The following Texas members of the US House of Representatives voted FOR the bill that rips even bigger holes in a fragile safety net of the most vulnerable people in the US. The full list of all Representatives who voted for it is here. Please note that each of these members of the US House of Representatives earn $175,000/year along with enjoying multiple perks and benefits that provide much economic comfort. Many have other substantial income sources as well. It... Read more
This editorial calls what the House Representatives have done by cutting food stamps as “act of supreme indifference.” The comments on the article are breaking my heart. Over and over, the commentators equate Christianity with utter cruelty to the poor, mainly because so many who voted for this bill have labeled themselves the best of Christians. Earlier this week, I was well into a beautifully-researched, cogently-argued, exquisitely-written article about how difficult it is to survive on the minimum wage. I... Read more
In an interview published today, Pope Francis said the church should be a “home for all” and not a “small chapel” focused on doctrine, orthodoxy and a limited agenda of moral teachings. Yes, he sounds very much like Jesus. I wonder how long he’ll last as Pope. I’d like to think a long time. But I doubt it. And it would be nice if the leaders of The United Methodist Church could also figure this out. Another quote from the interview:... Read more
The big question of “What is Enough?” kept arising in the midst of this decision to retire early and respond more fully to God’s call to devote my working hours to my writing world. What is “enough” when it comes to retirement finances? Some major financial publications have said things like “Have in savings/investments at least 11 times current annual income.” Some say we’ll need much more than that because this generation of retirees have far higher expectations for our... Read more
I just read the book review of The Reason I Jump, by Naoki Higashida. The reviewer, who has a son with autism, offers a privileged peek into the mind that perceives the world like this: Colors and patterns swim and clamor for your attention. The fabric softener in your sweater smells as strong as air freshener fired up your nostrils. Your comfy jeans are now as scratchy as steel wool. Your vestibular and proprioceptive senses are also out of kilter, so... Read more
A church member just phoned. His son serves on one of the destroyers currently deployed in the Mediterranean Sea, one of many sons and daughters over there of worried parents here. We send our young to protect the young of others. Why? Well, I’m not going to join the political fray here, other than to say, “What do we do when faced with utter injustice?” And what is greater injustice than a political leader, such as Bashar al-Assad, unleashing poison gas... Read more
I woke, way too early with a memory-flooded mind on what should have been a leisurely, sleep-late, relaxed, slow-waking morning. A friend has recently asked me to offer some happy memories of my years as pastor as I do this pre-retirement journaling. I agreed to do so. As I began that task, however, I found those memories all tinged with some sadness and a lingering, inescapable sense of failure. I suspect part of that failure-flavor comes from my own tendency... Read more
Needing to be very busy procrastinating this morning (anything to avoid actually cleaning off my office desk), I idly flipped through a morning newspaper. Full of ads, of course, as it is Labor Day Weekend, and many will be shopping. One color, two page spread caught my eye, as it was intended to. SALE! SALE! SALE! THREE DAYS ONLY!! And in the middle of the page were multiple photos of furniture with price listed only as “$5/month!” Now, under the... Read more
Syria. Chemical Warfare. Innocent children and adults killed. Political instability. Denial. Blame. Egypt. Churches burnt. Religious oppression. Political instability. Worshippers killed. Anguish. Russia. Economic disaster. Growing coldness to the US. Persecuting gays and lesbians. Exodus. Sadness. North Korea. Gaining nuclear weaponry. Inexperienced leader. Needs to keep nation in crisis to hold power. Systematic, brutal suppression of disagreement. Powder-keg near an open flame. Fear. United States Barely “united” any more. Dems and Reps can’t/won’t sit at a table together. Public discourse... Read more
I thought that the first Sunday after the congregation learned about my retirement would be the hardest. Wrong. Second Sunday worse. People I hadn’t seen the first Sunday coming up to me and reminding me again how much I will miss them. And then there is Addie. Addie, daughter of one of the faithful families in our congregation. Addie, young, innocent, loving. Addie–she represents to me so much of this congregation. Sunday, after her dad and I had exchanged a... Read more
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