by Jim Burklo
If Barack Obama asked me to endorse him, I’d have to excommunicate him for his own good.
That’s my conclusion after the messy consequences of Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s association with Obama, and of Pastor John Hagee’s proclaimed support for John McCain. The gonzological utterances of these pastors have given all of us Christian clergy […]
by Jarrett McLaughlin
What makes the Bible such an interesting collection of writings is also what makes them so maddeningly frustrating at times. The fact that the Bible holds together so many different documents and different theological perspectives is precisely what makes it so timeless. At times, however, the more peculiar theological trajectories contained in these […]
by Jim Burklo
Nothing is more effective at turning a person into a theologian than witnessing somebody else’s personal crisis.
Recently, I lost my job, or my job lost me. I’m still not sure which description is more accurate. In any case, it’s my first experience with unemployment. I’m blessed with very supportive family and friends (including […]
by Robert Martin
Just last week, I returned from a 3 week trip to Nepal. Yes, that Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world, sandwiched between India and China, split from its spiritual cousin, Tibet, by the towering majesty of Mount Everest and the rest of the Himalayan range. If you have perused the […]
by Fred Weidmann,
Forgive me for dipping again into the waters of the Chronicle of Higher Education (see “Jesus’ Extreme Makeover: Breaking the Aggression Cycle,” posted on this blog on Oct. 17, 2007) for my subject. It is, frankly, a pleasure to observe that that weekly journal, often seemingly oblivious to church and church-related institutions, is […]
by David Bartlett
In my previous entry I shared some reflections on a friend and colleague who died over the summer—Brevard Childs. In this entry I want to reflect on the life and contributions of Letty Russell, another friend and colleague who also died a few months ago.
The obituaries on Letty all noted that she was […]
by Susan Andrews
In my new position as a presbytery executive, I drive – a lot! Ninety-two churches, spread out over seven counties – from New York City almost up to Albany and from Connecticut to New Jersey on both sides of the Hudson River. Luckily, most of the scenery is gorgeous, and the roads are […]
by Roy Howard
Raise your hand if you think the Church is obsessed with sex, and especially homosexuality. If you read the news reports with any regularity you might think there is absolutely nothing else worth discussing in the minds of church folks. Okay. I admit that’s a bit over the top; but not by far. […]
by Wes Avram
We believe that everyone—political figure or commentator, citizen or alien, man or woman, black or white, conservative or radical—who at this particular time says that this people and this nation are in deep, perhaps irremediable political trouble, speaks the truth.
~ ~ Will D. Campbell and James Y. Holloway.
Some words come back with haunting […]
by Trevor Eppehimer
In a time in which the logic of the market carries over into religion as well as economics, religious leaders often feel pressure to tailor theology to meet the demands of the consumer-driven, spiritual marketplace. As a result, theological “hard truths” are often soft peddled, lest they adversely impact things like […]
by Jim Burklo
It was a cube consisting of many separate pieces of charred wood, each piece dangling from a thin black wire, hanging from the ceiling of the De Young Museum in San Francisco. This artwork by Cornelia Parker was entitled “Anti-Mass”. It was a compelling sight. It reminded me of the way blackened embers […]
by Meg Peery McLaughlin
They were traveling up the center aisle to see the body. Moving with faithful footsteps toward the one they dearly loved. Tears filled their eyes and they held tight to daughters and sisters as they came forward to view the deceased, hands folded calmly, suit freshly pressed.
I had lost the battle, you […]
by Fred Weidmann
Ah, summer. Warm—or, hot (!)—weather, a break in the normal routines, time to recharge and recreate. Among the activities I am involved in this summer are several conferences, at which I am taking various leadership and participatory roles, and a family vacation which will involve some amount of hiking.
A story familiar to many, […]
by David Bartlett
I teach at a seminary where we try very hard to be sensitive to the diversity of the whole body of Christ. While most of the community is of Euro-American descent and the overwhelming majority of the student body consist of anglo Presbyterians, we are delighted that the faculty is becoming more and more […]
by Susan Andrews
One of the new things in my life is books-on-tape, After the first four or five months of one and two hour drives – a necessary part of my new ministry as a presbytery executive - I decided I needed to figure out a way to stay alert. And so I went to […]
by Fred Weidmann
It was on July 4th that I read this news release from across the pond: “LONDON (ENI): The Church of England has welcomed Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s proposal to parliament to remove the prime minister from the process of choosing the church’s bishops in the future.” Good news! What could be better than […]
by Wes Avram
During the years I was teaching preaching at a university divinity school I was often struck by how eloquent many of our students could be when describing the human condition. They would wax lyrical, find appropriate metaphors, use telling examples of life experiences, and identify with their audience in ways that kept their […]
by Ali Trowbridge
Henri Nouwen wrote that sometimes it is in and through our sufferings that we come to know God and experience God’s call. Entering into the suffering of the poor is one way to become obedient, to become a listener of God. “Suffering accepted and shared in love breaks down our selfish defenses and […]
by Gordon McClellan
How long, O Lord, must I cry for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. (Habbakuk 1:2-3)
Habbakuk wrote […]
by Robert K. Martin
As the church year moves from Eastertide to Pentecost this weekend (May 27, 2007), it is easy for us to get swept up in the disciples’ spiritual combustion or their evangelistic fervor in the marketplace. But what is it that prepared them for being fired-up and what is it that they carried […]