This Sunday will be the last in the message series I’ve been giving on “The Lost Ones:”–the reasons many of our older teens and young adults leave the church in droves. We started by looking the problem of the shallow theology we feed them, and by so doing, leave them unprepared to face real world problems with no simple answers. We examined the nature of the conflict between church and science and the misreading of Scripture that often leads to... Read more
Sam Hodges with the United Methodist Reporter has written more about the situation at St. Luke Community UMC that also mentions some of the challenges Rev. Greer has faced–including people putting sheets of paper defaming him on cars at Cockrell Hill UMC, where Greer now serves as Local Pastor. This harassment happened before he filed the lawsuit. Hodges has written a balanced article that respects the fact that the lives and voices of the alleged victims, as well as the... Read more
From the number of hits and responses I’ve received from my previous post about the allegations against Tyrone Gordon, still technically pastor at St. Luke Community UMC until Feb. 15, I am aware that this is an area of huge interest. Now, assuming that these allegations are true (and my good husband did remind me as I’m raging about this that nothing has been proven and that it all may be a pack of lies against the now uncredentialed Gordon),... Read more
The heartbreaking article in the Dallas News can be found at this link. The newly resigned pastor at St. Luke Community UMC in Dallas, Tyrone Gordon, has been accused of multiple sexual improprieties. Discretion, potential lawsuits, and “presumption of innocence” prohibits me from publishing some of the things I want to say right now. So let me just list my emotional responses–and, by the way, I had heard that this might be the case earlier in this week, so I... Read more
Today we are going to take a cultural journey into the literature that comprises the older portions of our Bible. Three important factors underlie some of the stories, behavioral admonitions and restrictions that are found there, especially in first five books, Genesis through Deuteronomy. First: the notion of honor and shame. Family honor is a huge issue. Keep in mind that “family” encompasses the whole larger clan, all under the leadership of a patriarch. If one person in the clan... Read more
Yesterday, when I visited the blog “Ask Mormon Girl” and made a comment on her post about the need to talk about polygamy, I also received by email all the comments following mine. They were many, and ranged from heartbreaking to hurt and angry to condemning. Many Mormon women posted about their agony over the fact that they had indeed been taught that a polygamous marriage was a necessity in what they call the “Celestial Kingdom.” When some responded with... Read more
I heard about a blog called “Ask Mormon Girl” last fall, and have periodically taken a look at it. I find Mormonism challenging–I do not actually think it can be called classically Christian, although it certain has elements that overlap with historic Christianity. I was speaking once with a Mormon woman who confided in me that she was so looking forward to the Celestial Kingdom where she was would be the first wife among at least two others, as her... Read more
Well, nothing like a statement from a former wife to throw a monkey wrench into Newt’s life and campaign. Several hours ago, this story with accompanying video were posted on the New York Times website: “Former Gingrich Wife Says He Asked for ‘Open Marriage’” When this presidential candidate was married to wife number two, he was already carrying on an affair with the woman who would be wife number three. Newt asked number two to approve an open marriage, so... Read more
I’ve seen this before, but it is making the rounds of the internet again. It is a copy of the questions on the 8th grade exam given in Kentucky in 1912. The questions are hard, and much is way beyond what is taught to our 8th graders today. The kind of math is also extremely practical for a farming, rural community. If they were to function in the world, young adults needed to know these things. As for grammar and... Read more
Do they never read poetry? I often ask this question when I see people picking apart poetic passages in the Bible as though these were doctoral dissertations with extensive documentation, rigid logic, and grammatical precision. Poetry reads differently. Its verbal images are meant to invoke great truths, open new worlds and connect with the hearts of its receivers. Poetry, especially biblical poetry, is intended to be read aloud to a community. The hearers use collective wisdom to understand the truths... Read more
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