Most liturgical churches have been living into the bread imagery of the Gospel of John for the past several weeks. One of the worship planning resources I use has nicknamed this portion of the Lectionary “high-carb season,” which I thought…
When you’re so conservative you appear to be liberal
Full access to health care for all people, so that financial incomes no longer determine health care outcomes. A path to citizenship for immigrants seeking safety and welcome. Racial justice. Dignity and equality for all without regard for sexuality or…
Embracing the slippery slope
I was that kid. You know. The one who asked questions. Questions the teacher really didn’t want to answer. Questions like, “Did God really create the world in six calendar days? Don’t you know science tells us that it took…
Everything’s getting on my last nerve
I don’t know about you, but, I tell you, right now, pretty much everything is getting on my last nerve. People who refuse to get vaccinated are getting on my last nerve. Ditto people who won’t wear masks. Republican obstructionism…
What we can learn about the Holy Spirit from Jesus and the Gospels
Numbers are hardly inspiring, but they are indicative. A batting average of .350 is far more impressive than a batting average of .225. A shooting percentage in basketball of 50%, rather than 30%, can be the difference between advancing to…
Where do you find yourself in the drama of Holy Week?
The Gospels’ accounts of Jesus’ final days share a remarkable continuity. But the unique features of each Gospel also give us much to consider during Holy Week.
Embracing doubt for the sake of the Great Commission
I was at a denominational conference this week and heard a speaker say plainly, and at times quite forcefully, that there is no room for doubt in the Christian faith, that serious Christians should have pre-packaged and ready-made answers for…
Failing to recognize the Jesus of the haters
I’m a social liberal. Want to know why? Jesus. Not the Jesus as interpreted by Paul. The Jesus of the Gospels. I grew up in a Baptist church in rural Texas and we went to church at least twice a…
5 suggestions for Christian voters
By Jeff Harris The 2016 presidential election is still a year away and I am already tired of it. Maybe I’m too cynical, but the 24-hour news cycle has a way of bringing out the worst in us. Our dumbed-down,…