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August 2016

August 03, 2016

A Biblical Case for Hitler

In a blatant act of plagiarism, I have lifted some words from an extraordinarily popular blog...

August 02, 2016

The eternal quest for the evangelical thin

I remember how thin I became when one of my sons was very ill. At...

July 2016

July 23, 2016

The terrible, awful, horrible things progressives have done

Chris Ladd, a life-long Republican, recently wrote about his decision to leave the GOP. A...

July 21, 2016

When an “anyone but Donald” is married to an “anyone but Hillary,” part three

This is a series of the ongoing saga of two people with radically different political...

July 20, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: burning questions about cremation and interracial marriage

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I have been reading both sides of the argument and praying about...

July 14, 2016

When an “anyone but Donald” is married to an “anyone but Hilary,” part two

Part one of the saga of two people with radically different political views can be...

July 13, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: How do I deal with my racist dad?

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I love my parents very, very much. But I wish my dad...

July 09, 2016

Did you pray and then walk away? You’ve done nothing.

Calls for prayer pop up immediately. Everybody's "thoughts and prayers" are posted in public places....

July 06, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Would you marry off your child this way?

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: A lot of Christians insist that the best way for a homosexual...

June 2016

June 29, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Did Trump “accept Jesus into his heart?”

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: What does it mean that Donald Trump has accepted Jesus into his...

June 28, 2016

What will the church do about the Intersexed? Just call them mistakes?

So what do we do with the Intersexed, those born with ambiguous genitalia? Shall we...

June 27, 2016

The sad necessity of abortion: how can the church lead the way?

The news hit early today: the Supreme Court struck down the law passed by the...

June 27, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Medical innovations that tinker with DNA, good or evil?

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: New medical capabilities using something called “molecular scissors” that change human DNA...

June 21, 2016

Lord and Lady Peter and Marriage Equality

The long-pursued Harriet speaks with Lord Peter, the man who loves her and now wonders...

June 13, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Dan Patrick and the now infamous tweet

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: Can you tell me the background for Dan Patrick's tweet? This verse...

June 08, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Does God need blood sacrifices?

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: Why did Jesus die? I have always believed the very traditional story...

June 06, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Jesus–Divine or Human?

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: On Sunday we talked about whether Jesus had a running itinerary going...

May 2016

May 20, 2016

Theological Education and the Spread of the Gospel: Antithetical?

This morning at General Conference, we saw a heated debate about providing much, much more...

May 19, 2016

A Moment of Fun and Silliness at General Conference

We on the UMR team are all tired. We can cry, get snarky or irritated...

May 19, 2016

Our continued stuckness at General Conference but with glimpses of hope

As those who have been following this saga at the UMC General Conference probably already...

May 18, 2016

All hell breaking loose at General Conference

[Note: Keep checking the United Methodist Reporter site for the latest news] This morning, after...

May 18, 2016

Tense Atmosphere, Worried Delegates, Blocked Legislation: General Conference

Wednesday morning, second week in. Our reporting team is sleeping poorly. Most of us wondering...

May 17, 2016

Slogging through General Conference on our way to implosion

First: you want to know why the UMC is so stuck? Read this piece I...

May 16, 2016

Fatigue, Fights, Questionable Biblical Interpretation: A week into General Conference

I've backed away from blogging a bit. Too many emotions hitting, not able to sort...

May 13, 2016

General Conference, Day Four: in worship love, in practice ???

My back, arms, butt all ache. Too much sitting, too much typing, too much tension....

May 12, 2016

No I/Thou, Only We/They at General Conference

It is official: we will not speak with each other at General Conference. We will...

May 11, 2016

General Conference Day Two: And Are We Yet Caffeined Up?

I didn't get around to eating today. We left the house early and our live-in cook for...

May 10, 2016

General Conference Day One: A Beautiful Morning for a Gay Ordination

OK, Portland is gorgeous. Lovely flowering bushes sweetly frame the craftsman-style bungalow, an Airbnb rental...

May 09, 2016

An Ancient Base, A Modern Overlay, the Christian Challenge, and General Conference

Shortly (actually not so shortly as my flight has just been delayed) I leave for...

May 05, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Smelly People and Eating Meat

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I ride public transportation to get to work: two trains and a...

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