The Complaint A group of VERY IMPORTANT church leaders began to grumble about Jesus. “He ignores us, the movers and shakers, the ones divinely given the leadership of The Church. Instead, he takes his meals with people who don’t even give $5 a year to our coffers, haven’t partaken of the sacraments in years AND even support gay marriage and homosexuals as ordained! The church will decline in numbers even further if they get their way. Why isn’t he dining... Read more
Can the morally twisted still recognize and support that which is good? I ask that in light of the upcoming papal election. Now, the former Archbishop of Edinburgh, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, has mercifully solved that dilemma for himself. In the last couple of weeks, as multiple allegations of sexual impropriety against him became public, he did two things. First, he moved his planned retirement forward, so he no longer has the privilege of voting in the elections. Second, he admitted... Read more
On Wednesday afternoons, I spend the 40 most enjoyable minutes of my week and also the 40 most exhausting minutes of my week. That’s when I work with a group of teens who are interested in developing their worship leadership skills. I teach them to read scripture with meaning, to lead the congregation in prayer, to handle themselves in front of a group, to breathe properly, and especially to recognize how important their presence and ministry is to the life... Read more
It is very easy for someone who works exclusively in a church environment to become culturally isolated from the “real world,” so I make it a point to read extensively outside my field. I want to learn what others are thinking and how they experience life. So, I perused a recent article in The Atlantic written by a middle-school teacher extremely concerned about the ways the girls in her classroom dressed for school. She writes, “I hate having to defend... Read more
Humans are tool-making and tool-using creatures. Our opposable thumb and finger grasp strength provide the springboard to create and use machines as extensions of our bodies and brains. We are also tool-purchasing creatures. Tools to cook, tools to communicate, tools to study, tools to build, tools to create, tools to clean, tools to repair, tools to heal, tools to build muscles and increase stamina, even tools to help us relax and have fun. We really do like ‘em. Last spring... Read more
I doubt that there is anyone in this connected world who does not know by now that Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XVI, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, has announced his retirement as of February 28, 2013. Apparently, many of his closest aides were flummoxed and unprepared for this announcement. And within moments, the cyberworld starts asking, “Is a new scandal concerning the Roman Catholic church starting to break?” And, “How can the RC possibly function with two living Popes?” as... Read more
Saturday: A day in the garden: pulled weeds, planted onions and a tree, got a flower bed rebuilt, cleaned up the yard, got garden ready for rest of early and late spring plantings, did laundry, straightened up the house, dealt with mail, went to bed early, ready in body, spirit and soul for the week. Sunday: Three powerful, rich worship services filled the morning and I acknowledged once again that I work with not just a first-rate team, but with... Read more
With both horror and fascination, I just finished reading the Lawrence Wright exposé called Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief. This exquisitely researched book takes us into the bowels of Scientology, a religious group that has apparently systematically lied, cheated, abused its followers, sought to destroy its detractors, devastated families, amassed giant amounts of money which impoverished many and landed in the pockets of very few, and pandered to celebrities whose egos got stroked by the maniacs who run... Read more
“I wanted to control the narrative.” That phrase has sprung out of the otherwise unsurprising Lance Armstrong doping confession. The need to “control the narrative” captures much human motivation and underlies multiple decisions. If we can indeed control the narrative, we can keep ourselves protected, lie with impunity and still look intact, together and successful. Armstrong’s real problems lie far beyond the lying and the doping. Those transgressions can be seen as primarily self-destructive. But Armstrong was other-destructive because he... Read more
I was in conversation with several of the young teens at the church tonight during the time I teach them worship skills as a part of our midweek program. We were talking about what it takes to keep them engaged in worship and how easily they became distracted. In conversation, I began to ask them about the school classes in which they felt the most interest and the ones where they had the least interest. They liked best the classes... Read more
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