So, I've recently discerned one of the things that continually upsets me in daily life, that causes me both anxiety and depression. It's a major trigger for me, and that's a shame, because it's almost unavoidable in everyday life. The really interesting thing about this trigger, for me, is that I have finally found something … Continue reading One of My Biggest Triggers
Sometimes I find out just how angry people are. Sometimes I make the mistake of reading the comments. Facebook posts these days are so frequently about wearing masks, or about churches being open, or about opening businesses, or about keeping them closed. Even reading just those posts can sometimes remind me of the anger, but … Continue reading Sometimes Despair
I must say this. I have to take a stand. As a Christian in this nation, I am increasingly upset every year. Each December, as I make my way through streets and stores, I hear holiday greetings. But never, never do I hear the name of the holiday I am celebrating. It's sickening. Oh sure, … Continue reading Merry Christmas? Bah!
The "Stations of the Cross" are a spiritual tool commonly found in Roman Catholic churches. The Stations themselves are stops on a path that one walks. The path is like a pilgrimage of sorts, telling the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ. Each Station on the path represents one part of that story, and … Continue reading Fourteen
We are living in very polarizing times today. In the United States, it has become increasingly difficult to hold a conversation about a political topic with people who disagree with you. Friendships and family relationships have become frayed and painful. Family gatherings, such as Thanksgiving, have in some families become times of great anxiety and … Continue reading Praying Together About the Things We Can’t Talk About
There's a part of me that wants to write more about Brett Kavanaugh. But I won't. One post was enough. There's a part of me that wants to write in solidarity with #metoo and with women across the country. But I don't know what to write. There's precious little that I (as a white, straight, … Continue reading I Hate Emojis
I'm not going to say much about today's hearings, for a few reasons: I didn't watch any of them. All the news I've gotten on what happened today was through Facebook. I'm a man. I really don't think anybody needs to hear my two cents about sexual assault. It's wrong, in every circumstance. There are … Continue reading Rushing to Judgment
One of the things I do in my role as pastor is send out a (roughly) daily email to about 150 members and friends of my congregation. Sometimes they're reminders of upcoming events; sometimes they're celebrations of recent events; sometimes they're prayers or other spiritual things. Today, I had something planned to send out. But … Continue reading Everything’s a Shibboleth
I'm thinking about sports teams, and loyalties to them. Imagine a Philadelphia Eagles fan and a Pittsburgh Steelers fan talking about football. Imagine them trying to convince each other that their own team is the best team in the NFL. That debate would go nowhere. If beer were involved, it might just turn nasty or … Continue reading On Loyalty to Our Tribe
I've been reading through the gospel of Mark, chapter 7, and I came upon this passage (verses 6-8): He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts … Continue reading On Teaching Human Precepts as Doctrine
