Today's reading from Galatians chapter 5, The Voice version: For the whole law comes down to this one instruction: "Love your neighbor as yourself," - so why all this vicious gnawing on each other? If you are not careful, you will find you've eaten each other alive! Here's my instruction: walk in the Spirit, and …
Category: Christianity
Celebrating Sabbath
The International Day of Peace (aka World Peace Day) was this week. Seems to me that everyday is a good - and important - day to pray for peace. Of course, as the song says, if there is to be peace on earth, it must begin with me. My go-to prayer is a simple breath …
Toeing “The Line”
I've written rather extensively about my involvement with and support for Bread for the World. I've been less vocal about my involvement with and support for Sojourners. But both organizations help me reflect upon a Christian commitment to social justice. Both organizations help me act on that commitment. So you can imagine my interest when …
Celebrating Sabbath
Beautiful and challenging words from Sister Joan Chittister, via Dr. Richard Beck: Here's a great quote from a recent interview she gave to the Jackson Free Press. The interviewer's question: "So, as a woman of faith, as a monastic, how do you see your role and the role of other people of faith in the …
Celebrating Sabbath
Excellent words from Father Richard Rohr: "Christianity is a lifestyle—a way of being in the world that is simple, non-violent, shared, inclusive, and loving." He continues: We made it, however, into a formal established religion, in order to avoid the demanding lifestyle itself. One could then be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain at the …
Thanks, United Methodist Insight!
What's United Methodist Insight? Truth be told, I was unaware of the project before they contacted me this week. I certainly like the idea though: UM Insight "seeks to provide a broad range of information and perspectives for concerned United Methodists and decision-makers that will affect the future of The United Methodist Church." And I …
Good questions for the church – and from the church
"What's best for the church?" As a pastor I try to make decisions based on the best answer I can muster to that question. It's one of the best and most important things my mentor and friend, the Rev. Linda Misewicz-Perconte, taught me. Seeing decisions through that lens helps me to keep the wider context …
Continue reading Good questions for the church – and from the church
Finding Buerstetta-er?
Two months. It's been two months since my last post here. In times like this my blog title makes me look like an idiot. I wish I could blame the void on a planned hiatus. While summer has been crazy busy, and I did spend a good portion of July curating a private blog …
Other words from the BWCAW
My last post attempted to share a brief summary of my recent experience as part of Fuller Seminary's Doctor of Ministry Cohort on Christian Spirituality taught by Tony Jones. I'll post some more of my thoughts soon, but in the meantime see if these words and pictures from others in the cohort don't make you …
I must not remain silent
Our lives begin to end on the day we remain silent about things that matter. - Martin Luther King, Jr. If you've been on the interwebs at all this week, you've probably heard of Charles Worley, Pastor at Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, NC. There are at least two words in that clause that …
All That I Can't Leave Unsaid 