(Author note: From time to time, as my theological perspectives change, I revisit articles that I find important and give them new life with a new perspective. This is one such article). I have an article that I wrote about 4 years ago that is making its way around social medial again. The title of … Continue reading Jesus the Activist
It is far too easy to believe that achieving true justice through active, non-violent resistance is just a pipe dream. That it is a lovely concept, but that it is mostly ineffective when placed within the context of the modern realities of power and dominance. The reality is that nothing could be further from the … Continue reading Non-violently Bending the Moral Arc of the Universe
One of my biggest frustrations with the Bible is rooted in the culture in which it was cultivated. Women, who were mostly second class citizens at best and property at worse, frequently go unnamed in the Bible. An example would be the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28. So, for the purposes of this talk … Continue reading Persist. It Matters.
Good and gracious God, As people around the world gather to remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, may we not forget to honor the life and teachings of Jesus. What he taught us, was what he would show us on Easter: That with Love, there are no endings. That with … Continue reading New Beginnings [An Easter Prayer]
[Part two of my Easter blog series. For part one click here]. The Christian Easter story has its roots in Jewish Passover – the annual commemoration of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to escape a repressive, enslaving government. That's the setting of the Easter story. Jerusalem is teaming with an influx of folks … Continue reading Easter – A Call to #Resist
I've often said that we Christians get so caught up in the unbelievable parts of Bible stories that we miss out on the practical, more contemporarily impactful parts of the stories. Easter is no exception. As the story is told from most Christian pulpits from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, it is an epic tale … Continue reading Easter – Saving God
I believe that the fullest expression of God comes in how we treat others. Particularly the marginalized. I believe that “God” is known by many names. No religion has exclusive rights for naming God. Human intellectual limitations prevent us from “seeing” the fullness of God. We can, however, see the results of humanity expressing God: … Continue reading This I Believe [My Statement of Faith]
This past Sunday, in many Christian churches, there was quite a bit of pomp and circumstance. Many probably had processionals led by the children waving palm branches – an enduring sight, to be certain. Ministers talked about the large crowd that gathered and how Jesus rode into town on a donkey (just like kings used … Continue reading Holy Week is More Political than Most Christians Think
There are more than 30 examples in the Gospels of Jesus being a healer. Basically, he was a walking, talking health clinic. Next to teaching, it may be the thing Jesus put the most time into. When Jesus commanded his followers to “heal the sick,” it did not come with any caveats; there were no … Continue reading The Hypocrisy of “Christian” Republicans and Healthcare
Dear President Trump, Can we talk? As a Presbyterian Church USA [PC(USA)] minister, I've become increasingly concerned about you and your faith journey. I understand that you grew up attending what you've called a “vibrant” PC(USA) church. And until recently, when you seem to have adopted a more conservative Evangelical outlook, you would readily claim … Continue reading Open Letter to Pres. Trump from a Southern Minister
