It’s a General Assembly summer for us Presbyterians. And I know what that means. Those gathered in Portland will approve things I would dismiss. And they will dismiss things I would approve. I know this already, because it happens every time our General Assembly meets. Heck, it happens every time my family gets together. So […]
Doing evil because we are so good
In recent weeks, I have been reading the new book by Jonathan Sacks called Not in God’s Name: Confronting Religious Violence. It offers a sobering description of how often we are gripped by what he calls a “pathological dualism.” Pathological dualism, Sacks argues, occurs when humanity itself is seen as either “unimpeachably good” or “irredeemably […]
Anyone else dream of a church like this?
I dream of a church … …where theological convictions are held deeply, but with humility; …where shared gifts evoke gratitude; …where both tradition and innovation find a home; …where the people’s generosity continually stretches the congregation’s vision for ministry; …where diversity signals gift, and not threat; …where those who have received the hospitality of Christ are […]
By some miracle of grace, you became her teacher
Visiting the first open house before she began kindergarten, my child got lost on the tour. My wife and I sat in the kindergarten classroom and watched as her soon-to-be classmates rushed into the open arms of their waiting parents. But our child didn’t come back with the group. She wasn’t in the line, and she wasn’t just lagging […]
The real reason you believe I’m ignoring you
I hate sending an email only to receive the dreaded auto-response. I get why people use them. I’ve even used one a time or two myself. I’m not saying there’s not a time when they make sense. Still, I don’t like them. Never have. Never will. I thought that changed recently when I received one that made […]
Scorched by Grace
In a blessing for Pentecost Sunday, Jan Richardson offers a fitting word for the church. She reminds us that the blessing of Pentecost is not for us alone, and that it would be foolish to try to carry it by ourselves. It requires a community, and so she encourages us to assemble with an unlikely collection […]