Little did Pinocchio know as he stood amidst the congregation, playfully mimicking the crucifix with outstretched arms and joined feet, that he would soon be hung on a cross as well. In Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, now streaming on Netflix, del…
Reverend Roboto: Artificial intelligence and pastoral care
“Write a sermon on this week’s lectionary text.” “Write a Country and Western song about Job.” “Write a prayer for Reddit.” “Write a Bible song about ducks.” “Add a prayer to go with that sermon.” “Write a worship song about…
Life post-Roe: Is there middle ground between religious liberty and medical freedom?
This weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade, the court case that decriminalized abortion nationwide. But it was not the kind of anniversary celebration pro-choice advocates wanted to celebrate. Opponents of abortion,…
Boebert babbles about God, Satan and the Second Coming
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., never has been bashful in spouting her theological beliefs. Most recently, she told fellow Republicans at a dinner in Knoxville, Tenn., she believes humanity is “in the last of the last days” with the “Second…
Los Angeles faces a homeless ‘emergency’ as global warming changes the equation
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a local state of emergency on homelessness. This follows last month’s action by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, when on Dec. 12 she declared a city-wide state of…
As more Americans delay health care they can’t afford, it’s time for the church to be a light once again
Imagine facing a medical condition and choosing to do nothing because of money. That was the case for 38% of Americans in 2022, up 12 percentage points from the previous year. According to Gallup, 27% of Americans reported the medical issues…
A midnight train to Nowhere: How Journey’s signature song anticipated the rise of MAGA
Neal Schon’s blood froze in his veins as he watched a grinning Jonathan Cain lead a Mar-a-Lago ballroom crammed with MAGA celebrities in the chorus of “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Schon is the only original member of Journey, the arena rock…
Reading the Conservative Baptist Network’s new ‘report’ will make you feel sorry for the six SBC presidents
The Conservative Baptist Network has released a 40-page report on what it calls “The Evidences of Concern Within the Southern Baptist Convention.” The document seeks to bolster CBN’s claim that the SBC has fallen into liberalism, embraces Critical Race Theory…
Ron DeSantis: The anti-woke prophet of evangelicals
It’s no secret that Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida plans to ride an anti-wokeness wave to the White House. To get there, he has turned his sights increasingly on higher education — specifically “woke” professors. Whatever “wokeness” means, for DeSantis…
How our view of creation and incarnation shape our view of intersex people
Every disconnection from communal wholeness goes back to a disconnection within the self, which is fundamentally experienced in bodies. So the way Christians talk about Jesus being born as a human body has the potential to shape either wholeness or…
Upcoming Supreme Court decision could take more native children off the reservation
This June, the United States Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling that could determine the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act. This 1978 law governs the adoption process for indigenous children, and its dismantling could have ruinous…
This will happen in 2023 (I think)
Predicting the future is a fool’s game. Right in my wheelhouse, in other words. Fools and pundits rush in where wiser souls fear to tread. With that boulder-sized grain of salt in mind, here are my predictions for 2023: Let’s…