist Women: Don’t Bother To Duck

May 9, 2018 By Christy Thomas

23 Comments

Do not criticize Paige Patterson for telling the truth: if your black eyes, in whatever form they present themselves, mean some man will show up at church, then do not complain about them. That’s God’s plan for you. Don’t bother to duck. Does God mind it when women get hurt by the men in their lives? It seems like a silly question, but recent events make it a realistic one. Yes, even as I write this, I can hardly believe… Read more

Ask The Thoughtful Pastor: Recording The Tithe

April 19, 2018 By Christy Thomas

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The church in the US exists as a voluntary institution operating without state mandate (as opposed, for example, to the Church of England, still supported by taxes on landowners). It actually has no right to the “tithe” as the basis for it has passed. Dear Thoughtful Pastor, Matthew 6:4 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) reads: “Give your contributions privately. Your Father sees what you do in private. He will reward you.” According to this scripture, is it wise to put your… Read more

The Great Divorce: Evangelicalism And Jesus

April 17, 2018 By Christy Thomas

12 Comments

My own great divorce from Evangelism came years ago and as accompanied by much grief. I left because . . . well, I was kicked out. Too mouthy, inadequately submissive to male authority, and, finally, I committed the ultimate, and the unforgivable sin: I got a divorce. A real one. I crossed the invisible line and paid the price. C. S. Lewis’ profound book, The Great Divorce, sprang to mind when I read an opinion piece in the Dallas Morning News by… Read more

Ask The Thoughtful Pastor: Does The Nashville Statement Contradict The Bible

April 11, 2018 By Christy Thomas

4 Comments

The Nashville Statement makes it clear: we humans need to limit God’s redemptive activities. We only want God to redeem our friends and those who think like us. Never, ever do we want God’s favor to land on those whose actions and habits deny our own core beliefs. Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I’ve been studying the Nashville Statement – the 2017 evangelical statement of faith condemning same-sex relationships and transgender identity. The first article of the statement seems to contradict the… Read more

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

April 10, 2018 By Christy Thomas

7 Comments

Privacy no longer exists–and that is a good thing. And I’ve gone to meddling today as I continue with my morning pattern of reading real newspapers and praying my way around the world. I offer you today’s snippets. Ditch that padded running shoe and go as close to barefoot as you can. According to a Wall Street Journal article called, “How Can You Make Running Less Painful”, the problem lies in our heavily padded running shoes which encourage people to land… Read more

Gleanings From Today’s Newspapers: Pandas, Dalits And Human Evil

April 7, 2018 By Christy Thomas

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As I wander through today’s newspapers, I am both in awe of and appalled at the capacity of the human being to do evil and bring harm, both intentional and unintentional, The Venezuelan president, with a nation in an extreme financial and humanitarian crisis, refuses to take aid freely offered by the US that could easily keep many of its starving and very ill citizens alive. We’ve messed up the Panda Bear habitat, bringing them too close to the possibility… Read more

Gleanings From Today’s Newspapers: From Sugar To Sumo With A Trump Stop On The Way

April 6, 2018 By Christy Thomas

1 Comment

My retired pleasure: reading a couple of real newsprint newspapers each morning. The best avenue around for stretching the brain and expanding one’s consciousness of a world outside of mine. It’s also part of my morning discipline of praying around the world. And sometimes it’s just fun. Forget about the possibility of healthier cold cereals. Customers didn’t like ’em, so manufacturers have re-added tons of sugar along with previously discarded artificial colorings. “Taste is king,” said Dana McNabb, General Mills’… Read more

Cricket, Tears, Repentance, Forgiveness: Good Friday Musings

March 30, 2018 By Christy Thomas

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In Australia, a giant scandal has erupted when hidden cameras disclosed the captain of the national cricket team, Steve Smith, had conspired with several teammates to scrub balls with sandpaper, making it much harder for the batters on the opposing team to hit. It is a blatantly illegal practice. His response brought tears to my eyes: Disgraced in a blatant ball-scuffing scandal that has transfixed the cricket world, one of its most exalted players flew home to Australia from South… Read more

Gleanings From Today’s Newspaper: Cricket , Cauliflower and a Cowardly Pope

March 29, 2018 By Christy Thomas

6 Comments

One of the pleasures of being retired is the gift of time to read the morning newspaper. I get the real ones: done with newsprint that sometimes makes my hands dirty and which must be recycled and with stories that I would never see if I only looked at online versions, although I do read some of them as well. As I did yesterday, I thought I’d offer some of the snippets of things I learned today. Soccer Scandal Please make… Read more