Dear UM Moderates: What We Need To Hear You Say

June 30, 2015.Reading time 5 minutes.

Dear United Methodist Moderates: I call you to publicly support the civil marriage rights of gay and lesbian persons, and to implore our civil servants to support the constitution. Whatever your personal/theological views of same sex marriage in the Church, please know and remember that the UMC has a strong statement supporting the Civil Rights […]

The Journey’s Never Over

June 27, 2015.Reading time 6 minutes.

There are few days where you absolutely know that you are a witness to history. Yesterday was one of those days. And this morning –almost 24-hours to the minute after our dear friends and church members, George Harris and Jack Evans became Dallas County’s first legally married same sex couple– it still seems completely surreal. […]

Yes, I’m Gonna be a “Homer” About This

May 6, 2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

I’m gonna get accused of being a homer with this, but so be it… I’ve been thinking more about the shooting Sunday night, and the mind-blowing truth that none of this involved local people directly, in any way. Today, a friend pointed me to a New York Times piece which says: “Dallas in particular has […]

I am not Charlie. I am not AFDI. I am not a Shooter.

May 4, 2015.Reading time 10 minutes.

In the wake of a shooting last night, at an anti-Islamic event that took place in Garland, I am drawn to this section of the powerful Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: “O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; […]

Love The Children and Help Them Grow

April 25, 2015.Reading time 3 minutes.

Tomorrow is Confirmation Sunday at Northaven. That’s always a special day in the life of the church. But this year, the day will have even deeper roots and meaning for me, personally. Of the five kids we’ll confirm in their Christian faith, I will have baptised all of them. Emma will be tomorrow. All the […]

Bake for them two

April 6, 2015.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Originally posted on Ten Thousand Places:
In Jesus’ time, the nation of Israel was under Roman rule. The Israelites were allowed to live there and practice their faith for the most part, but they had to pay taxes to Caesar and obey the Roman laws. To the Israelites, the Romans were evil and ungodly. They…

Dear American Christians

April 3, 2015.Reading time 5 minutes.

Dear American Christians, You need to get a grip, and I am tired of speaking to you politely. You are not being persecuted by being required to serve all customers in your store. If you serve all people in your store, you are simply being American. As a fellow Christian, I can assure you, your […]

Gethsemane

April 2, 2015.Reading time 10 minutes.

“Gethsemane” has always been my favorite song from “Jesus Christ Superstar.” In fact, I’d have to say it ranks as one of my top ten favorite all-time songs, period. Today is pretty much the day of the year to remember it. No better time than Maundy Thursday. I first encountered the song, and JCS, as […]

PHA: Our Muslim community is not to blame for extremists’ actions

March 18, 2015.Reading time 1 minute.

As a person of faith, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the anger and vitriol being shown toward Muslims who live in the Dallas community. You may have heard of the protesters that gathered outside a Muslim conference in Garland. Partly as a response to this, Northaven United Methodist Church recently hosted an event […]

The Long View of St. Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2015.Reading time 1 minute.

St. Patrick’s Day allows us the chance to remember how, generations ago, the Irish were reviled and hated by many in this country. They were “Otherized” and made the secular scapegoat for all the ills of their society in that day. But this morning, the great-grandchildren of Protestants who spewed racial epithets at the Irish, […]