I’m not even sure there are words to describe the last 24 hours. My roommate and re-acquainted friend from our youth days, Jessica Ireland, was hit by a truck in an intersection last night. She came out on the other side sore, scraped up, with deep scrapes on her foot that will take a while…
God-Words
theology
fact checking in an age of T.M.I.
Too Much Information. I’m not entirely sure that is what was envisioned by the framers of amendment one when they gave freedom to the press. I’m not sure that was what was envisioned by the inventors of the internet, or cable tv, or email. But we are inundated constantly with information. And depending on which…
my good deeds are like a tampon…
In this week’s lectionary readings we find a prayer from Isaiah 64. The tide has turned in Isaiah’s (or second Isaiah’s) thoughts and no more are there promises of destruction… now there are promises of salvation and pleas for God to act. “If only you would tear open the heavens and come down!” Isaiah cries. …
Idiotology
There has been a lot of talk on the airwaves lately about ideology. Mostly regarding economics and politics and the way people played chicken with this debt ceiling question. As I heard a debate a few weeks ago, I actually thought that someone had said “idiotology” and it got me thinking. Are our attachments to certain…
Was John Wesley a Deacon?
Through John Meunier, I was directed to “Four John Wesley quotes everyone should know” by John Pedlar. They are good quotes, and ones that, as a student of Methodist history and theology, I knew well. But as John shares, James shares an important insight at the end of his piece. It is in response to…
how can we laugh at a time like this?
I’m sitting at my computer, looking out the 24th floor window of my hotel in Des Moines. I am currently attending our annual School for Ministry and learning all sorts of neat things about capital campaigns and what kinds of fonts to use on worship slides. We’ve had some good practical teaching this year… with…
born this way
A good friend helped me to find a post by Brian Kirk called “Lady Gaga, Lent, Teens, and Original Sin.” It is a good read, but there are a few tweaks that I might have made to his argument. In his article, Kirk shows how Lady Gaga’s latest song “Born This Way,” helps teenagers to…
what we are saved from matters – or – what if Rob Bell has a point?
I’m just a small voice, but I have a two cents to add to the pot on this whole “Rob Bell Universalism” controversy. Before his book is even out, folks are making all kinds of assumptions about what it says. And there are probably enough indicators in the youtube preview of “Love Wins” that you…