Notes From the Balcony

Community Organizing

2008-09-05T22:06:00.003-04:00

Recently a colleague of mine pointed out that in the coverage of the Republican convention, how utterly homogeneous it appeared. Actually, one explanation is that all those Blacks, Latinos, Asians and youth are all there, it is just that perverse liberal media that keeps the cameras from revealing their presence. I did see two black men and one black woman. There was one Asian man but I

Olympic Trials

2008-07-11T20:08:00.008-04:00

Does Wesley’s notion of going on to perfection include taking three-tenths of a second off my 50 meter freestyle personal best time? The drama that went on in Omaha during this past two week period of Olympic swimming trials is ridiculous. Because of the inherent inequality present in the challenge of becoming an Olympic team swimmer – i.e. the competition only comes every four years, there are

Standing for the Gospel

2008-05-06T16:04:00.003-04:00

So does your congregation stand for the reading of the Gospel? A friend who knows that I am interested in this subject put me on to this wonderful video. Enjoy! They do! Now most of us Methodists don’t do a formal “Gospel Procession” as part of our worship, although they do one at Duke Chapel each Sunday morning. Most of us are Episcopal light (as in not heavy, as opposed to dark!) At the

A Parable

2008-03-14T23:48:00.004-04:00

The advent of the American Idol Top 12 and the first season when selections from the Lennon-McCartney songbook are available for performance, reminded me of a parable. There once was a young man named Paul, who played his guitar backwards. He fingered his chords with his right hand and strummed the strings with his left. Many, who saw him, said that this was wrong. It says in the instruction

Being Honest About the Bible, Pt 4 - Reliable Sources

2008-03-01T08:46:00.005-05:00

Reliable SourcesI think I got my first personal copy of the Bible when I was in fourth grade. I still have it although now the copy generally sits on a shelf. It served me well through high school. In college I bought my first Oxford annotated. Later, I was introduced to JB Phillips translation and somewhere in those years I first met Clarence Jordon and his Cotton Patch renditions of the Gospels

Being Honest About the Bible, Pt. 3 - One Book, Two Views

2008-02-23T09:25:00.003-05:00

In my second post in this series, I mentioned that the late Yale historian, Jaroslav Pelikan’s title question, Whose Bible Is It, could be taken in more than one way. In that post, I tried to begin an initial conversation about the differences between the Christian Old Testament and the Jewish Tanakh, especially focusing on the question of hermeneutics (i.e interpretation for those of you

Being Honest About The Bible, Pt. 2 - Two Books

2008-02-23T09:15:00.002-05:00

Two Books Now that my family castle lies mostly abandoned except for occasional visits from my sons, I have created what I call a shrine room. Hindu friends know well what I am talking about as their homes all have one even if it is only a closet. This room is a special place for meditation, contemplation and prayer. In mine, there is a Cross surrounded by candles on

Being Honest About Scripture, Pt.1 - Irony

2008-02-16T06:02:00.007-05:00

The Irony of ScriptureSeveral pastors who have gone on to their reward are sitting around the local watering hole in heaven. Yes, this is not a baptismal font. It is a watering hole. It is heaven after all. They are commiserating about some of their tougher assignments as clergy in divisive congregations. The apostle Paul is standing nearby and he has been eavesdropping. He joins the conversation

One last look at Nativities...

2007-12-31T04:32:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Jay Vorhees for this clip. Well, we have one more day! I hope you holidays have been holy days (i.e. special, set apart). Tomorrow we start all over again.Grace and Peace,Johndel.icio.us

I Am Emergent? What's That?

2007-12-31T04:14:00.001-05:00

What's your theological worldview?created with QuizFarm.com You scored as Emergent/PostmodernYou are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take

Which Theologian Do You Sound Like?

2007-12-29T07:13:00.001-05:00

Which theologian are you?created with QuizFarm.com You scored as Jürgen MoltmannThe problem of evil is central to your thought, and only a crucified God can show that God is not indifferent to human suffering. Christian discipleship means identifying with suffering but also anticipating the new creation of all things that God will bring about. Friedrich Schleiermacher 87%Jürgen

The Three Nativities, Pt. 8 - A Universal Love

2007-12-24T20:15:00.000-05:00

Fired Ceramics - From PeruThis Post May Load Slowly Because of Size - Please Be PatientDear Friends, Colleagues, and Family, I hope you get the chance to attend some sort of Christmas nativity pageant tonight, even if it is only to drive through an outside re-enactment. As a family, we are scattered this holiday. Matt is here in Atlanta, but will return to work in LaGrange very soon. Tim

The Three Nativities, Pt. 7 - The Nativity in a New Key

2007-12-24T01:41:00.000-05:00

As I write this next to last essay on the Nativity stories, I wanted to express my deep thanks for your patience as I have blogged with you through this Advent season. I have learned a lot and your comments both public and private have been extremely helpful. I do want to sneak up a bit on the present topic about transposing our story into a new key. So please bear with me if I chase a couple of

