A few days ago I went to a lecture by John Pavlovitz. He spoke passionately about the church’s need to embrace an expansive hope, to keep extending the table, because the table belongs to Christ, not to us. I think a lot about extending the table, in part because I drive past a restaurant renovation … Continue reading Understanding Our Perspective
Tag: Christianity
Asking For a Seat at the UMC Table
The United Methodist Church is in the news. NPR, New York Times, Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, and many others. They have been meeting in General Conference, where elected delegates from the global church debated whether to maintain prohibitions on LGBTQIA+ people in the life of the church, or to eliminate some of those prohibitions, or … Continue reading Asking For a Seat at the UMC Table
John Allen Chau and the Assumptions We Carry
Today as I sat down to write about John Allen Chau and the distance between opposing viewpoints, I realized that the moment to comment on this subject passed back in early December. Many articles and posts were written just after the news hit that Chau had been killed as he tried to land on North … Continue reading John Allen Chau and the Assumptions We Carry
Covington Catholic School and the Need for an Ethic of Love
When I was young, I read to my little brother. We had an extensive collection of children’s books, but as children often do, we read our favorites over and over. One of them was a collection of Dr. Seuss stories. I was always puzzled by the story of The Zax. The north-going Zax walks straight … Continue reading Covington Catholic School and the Need for an Ethic of Love
Training Season
Last Sunday my town was hit by an ice storm. The weather forecast had called for some snow, but all we got was rain, sleet and freezing temps. That added up to a layer of ice on trees, power lines and roadways. Many area churches canceled their regular services or moved them to a … Continue reading Training Season
What is Mission?
Last month I attended the Wild Goose Festival and had the opportunity to hear a presentation by the hosts of the Failed Missionary podcast and the author of The Very Worst Missionary. The conversation revealed a lot of pain and questions around the practice of mission, in particular, evangelical short-term mission and mission placements of … Continue reading What is Mission?
Joined By Grace
I found an old box a few days ago. It had some old paperwork that I no longer need, but I thought it would be a good idea to sort through and make sure nothing of value was tucked in between pages. I found two CD envelopes, stuffed with five CDs, each one marked with … Continue reading Joined By Grace
Food for the Soul, Fed for the Work of the Church
Life happens. Sometimes it happens with routines. School schedules, regular work days, afterschool activities and such. Sometimes it happens too fast, when all the normal routines are crowded with business trips, conferences, additional meetings and activities. Other times it happens with focus on a single important event – a dear friend in crisis, a family … Continue reading Food for the Soul, Fed for the Work of the Church
The Church’s Response to Suicide
Last week’s news of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain taking their own lives was shocking. In the news reports for each one, either friends or family members said “we had no idea”. Persons closest to them did know something, but they didn’t know how urgent and present the threat of losing their loved one was. … Continue reading The Church’s Response to Suicide
Of Spelling Bee Championship Words and Culture
This morning I was listening to NPR and heard about the young man who won the U.S. National Spelling Bee championship yesterday. When they announced the word that Karthik Nemmani spelled, I thought "Hey! A word I know and can spell!" But neither of the NPR Morning Edition hosts knew the word. Later in the … Continue reading Of Spelling Bee Championship Words and Culture
Sister of Hope Ministries 