Help! Did Jesus ever laugh?
The audience, weary of burdens and regulations laid upon them by pompous Pharisees, would have tears of laughter at the “swallowing-the-camel” image. Dear Thoughtful Pastor: My son laughed in church...
View ArticleCould Diverse and Especially Female Clergy Be What Is Killing the UMC?
A third reason the UMC is dying may be because of a thorny issue we don’t want to acknowledge: the decision to be more inclusive with ordination and especially bring female clergy to positions of...
View ArticleHow do we know God is real? Questions children ask
“How do we know God is real? How do we know he’s not someone that because we are little you tell us he’s real but then when we’re older we find out he’s fake?” Children ask the darndest questions! I...
View ArticleLet’s be fair, UMC, and exclude ALL the unclean, not just the homosexuals
Jesus broke the rules of the holiness code, rendering himself ritually unclean, with great regularity. We want a cheap holiness code, not the one Jesus taught and modeled Sex life examination mandated...
View ArticleHow do we know the Bible is true? Questions children ask
We take the horrifying stories in the Bible, water them down to make them palatable to children, and then teach them as “The Bible tells me so” truth because we say the Bible is true. Kids ask the...
View ArticleWhat if Adam had beaten up the serpent? Questions Children Ask
What would have happened if the story of Adam and the serpent had a different ending? What if Adam had said a solid “no” to evil? Kids ask the darndest questions. Previously, I tackled the question...
View ArticleAsk the Thoughtful Pastor: do you believe anything in the Bible is true?
I believe Bible is true. But that doesn’t mean it is historical in the sense that it records verifiable historical events nor does the truth of the Holy Scriptures make those words reliable scientific...
View ArticleMusings on Texas bathroom bills: the universal need to urinate and defecate
May those who think they are doing good and being “biblical” by supporting these unimaginably cruel Texas Bathroom Bills take the time to reconsider and repent in the name of our shared humanity. Dear...
View ArticleAre there any adults in the room?
The child has taken over. Right now, it appears the only adult in the room is the new Chief of Staff. I wonder how long he will last. Unless you have buried your head in the sand and intentionally...
View ArticleAbused Children Ask: Why Didn’t God Get Us out of There?
Never forget, parents and caregivers set the model for how people will perceive God later in life. Abused children face big obstacles to gain an understanding of the goodness of God.
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