The time leading to Easter has long been seen in many Christian traditions as the yearly opportunity to take a good, hard look at the state of our souls and ask the question, “Do I need a Savior?” A great way to engage in that interior journey is to undergo a fast. A fast, the intentional tossing aside of certain practices or gratifications, opens our eyes quickly to our habits of self-indulgence and mindless activities. There is no one proscribed... Read more
Last Tuesday, a group of people sat in a circle and we began an open discussion about our questions about our faith. I have called this group “Doubters Anonymous” and have invited anyone who wants to explore any aspect of their faith to come together during Lent and do so in an open, welcoming atmosphere where we have placed a moratorium on heresy hunting. These are the questions that came up in our time together: Questions about prayer: how to... Read more
I just signed an online petition indicating that I will not knowingly ever patronize a business that puts advertising money into Rush Limbaugh’s radio show. I’ve not done something like that before, but, as have so many others, I now say, “enough is enough.” I’ve never liked Rush. I remember first seeing him on TV perhaps 10 or 15 years ago and noting how much glee he gained when making fun of someone. He continually repeated a short video clip... Read more
Last weekend, I pulled a couple of nice fat green onions from the garden to put in a pot of soup. I’d planted them last fall, and enjoyed watching them grow, preparing to give themselves away in flavor and nutrients. As I chopped them up and dropped them in with the other vegetables, I thought, as I generally do, about the connection between the garden and the church. Both take so much good preparation and much labor and the results... Read more
As I have posted openly about my horror over the situation unfolding at St. Luke “Community” UMC, I have been accused of being judgmental and throwing Mr. Gordon, former Senior Pastor there, under the bus. Three points: First, anyone can begin a church. Unlike, for example, the medical profession, there are no national standards of credentialing for clergy to hang out a shingle. Second, Mr. Gordon has a lawsuit filed against him but no judgment. There are only allegations of... Read more
I was deeply touched by Steve Blow’s column today in the Dallas Morning News. He speaks compassionately of the successes and pressures of Skip Ryan, former senior pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, his abrupt resignation in 2006, his challenging path into and away from prescription drug abuse, and his restoration to the pulpit. So few really understand how very human pastors are, that our temptations are the same as anyone else’s, and that our opportunities for periodic refreshment and... Read more
I saw this intriguing article over the weekend. The writer speaks of a charter school in Chicago where the students must pay a fine for violating even the smallest rules. Here’s how the atmosphere at the school is described: A sense of order and decorum prevails at Noble Street College Prep as students move quickly through a hallway adorned with banners from dozens of colleges. Everyone wears a school polo shirt neatly tucked into khaki trousers. There’s plenty of chatter... Read more
A fight breaks out between two preschoolers. The parents or caregivers break up the fight and insist that the children tell each other they are sorry. On the rarest of occasions is there a sincere “I really am sorry I did that. I was wrong. Please forgive me.” Usually, for the children involved it is just an exercise in saying the right words to keep from getting into even more trouble. Inside, the little ones are screaming “It wasn’t MY... Read more
According to a recent MedPage article, “Prescriptions for narcotic painkillers soared so much over the last decade that by 2010 enough were being dispensed to medicate every adult in the U.S. around-the-clock for a month.” All I can say is, “Wow.” How very much we hurt–and I think the hurt and pains people are seeking relief from are far, far more than physical. Recently, I had a back spasm that just about put me under. After suffering for over a... Read more
Today, Dr. Frederick Schmidt posted on his blog here about doing ministry with the poor, on of the four areas of focus of the United Methodist Church mandated by the 2008 General Conference (just a meandering thought: will all those change with the 2012 General Conference–just when I’m starting to figure this out?). Anyway, I thought Schmidt made a particularly insightful comment when he wrote, “I have no way of “knowing” in the sense that really matters. No one who... Read more
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