We've all heard a lot about "Cancel Culture" lately, how Fox News and other right-wing media sources have decried the recent changes to such properties as Dr. Seuss and Mr. Potato Head. I was trying to leave it alone, trying to ignore it all, letting it just play out and eventually run out of fuel. … Continue reading A Parable about the Fight over “Cancel Culture”
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!
Cervantes wrote a book called Don Quixote. I tried reading it once (in translation), but I couldn't get far into it. Yet I know all about who Don Quixote was. A man who tilted at windmills. He thought they were giants, but fought the windmills. He had dreams and delusions that he was someone outstanding, and … Continue reading Twenty-Two
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
Is it normal to feel frightened, actually scared, by all the campaign signs this election? Is it normal to feel frightened of going to work on election day, because my workplace is a polling place? Because I am scared. I'm scared of talking about whom I'm supporting, unless the other person brings it up first. I'm … Continue reading Scared of this election
I posted this essay on Facebook in December 2015. It's a seasonal essay, about the so-called "War on Christmas." But I think some of the points transcend that season, and apply to the church at any time of year. Either way, I thought it belonged on this blog, and I didn't want to wait another … Continue reading A rant about the “War on Christmas”
