America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! –America the Beautiful (Katharine Lee Bates) It had been a long glorious morning full of adrenaline, symbolism, and splendid pomp and circumstance. Then we sang the second stanza of the hymn “America the Beautiful.” Confirming my soul … Read more
Processing in the Inaugural Prayer Service: America! America!
Star Wars & the Bible
My colleague, Jack Peebles, loves the Star Wars movie saga. I thought I was a fan, and I am. Yet, Jack has shown me new heights of character appreciation, plot connection, and theological meaning. The recent release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story allowed Jack and me to dig ever more deeply into this … Read more
Redemption in ‘Stranger Things’ (2 of 3)
(Spoiler alert…this blog reveals the plot of the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things. Stop now if you want to wait and experience the beauty of that show yourself without knowing the end.) re·demp·tion (rəˈdem(p)SH(ə)n/) n. the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil; “God’s plans for the redemption of his world”; the action … Read more
The Realignment Battle of the Mainline Church, Part II
Last time we looked at the theological divides within the mainline denominations over Christ’s divinity, Biblical authority, and means of salvation. The other major fissure growing within mainline churches is over adaptive change: can you change fast enough to disciple this generation as Jesus followers before its lights out? Surprising to some, denominations as church … Read more
The Realignment Battle of the Mainline Church, Part I
I am writing from the Rosen Shinglecreek resort during the Fellowship of Presbyterians gathering, as reported this week by Jeff Kunerth. I take note of the deep divide and shifting sands being experienced by all the main line denominations in America. Presbyterians aren’t alone in their internal divide over issues of sexuality and ordination. Episcopalians, … Read more
What I’ve Learned as a Pastor Since 9/11
I slept late the morning of 9/11. A caller on the phone alerted me to turn on the TV; supposedly a small twin engine plane had veered off course and crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers. Within minutes, I witnessed live on NBC’s Today Show as the second plane hit, this time … Read more
Trust in Appropriate Theology
Originally published as an editorial in the Orlando Sentinel on January 28, 2010. I had to look up the word ersatz. The term appears often in newspaper editorials, academic works and other erudite publications. Ersatz, according to my iPhone dictionary app, means an inferior substitute. In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, many are seeking … Read more