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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 Tuesday of Holy Week. In Mark’s gospel (11.20-13.27) we find Jesus heading into the deep waters of confronting the socio-religious and political powers of Jerusalem. A series of interactions with Pharisees, scribes, and some wealthy Sadducees puts Jesus on the defensive. But he, according to gospel accounts, aptly volleys the threats back into the courts of his opponents and scores several points—all the more reason to kill him! In one Jesus is […] 
“Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.” ~Isaac Asimov Life happens. It’s true! Even when I think it won’t, shouldn’t, or couldn’t, it just does. When I want to press the pause button, I can’t find one. Life just keeps on happening. And, honestly, sometimes I feel like it gets in the way of the things I want (or need) to do. One of those things is writing. Putting on […] 
I’m often told my blog posts are too long. Well, I’m afraid this one is no exception. Part of the problem may be I just don’t blog often enough. It’s hard for me to just “go for the soundbite,” as I’m wondering if that’s part of the problem in our public civil discourses. We are so interested in the soundbites (giving and hearing) that we are unable to go deeper into the […] 
My inner pride over the congregation I serve (99% white) taking on questions around race, racism and Christian faith is beginning to bubble over. Our guest for the first of four weeks in our annual Mission Month was the Rev. Dr. Joseph D. Small, former director of the Office of Theology and Worship for my denomination, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He caused my breast to be filled the air of pride by encouraging […] 
As I write I am in Chicago at McCormick Theological Seminary for my fourth class on a long journey toward earning a Doctor of Ministry. The title of the class: “Culturally Attentive Ministry.â€? As we consider such questions as, “What presumptions and predispositions about other cultures and races have influenced your practice of ministry?â€?, I can’t help but get more excited and more anxious about my congregation’s Mission Month this […] Why do we hate when it saps our energy when it kills our compassion when it requires so much of us Why do we hate when we are afraid when we are unfamiliar when we are angry Why do we hate when there are children dying when there are people suffering when we know it only adds to the global pain we all feel Why do we hate when we say we are hungry for […] 
In America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity (2005), Robert Wuthnow, an American sociologist, argues that we have possibly been going about these ecumenical (inter-Christian) and inter-faith dialogues all wrong. He writes that we have been so focused on theology (understandings about God) that we have completely missed the opportunities to simply be in relationship, a basic understanding of what God is about that seems to span many of the world’s […] |
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