Reflecting on “The Whale”

Is it possible to have differing, but equally valid, moral and ethical positions on the film “The Whale?” I sure hope so. I could be about to test this in what follows. Whatever your views on the film, on food, on obesity, on “fatphobia,” —that entire constellation of issues— I invite you to read this […]

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Texas Independence Day

Today is Texas Independence Day. As a student at UT Austin, I remember celebrating this day with all the pride I could muster.Today, years later, I’m thinking about what I didn’t know then, what I do know now, and the significance to all of us Texans today. If like me, you took “Texas History” in […]

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Ash Wednesday

A year ago Ash Wednesday… It is about this time of night(1) I have not come home from church, but instead I am sitting alone in Roberts Forest at KPUMC. The fire pit is dying down. (This is an actual picture….) I’m praying a lot. I’m playing guitar. And I’m doing some pretty intense crying. […]

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Jimmy Carter Christianity

Whether or not you are a Christian, if you’re looking for the kind of human I believe best exemplifies my Christian faith, look no further than Jimmy Carter. If you are increasingly convinced there is no such this as a “good and decent” form of Christianity, I would simply invite you to consider Jimmy Carter’s […]

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The God’s Honest Truth About “Revival”

It’s likely that mainline United Methodists are only vaguely aware of the “revival” happening at United Methodist-adjacent Asbury College. But it’s an event that evangelicals across denominational lines can’t stop talking about, and so I’ll jump in a bit today. Let me start with my primary ending point: If “revivals” are not a part of […]

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Cody McMahan

Cody McMahan died Saturday. I had the privilege of knowing Cody for perhaps 15-20 years….I believe I’ve lost count. I believe I first met him when Cody was still a member of Greenland Hills UMC. He later joined Northaven, and still later started dating and eventually married Mike House. One of the high honors of […]

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Christmas, Star Wars, and Greg Abbott

This week, as I reread the first verses of Luke’s Christmas story, I thought about Rey (from Star Wars), and about my own governor, Greg Abbott. Director JJ Abrams masterfully introduces the character of Rey to us in “The Force Awakens” in a sequence that is worthy of a careful look. As John Williams’ brilliant […]

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Christmas and Shit

It’s Christmas Day, and so it’s the perfect day to talk about shit. I’ve probably already lost some of you, because you don’t think preachers are supposed to use such words. But for those who aren’t already writing my Bishop (feel free) read along…. Artists can get away with such words better than preachers. That’s […]

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“Are You Resentful Because I am Generous?”

This morning, the world is on-fire with conversation regarding “student debt forgiveness.” I am listening to this debate, as I also meditate on Sunday’s scripture from the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 14), and other Bible stories that speak to us today. In verse 11 Jesus says, “All who lift themselves up will be brought low, […]

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Your Inner Good Samaritan

“AND…WHO AM I?” This is the unspoken question the religious lawyer quizzing Jesus never asks. I really wish he had. Because I need the answer to this question, and so do you. I’m talking about the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Every time I preach on that parable —as happened yesterday— I’m struck by a […]

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