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Progressive Christian

2014-06-11T08:01:06-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Celebrating the Dads

Last updated on: June 11, 2014 at 8:01 am By Christy Thomas

The little girl, perhaps five years old, happily danced around the edge of the beautiful lake high up in Rocky Mountain National Park at the end of a long and grueling hike. The family, mom, dad, a son about 13, another daughter about 10, and this little one had been right behind us on a particularly icy/slushy part of the trail. At one point, I had offered a hand, gratefully accepted, to the middle child for a moment of balance... Read more

2014-05-29T10:37:51-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Coup D'Etat Hope of the Good News "Gang of 80" #UMC #UMCschism

Last updated on: May 29, 2014 at 10:37 am By Christy Thomas

Steve Blow, one of my very favorite columnists, wrote in today’s (5/29/14) Dallas Morning News these words about the Tea Party take-over of the Republican Party in Texas: “Texas Republicans can’t keep appealing only to angry, fearful whites. It may be a winning short-term strategy, but it’s long-term suicide. Texas Republicans have to find a platform that is more hopeful and inclusive.” Now, a quick game: let us substitute “The UMC Good News contingent (AKA “The Gang of 80)” for... Read more

The United Methodist Church

UMC schism

2014-05-27T19:57:04-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Inerrant, Infallible Bible: The Hermeneutical Crisis #UMC #UMCschism

Last updated on: May 27, 2014 at 7:57 pm By Christy Thomas

The blogosphere exploded last week after the primarily anonymous “Gang of 80” announced through Good News their desire to split The United Methodist Church. In my opinion, anyone who thinks this attempt to separate is “good news” has never been through a church split or divorce, but they feel that an interpretative issue is irreconcilable. Infallibility and Inerrancy One paragraph of their press release leaped off the page: It is a crisis regarding the inspiration and the authority of the Scriptures, where some believe that, rightly understood,... Read more

The United Methodist Church

Timothy Tennnent

UMC

2014-05-22T10:31:48-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Memory Weekend Approaches–What Will We Do With It?

Last updated on: May 22, 2014 at 10:31 am By Christy Thomas

Our memories make us, inform us, shape us. They can fill us with the warm glow of love given and returned, of special joys and experiences. They can also burden us with a sense of obligation or make us cringe with shame. On a sub-conscious level, memories make our decisions for us. And Memory Monday approaches–better known as Memorial Day. So, will we stop and remember? Will we honor the memories of those upon whose lives we get to stand... Read more

2014-05-16T09:53:02-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Ninety-Nine and the One

Last updated on: May 16, 2014 at 9:53 am By Christy Thomas

What does it cost to do the right thing? Especially when doing the right thing means your whole life comes tumbling down around you? A whole life that is good, well-lived, and couples business expertise and success with the respect of the larger community? A movie, Locke, explores that concept in an agonizing 90 minute car drive. Writer-director Steven Knight’s film, which won the British Independent Film Award for best screenplay, invites us into the life of Ivan Locke. I... Read more

Christianity

religion

British Independent Film Award

2014-05-08T08:57:08-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Baggage Check

Last updated on: May 8, 2014 at 8:57 am By Christy Thomas

I recently returned from a quick trip to NYC. As do so many others, I determined to carry my bag on the plane to avoid the checked baggage fee. With both incoming and outgoing flights, I was in the last boarding group. In both cases, the flights were full and the gate agent suggested those of us boarding late might want to gate-check our bags. I decided to do so, and so prepared to enter the airplane with only a... Read more

2019-02-07T15:24:40-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Reflections On Les Miserables

Last updated on: February 7, 2019 at 3:24 pm By Christy Thomas

Why does Les Miserables move me so much? In 2014, I watched an incredible Broadway performance of that famous musical. By the end, I stood cheering and applauding. I was also weeping openly. Why? I don’t cry that easily–and I know the story extremely well. I’ve even read the book from upon which the musical and the many movie versions are based: all 530,982 words, or 1488 pages of it. But I still wept. What I see here each time is... Read more

2014-05-05T14:27:16-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Biblical Basis for the Rape-Marriage #UMC

Last updated on: May 5, 2014 at 2:27 pm By Christy Thomas

I just read this powerful, compelling, heart-rendering article by the Rev. Wil(da) Gafney, Ph.D., associate professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, reminding us that the horror of the Nigerian girls being abducted into these “rape-marriages” has a sound biblical basis. – See more at: http://um-insight.net/the-biblical-basis-for-the-rape-marriage-%23umc/#sthash.hfixNpvf.dpuf The author is correct. Here’s a short snippet from her piece: We must tell the truth that the bible says that fathers can sell their daughters into sexual... Read more

The United Methodist Church

2014-04-25T12:04:29-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jazz and The Church

Last updated on: April 25, 2014 at 12:04 pm By Christy Thomas

Today, the increasingly famous Denton Arts and Jazz Festival kicks off. I can hardly wait. Several years ago, I offered a message comparing the church to several different kinds of musical groups. I showed video snips ranging from genuinely awful beginner bands to superb choral/professional orchestra combinations. When we watched the jazz band, we found it: the best musical metaphor for the church. In jazz, we see the musical theme consistently undergirded by improvisations as one musician after another stands... Read more

church

Church as jazz band

Denton Arts and Jazz Festival

2014-04-20T12:09:28-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Joy Spills Over

Last updated on: April 20, 2014 at 12:09 pm By Christy Thomas

It is Easter Day. I find joy spilling out of my soul, rolling with waves of delight, sparkling in sunshine. This Easter is the first I have not worked in many years. It is the first I have not approached in some tiredness after the rigor of Holy Week services. It is the first in which I could take Holy Saturday without pressure to spend several hours in stillness, waiting, watching, wondering, probing the darkness. Yes, I missed the privilege... Read more

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