This may come as a shock to many of you, but sometimes I don't know what to say. (Then again considering how infrequently I've posted here, perhaps that isn't so shocking.) Saturday is the one year anniversary of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and I don't know what to say. …
Tag: Christianity
‘a people robbed and plundered…trapped in holes and hidden’
I must admit that the list of national observance days and months is overwhelming and often tedious if not down right ridiculous. For instance, January sports National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week and National Handwriting Analysis Week. This month is National Get Organized Month, Oatmeal Month, and National Polka Music Month, among many others. (Ok, my …
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“The Right to Love”
I shared this video on Facebook yesterday via Tony Jones, but thought it was just too good not to also post here. Yes, I follow God in the Way of Jesus. Yes, I am an ordained reverend working as a pastor in a church. And, yes, I am convinced marriage must be fully opened to …
IL Forum to Combat Human Trafficking
I was quite encouraged by the crowd present for Monday's Illinois Forum to Combat Human Trafficking. There were several hundred people there of diverse ages and races. The speakers were passionate and informative. Opportunities to take action to combat trafficking were offered, actions that could be taken right then and there. International Justice Mission was …
Fighting traffick
Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. – Isaiah 1:17 It’s been a little while since I’ve written about human trafficking, so I think it’s time to correct that. You won’t often find them on the front page, but mainstream media stories about human trafficking (which …
Speaking Out: Clergy Against Bullying and Anti-Gay Violence
Thanks to a link on Twitter from Kimberly Knight, I became aware of this Clergy Against Bullying petition. In tone and message, the petition is a companion to my Oct. 10 sermon. I encourage you to go read the whole thing (it's not that long, especially as joint statement press releases go). Here's the opening …
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My sermon from Oct. 10, 2010: Settling In & Coming Out
As I wrote previously, the sermon I gave at my church (Woodridge UMC) garnered quite the reaction. I've never been more scared about the possible reaction to a sermon. I've never been more gratified by a response. 6 dead kids is 6 too many. Anti-gay bullying must stop. All bullying must stop. Every human being …
Continue reading My sermon from Oct. 10, 2010: Settling In & Coming Out
Theological Dialogue on Youth Ministry #2
For me, what separated this conference from most all others I've attended in 15 years of ministry is how well the organizers knew their audience. I expect nothing less from Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Kenda Dean and Andrew Root, but still, it was refreshing to be told, "get up and leave the room when you …
All That I Can't Leave Unsaid 