Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
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I never thought I’d feel the need to apologize for the United Methodist Church. Being raised in the UMC fold, and pastoring in it for four decades, I’ve always felt a sense of both comfort and pride. I still do. Pluralism. Emphasis upon grace. Encouragement of people to develop a faith authentic to themselves. Respecting …
You can learn a lot about life from sports. My favorite sport is bowling.Here’s a little lesson learned from the alleys, with the help of a young bowler.
Religious identity in America continues declining. One survey found that 35 percent of Americans now identify themselves with no religion, and that 44 percent of millennials view themselves similarly. (Christian Century, January 16, 2019) It’s obvious that whatever the Christian church has been doing is simply not working anymore. The future of the church, if …
“Don’t judge, so you won’t be judged.” –Jesus This is one of Jesus’ most oft-quoted commandments. About any young person, non-Christian, or non-believer can quote it. Just because it is well known doesn’t mean it’s easy to follow, of course. Every so often I’m reminded of how often I miss the mark. The fervor …
“Doubting Thomas” is not an endearing term. It stems from the Resurrection account in John’s Gospel when Jesus, post-crucifixion, shows up in the room where the disciples have huddled. Thomas, though, is missing. When later told about what happened, he replies dogmatically, “Unless I see him for myself, I’m not going to believe” (John 20:19-29). …
We operate on two distinct levels. The first is our everyday level of existence. It’s the world we construct for ourselves to make it through the day, and have a few laughs along the way. How are my finances doing? Did you read that last tweet? When can I retire? When will we see that …
I belonged to a very conservative religious group in college. We devoured books that titillated us with scenes of the rapture and the world’s imminent destruction. We sang, “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” feeling glad we were the ones who were ready and not the ones who got drunk in weekend parties. Some in …
The Wesleyan Covenant Association is a group within United Methodism advocating for the denomination’s traditional stance prohibiting same sex marriage and the ordination of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals. Earlier this year, the writer of a WCA blog counseled his readers to stay “rooted” and “grounded” in God’s Word when considering LGBTQ issues. I took that to …
When you read about Jesus and study his teachings, one thing becomes clear. Jesus was mostly a macro-manager. He painted in broad brush strokes upon a wide canvas. Accordingly, when his enemies set traps baited with legal minutiae, he easily stepped around them. Which (of the 613) Jewish laws are most important? Two. Love God …
After 40+ years in the United Methodist ministry, two things have become clear. If we’re ever going to resolve our significant differences, we’re going to have to have the honesty to admit that none of us knows what we’re talking about. Each of us sees things only through a very narrow lens. Our genes, ancestry, …