“Incompatible” Is Gone

May 2, 2024.Reading time 10 minutes.

And now, we exhale.At least, I do. Now, except for a few more tiny “jots,” the harm is fully gone. The Original Sin of the United Methodist Discipline regarding human sexuality, the word “Incompatible,” is gone.Everywhere from our polity and law, now. The margin was 76%, and included an amendment that came from an African […]

It’s Time To Finish the Journey

May 2, 2024.Reading time 4 minutes.

I am still holding my breath. It’s probably my age.It’s definitely my PTSD. What is happening at General Conference is truly headspinning and filled with such joy for our FUTURE.But there is one final sin of the PAST, yet to go. I’m still holding my breath for the removal of our Social Principles’ “Incompatibility Clause,” […]

Sermon In Response to the Dallas Shootings

July 10, 2016.Reading time 23 minutes.

This is different, isn’t it? We’ve been here before. We’ve been in church, the Sunday after some mass shooting…somewhere…and we’ve viscerally felt the horror and the shock. You’ve heard me preach on those Sundays. But this is so different. This is our home. Our city. Violence toward our police. In our downtown, where some of […]

Signs That Are More Than Ink On Paper

June 16, 2016.Reading time 25 minutes.

When I was a kid, there was a program called “Helping Hands” that was supposed to help kids feel safe. The idea was that families would put a paper sign inside the front windows of their house. The sign was a very simple hand print. The theory was that if a kid was ever walking […]

The Greater Tragedy

June 14, 2016.Reading time 6 minutes.

“The greater tragedy is that these deaths are being politicized by those who have an agenda…” During the past two days, I’ve heard this statement on social media, from writers right, left, and center. This kind of empty rhetoric gets tossed out at a time like this. And sometimes it gets embraced as a moderate, […]

Of Bathrooms and Johnny Manziel

May 13, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Eric’s video message for this week, talking about the fake danger of Trans people and bathrooms, verses the very real dangers of domestic violence.

Conversation with Morgan Guyton

May 4, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Morgan Guyton is on a book tour for his great new book, “How Jesus Saves The World from Us: 12 Antidotes to Toxic Christianity.” We did a short interview about the book, focusing on the chapter, “Outsiders, Not Insiders,” talking about a bit about General Conference, and what it’s like to be straight allies of […]

Message To General Conference Delegates

May 2, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Friends, This blog is a message to delegates to the upcoming United Methodist General Conference. If you are a delegate, I hope you’ll watch it. If you know a delegate, I hope you’ll forward it to them. The primary message is this: “Restructuring” or “Reframing” will not help solve the intractable conflict over LGBT issues […]

Message to Reconciling People

April 28, 2016.Reading time less than 1 minute.

It’s Time. (Past Time, Really)

April 13, 2016.Reading time 13 minutes.

Dear General Conference Delegates From Around the World, I’m writing you today about issues of LGBTQ inclusion, which will be before you at General Conference in Portland. My message to you is not just that “It’s Time,” but that “It’s Past Time.” The Clock Has Stopped. You Can Restart It. My first message is that […]