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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 24, 2016

Brexit, Trump/Sanders and the UMC: time to say “good-bye”

I can't stop seeing the parallels: 52% of voters in Great Britain voted to leave...

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...

May 2016

May 19, 2016

Debating the mission statement: a revealing moment at General Conference

At about 5:10 pm on Thursday, May 19, the second to last day before GC...

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 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 02, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: How Many People Do I Have to Evangelize to Satisfy God?

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: If someone belongs to an "Evangelical" church that believes members need to...

April 2016

April 26, 2016

Secret Shame and Church Offering Plates: Let’s Talk about Money

"Viral" hardly describes what happened to this recent article in The Atlantic. It's called "The...

April 25, 2016

Our Interconnected and Tragically Divided World

The Interconnection On Sunday, two cousins, Gene (we'll call him Gene One) and Gene (Gene...

April 17, 2016

The State of Irreligion in the US

It's Sunday, around noon when I started writing. Have a houseful of guests--relatives of my...

April 13, 2016

Ask The Thoughtful Pastor: Do I have a Right to Feel Hurt by My Mother’s Choices?

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I am a 53 year old childless single female with two younger...

March 2016

March 20, 2016

Jesus Is On The Cross–Sit Still and Think About It.

"Jesus is on the cross. You will sit quietly for the next three hours and...

March 09, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: The Final Judgment and Church Demands

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: The Bible tells us that as Christians Jesus forgives us for our...

March 07, 2016

The Promiscuity of Nature Versus the Pristine Swimming Pool

I'm lucky enough to live in a house that has a pool in the backyard....

March 03, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Lords Prayer and Wading Pool Theology

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: Why is the Catholic Lord’s Prayer different from the Protestant Lord’s Prayer? ...

February 2016

February 23, 2016

Ask The Thoughtful Pastor: Finding A Church And Ted Cruz As Messiah

[Note: because of the complexity of these questions, especially finding a church, I've posted an...

February 11, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Idolatry and Contrasting Points of View

In Exodus, God hands down the Ten Commandments. The second commandment forbids any graven images....

February 09, 2016

The UMC Appointment Process with the Not Big/Not Rich Charge

And I also contend that the UMC connection, with its politically-influenced appointment process, really only...

February 09, 2016

The Crucial Difference Between Schism and Division: Lessons from the Garden

The question appears again and again in church life and right now particularly with mainline...

February 08, 2016

Standing Up to Oppression: Will We Pay the Cost?

A man sits in a house of worship, struggling with despair, staring at his useless...

January 2016

January 28, 2016

"Trumpian" or Christian?

It has been announced: The Donald isn’t going to show up for the January 28...

January 27, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Facebook Fights and Prayers for the Dead

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I’m torn between being reactive and being Christian and taking the ‘high...

January 26, 2016

You Choose: Was This a Worship Experience or Was It . . . ?

All our needs were met. Instructions were clear and signage was excellent. Gracious and competent...

January 13, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Failed Marriages and Mental Illness

Dear Thoughtful Pastor: How does one trust this institution of marriage after a failed one? Oh,...

January 07, 2016

A Violation of Integrity: "Coming Out" as a Lesbian Clergyperson?

She's been living a lie and I'm deeply troubled about this even as others are...

January 05, 2016

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Hate the Sin of Homosexuality or Assume Truth?

How can conservative Christians who believe that homosexuality is a sin support and show respect...

January 01, 2016

New Year, New Mercies

The "do-over" represents one of the greatest longings of the human heart. Who hasn't messed...

December 2015

December 30, 2015

The Most Despised Person in the US

What might it be like to have the status of the most despised person in...

December 29, 2015

Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Disaster Tourists and Changing the Paths of Tornadoes

What motivates people to show up after disasters to do the rubber-necking thing? I call...

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