Baptists are an opinionated crowd. We were taught to be that way. Preachers invest a lot of time and energy saying we ought to do this and that we should not or must not do that. If you grew up…
Prayer and resistance
Just after seeing Jesus transfigured, the disciples run into a little trouble. A man with a boy possessed by a demon approaches them to cast out the demon. The disciples try, gathering a big crowd along the way, but they…
Healthy self-care is essential for a pastor
Self-care includes developing and maintaining good physical, spiritual and mental health, a uniquely challenging but crucial discipline for a pastor. While these three areas of wellness are intertwined and inseparable, in my own life and the experience of many of…
Hearing God’s voice through the clamor
I hate to admit it. My hearing is not what it used to be. Voices in the room sound a bit more muffled. Reading lips is an emerging skill. Some days I truly believe my kids are speaking more softly…
On baptism and peace
Baptism was abused and used violently as a form of capital punishment in 16th century Europe, a time of significant Anabaptist persecution. The death method of choice was drowning in order to mock believer’s baptism. Water has the amazing capacity…
Waterboarding is not funny, Sarah Palin
Former vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, gave a one-liner to an audience at the National Rifle Association that likened baptism to waterboarding torture. Palin said in her speech: They obviously have information on plots to carry out Jihad… Oh, but you can’t offend…
LEGO theology
LEGO building blocks are a wonderful toy. My grandchildren love them. Each kit comes with detailed illustrations to show the builder how to create a particular item. The real fun comes, however, when the builder departs from the instructions to…
More reflections on the rising student debt: A Latina Christian perspective (part II)
Some days ago I published a blog about why student debt has become almost unavoidable. I mentioned that there are at least two sides to this issue. The first one is the increasing cost of education. After exploring reasons for…
10 lessons: looking back on Holy Week
Holy Week invited us to reflect on the deeper matters of faith by revisiting the story of Jesus, especially giving attention to the events that occurred between Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem and his resurrection. The overarching message of God’s love…