Incarnational Seeing:

The Sunday before Advent starts, we actually get a pretty good reminder of the power of Incarnational Seeing. Incarnational seeing is my language for what others call the spiritual practice of “paying attention.” There is a lot of buzz in the culture right now around the concept of “mindfulness” as a tool for reducing stress […]

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Quadrophenia

We interrupt this week’s baseball posts for: Quadrophenia.The album was released fifty years ago this week. One of my all time faves, it’s at or near the top of my “Desert Island” list. Later, of course, the film version was released, and I bought this poster. I found the poster this week, in the same […]

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Jason Aldean’s Song

With some trepidation, I’ll share a few thoughts on the Jason Aldean song controversy. I’d like to speak to what I’m hearing from all sides of this debate…commenting a bit as both preacher and songwriter. In this critique, I will only analyze the song itself… 1: The song *might* be about lynching.It never mentions lynching, […]

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The 2023 NT Conference: “A New Day”

Dear Kessler Park Members and Friends: What follow is a longish summary of what has just taken place this week as the North Texas Conference met in Plano, Texas. I can’t apologize for the length. Because, honestly, a LOT happened, and you need to know about it. Let me start at the very end, because […]

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Open Letter to Gov. Abbott (re: Cleveland shootings)

Dear Gov Abbott, I am writing you as a Christian pastor, and calling out your inclusion of the phrase “illegal immigrant” in your tweet regarding the senseless murders of five innocent people in Cleveland, Texas. I would remind you how our common faith in Jesus Christ insists that “In Christ there is no Jew or […]

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“Drag Bunch” and what REALLY “Grooms” Our Children

Why are we not asking about the “grooming,” —the disturbing messages of sexually gendered roles— these shows reinforce for humans of all orientations….for little girls, for little boys, for mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters?

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Catfishing Bots, Fentanyl, and Deeply Frayed Community

I’m simultaneously deeply annoyed and deeply saddened by the vast number of Bot-led catfishing proposals I get these days via social media. It started out as just annoyance. And then, as a way of dealing with that annoyance, I decided to save a week’s worth…not to read them…just “screen shot and save”…then come back later. […]

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Uncomfortable Metaphors

It’s now Monday, and to my amazement, my hastily dashed-off post “Good Friday” —about the original meaning of the crucifixion in Jesus’ time— continues to be shared at a stunning pace.It’s now approaching 3,000 Facebook shares, and thousands of remarkable and kind comments. My best guess is: it’s still being shared around 100 times an […]

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Good Friday

“Um…so what’s that interesting necklace you’re wearing?” I am at the Kerrville Folk Festival, on a sweaty May afternoon. I’m with a group of fellow musicians, and one has again asked me a question I’ve been asked many times before. She’s asking about the necklace I wear every day. “It’s a ‘Lethal Injection Crucifix,’” I […]

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