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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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Agitators are dangerous. They can insight fear and frustration, and often violence, with or without knowing it. Last Saturday I participated in a counter-rally calling out presidential frontrunner Donal Trump for his racist, misogynistic, and down-right hateful rhetoric. We were there to agitate, but also raise the flag on the language coming from a person who is vying for one of the most powerful positions in the world. Prior to Saturday, opposing Donald Trump’s run […] 
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 […] 
I found this quote today in my email inbox: A [person] will be imprisoned in a room with a door that’s unlocked and opens inwards; as long as it does not occur to [that person] to pull rather than push. -Ludwig Wittgenstein I had to look up Ludwig Wittgenstein. He was an early 20th century Austrian-British philosopher. He suffered severe personal depression after World War I, giving away all his money to his brothers […]
Today’s daily lectionary reading includes Deuteronomy 7.12-16. At first blush it is a frightening expression of God’s vengeance. The term in v. 16, unfortunately translated in the NRSV as “ordinances” and in other versions “laws,” is actually a legal term for “judgments.” The people are called to pay attention or heed God’s judgments, presumably against themselves as well as others given the context. As with any scripture text, it must be read in […] 
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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