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A few more Colbert reports
>Truth or lack there of …and the Christian Coalition, Jesus, and the Poorhttp://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/syndicated_player/index.jhtml http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/syndicated_player/index.jhtml
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Why I am United Methodist – Part III
Conjunction-Junction … What’s your Function? In my first two posts in this series, I have been doing some denominational apologetics for those who wrongly assume that “institutions” and “denominations” are passe and irrelevant. To paraphrase Neuhaus in his book Freedom for Ministry: I have never understood those who want to be rid of the institutional…
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Confession and Reconciliation
>The following is a liturgy I have written that can be used by pastors, spiritual guides, confessors, mentors, or by accountability groups that are seeking to take confession seriously in a Protestant context. I have long been convinced that the “all pray in silence” that follows many public prayers of confession is a very pregnant…
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The Greatest Lover
>I recently had the privledge of presiding at my brother’s wedding in Nashville. It gave me a chance to reflect again on God’s triune love, which is the context for all other loves. Below is my wedding sermon for that occasion.********************************* “My beloved speaks and says to me: ‘Arise, my love, my fair one and…
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If God has the whole world in God’s hands …
>Why do I often feel like this? … Especially when I am reading texts that exhort me to “remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” It is one of the reasons I have not blogged in a while – that heavy feeling of being overwhelmed and the accompanying guilt for feeling that way and placing…
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Torture – How did we get here?
>Maybe you’ve heard the story: “Once the camel’s nose is under the tent …” Well, in case you haven’t noticed, with regard to torture we are all out in the cold and there is a large animal standing in the space where we used to lay our head. The tent may have never been as…
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Prosperity Lite
>It is not everyday that a Scripture lesson from the lectionary gets exegeted in a national magazine right around the time many Christians in the pew will be hearing it from the pulpit, but last Sunday’s Gospel lesson from Mark 8 was an exception. For those who may have missed it, the article was in…
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Jason Byassee, Immigration, and Theological Pigeon Holing
>I have been enjoying the writing of Jasan Byassee these days, especially his recent addition to the editorial staff of The Christian Century. His words are often challenging, insightful, disturbing – and always interesting – whether he is writing an op-ed, reporting a piece of news, or explicating an important theological or ecclesial truth.Here is…
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Blog Post in UM Reporter
>Many of you know that I used to write a column for the NC Christian Advocate, a joint publication of the North Carolina and Western NC Annual Conferences. For various reasons, most of them fiscal, that joint publication is no more. The NC Annual Conference is currently printing a paper that is news only, no…
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What is wrong with this video?
> Why “Left Behind” should be left behind. http://youtube.com/v/IUU0lpJ06C8What’s wrong here?If you don’t know, then I would recommend some reading. The first book is one of my former professors at Duke Divinity School named Dr. Mickey Efrid. He is Biblical scholar who spends a good deal of energy seeking to debunk “Darbyist” readings of Scripture.…
Welcome to my blog! I love theology, life, writing … and the three things often intersect on this blog. I am not sure where I first heard it, but I have never forgotten the quote: “Give me anything and I can tell you about God.” I like that. It doesn’t matter what it is – movies, pop culture, politics, the church, music, motorcycles, basketball, the beach, the mountains, war, hunger, love, forgiveness, or people and personalities – it is all raw material for reflection on the mystery and majesty of God.
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