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Progressive Christian

2013-05-14T10:31:54-05:00

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.

More on The Nature of Evil

Last updated on: May 14, 2013 at 10:31 am By Christy Thomas

Several weeks ago, in the aftermath of the bombing at the Boston Marathon, I wrote: “evil defies reason.” With the exposure now of kidnappings and years-long torture of three women in Cleveland, the time has come to further explore the nature of evil. Again, evil defies reason. Reasonable people do not plant bombs that kill, maim and destroy. Reasonable people do not kidnap others and hold them and torture them for years on end. Reasonable people do not insist on sucking everyone around them into... Read more

Harry Potter books; dementors

Lord Voldemort

nature of evil

power of goodness

2018-03-13T11:22:06-05:00

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.

Heart-breaking Schism or Healthy Division? Lessons From Dividing Perennials

Last updated on: March 13, 2018 at 11:22 am By Christy Thomas

The larger church functions more like perennials, which come back year after year adding new growth without the necessity of resowing seed. Eventually, however, they get so stuck together that only the act of dividing the perennials gives them an opportunity for new life. In 2012, I wrote a post about the now-impossibility of actually reforming death-giving structure of the UMC. My frustration emerged after the Judicial Council, doing exactly what they are supposed to do, put the final nail in... Read more

The United Methodist Church

2013-05-09T10:43:24-05:00

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.

Missing Babies, Feral Males, “Smokin’ Hot Wives” and Female Appointments

Last updated on: May 9, 2013 at 10:43 am By Christy Thomas

A little background here before I weave together some threads of thought. Sex Selective Abortions First, look at issue of sex-selective abortions and female infanticide. These are major issues especially in India and China. For multiple financial and cultural reasons, many families have a strong preference for male babies over female babies. The growing availability and affordability of ultrasound technology makes it increasingly easy to abort unwanted female fetuses. If an unwanted one makes it to birth, the child is... Read more

sex-selective abortion

smokin" hot wives

The United Methodist Church

2013-05-02T15:21:43-05:00

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.

Straw Blankets, Ministry With The Poor

Last updated on: May 2, 2013 at 3:21 pm By Christy Thomas

It is cold here right now in North Texas. Wind is blowing wildly, temperatures continue to drop and we are on target for record lows tonight. Areas just slightly to the west and north are under a frost watch. I suspect my own garden may get a bit of frostbite because it is on the north side, high up, with a large pasture behind it, so there is nothing to block the wind and cold. I went out and piled straw... Read more

Ministry with the Poor

UMC

United Methodists

2013-04-24T21:17:15-05:00

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.

Called and Gifted? How about Called to Circuits?

Last updated on: April 24, 2013 at 9:17 pm By Christy Thomas

The blogging world of United Methodist Clergy has exploded recently with the revelation that the Texas Annual Conference is floating a document that appears “ageist” in its suggestions as to who might or might not be encouraged to seek ordination there. I want to thank Jeremy at Hacking Christianity for this post which exposes the possible plans in the Texas Annual Conference for discouraging older people from entering the ordination process. Now, there are lots of comments flying around. One,... Read more

calling to the ministry of the ordained

clergy circuits

clergy pay

The United Methodist Church

2013-04-16T10:25:02-05:00

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.

Evil Defies Reason

Last updated on: April 16, 2013 at 10:25 am By Christy Thomas

Evil defies reason. Reasonable people do not blow up innocent humans. Reasonable people do not plant bombs that kill, maim and destroy. Reasonable people may make lots of stupid mistakes, may indeed bring harm to others, but they still don’t set out to rip limbs off people who have come out to relax, play, show the results of years of hard work and celebrate a great tradition. Evil does these things. Evil destroys innocence. Evil loves fear and terror. Evil... Read more

2013-04-14T19:56:13-05:00

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.

Portrait of a Pastor

Last updated on: April 14, 2013 at 7:56 pm By Christy Thomas

I received a gift this morning. A gift so full of love and hope that I am still nearly breathless. Several years ago, Vicki Attaway made her way to the church I serve, having heard that there was a female pastor there and that she might find it welcoming and comfortable. Within a short period of time, I discovered that Vicki, as am I, is a graduate of Rice University. An immediate and unbreakable bond formed. There are few of... Read more

2013-04-12T11:17:39-05:00

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.

Red High Heels and Annual Conference

Last updated on: April 12, 2013 at 11:17 am By Christy Thomas

There has been a delightful movement started among the clergy women of the North Texas Conference whereby they are asking all clergywomen to wear red high heels on the Monday of Annual Conference as a sign of our connection and our solidarity with one another. One quote, apocryphally attributed to Kathleen Baskin-Ball reads, “you haven’t preached until you’ve preached in a pair of red heels.” The tradition apparently dates to wonderful memories of Cathy Bingman’s ordination. But I won’t be... Read more

2013-04-03T10:33:11-05:00

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 Heavenly Waiting Room

Last updated on: April 3, 2013 at 10:33 am By Christy Thomas

Many of us hold beliefs in an afterlife of some sort. However, we have significant disagreement in how we think that afterlife will work as we hold mutually contradictory descriptions. For example, if heaven for one man equals having seventy virgins to deflower as he wishes, then that person’s heaven equals hell for others. If one person’s heaven means being surrounded only by like-minded people, the majority of humanity will be denied entrance. My point: if our versions of the afterlife mean that... Read more

heavenly waiting room

2013-03-30T12:54:23-05:00

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 Two Way Betrayal

Last updated on: March 30, 2013 at 12:54 pm By Christy Thomas

It is Holy or Black Saturday and I’m deep in a place of emotional and spiritual pain. Last night, at Tenebrae, as I was leading the service, I saw again the shock of the disciples. I saw their need to flee, their betrayal, and the aloneness of Jesus when he faced his accusers. My tears began to flow. That time of utter desolation for Jesus stands as final proof of undeserved love. But I bet Jesus’s closest followers did not... Read more

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