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Welcome from 
Thanks for stopping in. Pour yourself a cup o' jo, take a load off your feet, and check out what's here. You are looking at my ramblings about issues of faith, life and culture—they are my own and are not necessarily shared by those with whom I work, live or otherwise engage. My journey has led my family and me across the country where I have been introduced to a lot of people and a lot of different ways of doing things. One passion, though, runs through all these experiences: building beloved and sustainable community. "Sustainable" community is kind of a strange notion, as communities (people) change constantly, and things are always in motion. So, the latest chapter of my life has led me to the notion of "impermanence"—not an idea that comes naturally in a culture that likes to build monuments to our greatness for future generations to view and admire. But, I'm trying to practice my awareness of impermanence—the idea that nothing is permanent, nothing is forever, and things are always in flux. Feel free to share your comments and engage in any conversation that may be happening here, but just know that I do reserve the right to delete any spam or anything I deem inappropriate or offensive. I look forward to dialoguing with anyone who cares to dialogue! Peace and blessings, |
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It’s Monday. For many, it’s the day of dragging ourselves out of bed after a couple of days of not having to think about work, and trudging to that place that sucks much of our time and energy. I’ve read a number of articles and blog posts over the last several years about the Church losing it’s way and continually living in a confused Monday-mindset. I used to think we were finding our way […] 
I haven’t posted anything the past couple of weeks, since the election. I have been listening to people’s reactions and trying to process what happened and what it might mean for our nation and world. Each year our local Tempe Interfaith Fellowship hosts an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. It is an amazing service, and a highlight of the season for many. This year I was asked to offer the Prayer of Thanksgiving, which also served as […] 
Whew! The final debate in the presidential election is over. It was heated. It was challenging (to watch and listen). The mud being slung all over the place in both the gubernatorial race and all the races down ticket is astonishing. It feels like it’s more than in the past. Yet, looking back at history it’s mild compared to Thomas Jefferson declaring John Adams to be a “hideous hermaphroditical character” in the 1800 […] 
Why is it so hard to talk about politics and religion? I asked some folks about it, and here’s what they said. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel, or subscribe to this blog in the column to the left. 
In 2014 a local pastor of a very small independent Baptist community preached a sermon calling for the execution of all homosexual people, posted a video of the sermon on YouTube, and then bought advertising on Facebook to promote it. It was picked up by the news and the sermon went viral. In response, the local interfaith community wrote a response (see here). In the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Orland, […] 
This past Sunday I spoke about perserving our history while remaining true to the present, and trying to look forward to see what might be around the corner. I used the word “conservative” to describe the work of historians. Then, at this week’s Wednesday morning Lectio Divina Bible study, the issue of labels came up. One person mentioned “conservative” and “liberalâ€? perspectives in relation to an issue we were discussing. Another responded something to the […] 
I seem to be hearing of more reports of hateful and violent behavior by certain ultra conservative Christian groups on and around the ASU campus, let alone Tempe. A local “pastorâ€? (I use that term loosely) called for the execution of all homosexuals, among other dangerous statements he has made. There have been incidents in which our friends in the Muslim community have been harassed outside their Mosque on Friday nights as they enter […] 
Steven Anderson, pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church (a “very independent” Baptist church) preaches the execution of all homosexuals to cure AIDS/HIV by Christmas. Steven Anderson, pastor at Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, has made national news with a recently preached a sermon in which he called for the execution of all homosexuals by Christmas in order to cure AIDS/HIV (news articles can be found here and here, […] |
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