The Three Nativites, Pt. 6 - Light Incarnate

2007-12-23T06:40:00.000-05:00

The third nativity of our Three Nativities blends familiar elements from both of our biblical accounts and often adds additional touches from a variety of other sources. At Glenn Memorial church where our family gathers, those who can, we will have two wise women and just one wise man. I learned a long time ago when the United Methodist Women speak, one does well to

The Three Nativities, Pt 5 - Luke and the Shepherds

2007-12-19T05:04:00.000-05:00

Luke’s nativity materials come embedded in a larger narrative describing not only key moments in the early years of Jesus, but also of John, who will be called the Baptist This larger scheme not only juxtaposes John and Jesus, but Elizabeth (with Zechariah) and Mary. While Matthew’s tale highlights the righteousness of Joseph, Luke celebrates Mary’s willingness to submit and

The Three Nativities, Pt. 4 - Matthew and Illegitimacy

2007-12-15T23:54:00.000-05:00

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he

The Three Nativities. Pt. 3 - Matthew and Gospel

2007-12-15T23:38:00.000-05:00

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a

The Three Nativities, Pt.2 - Lineages

2007-12-11T04:25:00.000-05:00

So this week’s Bible quiz question is “Who was the grandfather of Jesus?” Raymond E. Brown poses this puzzle as part of his discussion of Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus as he compares it with a very different listing of ancestors found in the Gospel of Luke. Brown’s landmark study, The Birth of the Messiah (New York: Random House, 1993) is a foundational commentary for anyone

An Open Letter to My Jewish Friends

2007-12-04T23:52:00.000-05:00

25 Kislev, sunset Dear Friends, This evening, I see the first candle of eight to be progressively lit with the shamash over the next several days glowing in your front window. If I understand correctly, these are holy candles not to be confused with light that illumines space for reading or family celebrations. They symbolize the spirit of liberation and trust in G-d. Each successive

The Three Nativites Pt. 1

2007-12-03T06:41:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve is but a short time away. Our family’s decorations, which center on a collection of some 55 nativity sets gathered from around the world, sets the stage for the anticipated holiday festivities. While it is still advent, I want to take some time this year and reflect on what I have come to talk about as the Three Nativities. In separate posts, I will share my thoughts

For ALL the Saints

2007-11-02T21:34:00.000-04:00

This coming Sunday congregations will celebrate the “Community of Saints” who have gone on before us and who stand now as beacons showing the way for our own journeys of faith and proclamation. There will be hymns marking these words and deeds. There will be rituals memorializing congregational members who have died during the previous 12 months. And many of us whose closest loved ones have

Of Kilts and Burgundy Robes

2007-10-23T00:33:00.000-04:00

It’s the bad joke of the week…. It seems that the Dalai Lama came to the White House last week. He knocked on the door and was met by George Bush. W took one look and said, “You’re early, wait here. I’ll go get some candy.” Hmmm… It’s the bad joke of the week because, while Bush and I disagree about nearly everything, especially disconcerting is the repeated justification of torture that

Ann Coulter on Judaism - Right!

2007-10-18T21:06:00.001-04:00

So must we say anything else? But of course, is she saying anything that is not being said one way or another in lots of evangelical and fundamentalist settings.Why is this woman still on TV?

Thinking Outside the Box of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral.

2007-10-05T20:18:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it takes thinking outside of the box, moving beyond the traditional lines, or what other metaphor you prefer to describe finding a solution that is more both/and than either/or. There are several issues facing the United Methodist church that make the creation of alternate solutions imperative if we are going to maintain our unity (and effectiveness) as a denomination. One might think

Be Thou My Vision

2007-09-30T22:54:00.001-04:00

Sometimes YouTube can have precious gifts. This week I need this. My youngest son just let me know that a fellow swimmer and friend of his has passed......In memory of Jeff AndersonPeace,JohnThanks to RevGal's blog ring for the connection

The Narrative Character of the Bible (Pt. 1)

2007-09-29T21:44:00.000-04:00

NT Wright on the Bible and Narrative Theology[I'm in the process of beginning to write on the narrative character of the Bible - I thought a good place to start might be to share some comments from others. I'll begin with an Evangelical voice!] "It's not, for a start, a list of rules, though it contains many commandments of various sorts and in various contexts. Nor is it a compendium of

Am I Smart or Not?

2007-09-28T08:27:00.001-04:00

Maybe this is why I am a blogger!Actually, I was surprised that "musical" came in second!

Is this telling or not?

