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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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With every step Jesus took into and within Jerusalem, he pushed against the status quo of fear and oppression. He pushed the Jewish leadership in their cooperation with the empire. He pushed the Roman leadership, riding that thin line between nuisance and seditionist. The leaders saw that the crowd was getting behind Jesus, drawn to his preaching of love and justice (probably more the justice than the love). They needed to figure out how to […] 
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 […] 
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 […] 
This week I wrote a letter to President Obama and to Secretary of Homeland Security, the Honorable Jeh Johnson, asking them to offer administrative relief for Luis and others who have committed no crimes, have been a part of our communities for years, but are under threat of deportation (you can read it here). Yesterday the Rev. Gradye Parsons, stated clerk of my denomination’s General Assembly, also wrote a letter to […] 
I am saddened and deeply troubled by what happened and is happening in Ferguson, MO, to the point I really don’t know what to say. I’ve been reading the news, listening to the reports, and watching the blogosphere while trying to wrap my head around what happened and is happening (a few blog posts I found helpful, encouraging, and even challenging can be found here, here, and here). One […] 
PHOENIX, AZ - Arizona Governor Janice K. Brewer has just vetoed a controversial bill (S.B. 1062) passed by both houses of the state legislature along partisan lines that claimed to promote religious freedom, but actually allowed businesses and individuals to discriminate against anyone if serving that person violated the religious beliefs of the owner or individual. Her reason for the veto: business interests. She was not concerned with the freedom, liberty, or protection […] |
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