“We Know What We Know” About Methodism

March 2, 2019.Reading time 20 minutes.

“Demography is Destiny” — Auguste Comte Thursday afternoon a United Methodist clergy colleague called me while I was driving to church. I spend a lot of time in the car these days. We talked for about 25 minutes. He was pretty amped up. He told me he’d stayed up until 3 am the night before, […]

Methodism: Post-Mortem and Pre-Vitae

February 26, 2019.Reading time 16 minutes.

This week’s General Conference #gc2019 is the result of a slow-moving train wreck that’s been happening in the United Methodist Church for some thirty years. Most centered in my mind today are all those who are experiencing pain, most especially of all, my dear Methodist LGBTQ friends across the denomination, and all of those who […]

In-CAR-Nation Talk with Me and Wes Magruder

December 20, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

So, this happened… Wes Magruder invited me to be his guest on his “In-CAR-Nation Talk” show…a shameless rip off of both Jerry Seinfeld and James Cordon, where-in we drive around my East Dallas neighborhood, and talk Christmas and Incarnational Theology. It was pretty humorous and pretty fun, and we got to talk about one one […]

My Speech at the Anti-White Supremacy Rally

August 26, 2017.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Many thanks to our good friends at First Unitarian, for posting this video of my speech at the “Anti-White Supremacy” rally in Dallas. What a great night it was. As I say in the speech, standing around and below me were almost twenty United Methodist clergy colleagues who stood in solidarity with us that night. […]

Bishop John Wesley Hardt

June 18, 2017.Reading time 14 minutes.

Bishop John Wesley Hardt has died. I just heard the news. It happened a few hours earlier today. This makes me incredibly sad, as I know it does generations of Methodists here in Texas. If you are a Methodist in Texas, it’s likely you have a John Wesley Hardt story. I also have one. And […]

Faithful, Patriotic And Progressive

July 29, 2016.Reading time 16 minutes.

Perhaps a decade ago now, I got a call from a reporter with The Dallas Morning News who was working on a story, and wanted to interview me. The story was on the so-called rise of “Progressive Christian Churches.” We talked on the phone for about an hour. She sent a photographer to the church […]

“A great time to be alive…” (My Eulogy for Jack Evans)

July 2, 2016.Reading time 24 minutes.

Jack Evans was truly a larger than life human being who, along with his husband George, got too live through momentous and positive changes for LGBTQ people. I have said many times, say it again now, Jack and George have taught my wife and me a lot about what it takes to make a relationship […]

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 […]

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 […]

Look No Further Than This

January 30, 2015.Reading time 2 minutes.

Yesterday was “Muslim Day” at the State Capital. Hundreds of Muslims gathered peacefully and exercised their constitutional right of speech and assembly. But, right in the middle of their peaceful gathering, this happened: A question, a comment, and a request… First, a question: Why was this woman not arrested?!! Second, a comment: If you want […]