2007-09-25T00:12:00.001-04:00

Oh My God - I'm Brian Griffin, the talking Dog on The Family Guy!Well, I'm also Abroham Lincoln, Carl Jung and Gerald Ford."The INTP is above all a thinker and his inner (private) world is a place governed by a strong sense of logical structure. Every experience is to be rigorously analysed, the task of the INTP's mind is to fit each encountered idea or experience into a larger structure defined

Ethics and Responsibility

2007-09-21T22:55:00.000-04:00

I’ve been reflecting on ethics recently. That is always dangerous for me, because when I get tied up with terms like deontology and teleology and contextual and situational, I get easily confused. I think I even made it through six years of graduate study without taking one ethics class! I don’t know whether to be glad or horrified. Even so, folks have helped me see

Methoblog Weekly Round-Up 2007.31.129

2007-09-20T19:40:00.000-04:00

This week's summary for the Methoblog project has just been published by Allan Bevere.Visit PostYou will remember that a couple of weeks ago I made several statements about cell phone use particularly by members of the congregation during worship. Please check out Jason Byassee's reflections from Theoblog in my "What Others Are Saying" sidebar. He is focusing on the question of how wired must

Whose Bible Is It?

2007-09-14T05:59:00.000-04:00

Whose Bible Is It? A Quiz Our Sunday School class has begun to study portions from the late Yale church historian Jaroslav Pelikan’s last book, Whose Bible Is It. I will try to summarize some of his arguments soon. Pelikan, who grew up a Lutheran converted during the last years of his life to Eastern Orthodoxy, so not surprisingly he speaks very highly of the oral tradition which

For The Bible Tells Me So

2007-09-13T22:13:00.001-04:00

News Source: RMN FlashnetDan Karlake's provovative new film was announced winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival. This entertaining documentary brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture, and in the process reveals that Church-sanctioned anti-gay bias is based almost solely upon a significant (and often malicious)

Simpsons - Star Wars Crossover

2007-09-03T11:08:00.000-04:00

I know that I need to get back to the Simpson's movie like I promised. In the interim, please enjoy this!Link to Milk and Cookies!The Force Be With You - D'oh!JohnThanks to John at Locusts and Honey for finding this parody.

Methoblog Summary - 2007.29.127

2007-09-02T20:33:00.000-04:00

Allan Bevere has posted the week's Methoblog summary. Tiffany Steinwert's post on the Luke lectionary reading for this week is particularly interesting. View Her PostVisit SummaryHave a great Labor Day weekend!Grace and Peace,John

There is a season...and it starts Monday night!

2007-09-01T18:49:00.000-04:00

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a

Taking a Second Look at Paul

2007-08-31T08:23:00.000-04:00

Three years ago, we had a group meeting at our church, mainly men – not that the women were uninterested in Paul, but apparently they were not interested in us! We called the group “Raw Paul” reflecting our method of reading and trusting our intuitions for clues as to how to interpret these texts. At the same time, we looked at some of the new work being done by the next generation of

Headlines Tell the Story

2007-08-30T08:17:00.000-04:00

Now I'm not one to obsess about news coverage. In this political season, I am looking at the Washington Post more than the New York Times. Different news organizations have their own perspective. To deny this is foolish and to not take responsibility in the midst of this fact is to be irresponsible.In another cyberspace discussion recently, I found the headline of the Christian Post about the

Saad is worried about Egypt and I am worried about Saad

2007-08-24T23:42:00.001-04:00

I first met Saad Eddin Ibrahim at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. I was a sophomore sociology major and he was the exotic new Egyptian professor joining the faculty after earning his doctorate from the University of Oregon. In several ways he rocked my world. Those were heady times, protests against Vietnam, struggles with fraternity integration, radical religious thinking, drugs, sex

On Church and Cell Phones

2007-08-13T12:10:00.000-04:00

This summer, I have been visiting the "contemporary" worship services of a variety of Methodist churches in the Atlanta area. I suppose that I am a spy for our worship commitee. While I have found a lot to appreciate and perhaps even to appropriate, what irritated me the most was one place where before the service began, a series of "religious ads" flashed through their cycle on the big screens

Who's killing our troops?

2007-08-08T07:30:00.000-04:00

I keep noticing out of the corner of my eye neo-con fed articles that report how new bombs and bomb making materials from Iran are being supplied to insurgents to kill American troops. Incredible as it seems there are still people who would like to see us invade Iran - how did that song go when McCain sang it? "Bomb, bomb, bomb - bomb Iran."The problem is that we are getting additional reports

What will become of our blogs?

2007-07-28T10:27:00.001-04:00

I’m grateful to Michael Halcomb for putting me on to this hilarious video. But it does give one occasion to pause. In 50 years, will my son be able to “check out” a copy of my most recent posting? If our blogs are so ephemeral, and if our reading skills are so elusive, where does that leave us?

Evening Prayer

2007-07-24T21:14:00.001-04:00

God our Guardian and our Guide(An Evening Prayer) God our Guardian and our GuideShatter all our selfish pride.Pray, redeem us, recreate usFor the coming day. Rule of Justice, Christ - our LifeHeal our warfare, quiet our strife.Pray, redeem us, recreate usFor the coming day. Sign of Mercy, Christ - our WayCleanse our hearts, our fears allay.Pray, redeem us, recreate usFor

Noun or Adjective? That is the Question!

2007-07-13T20:39:00.000-04:00

The late Wilfred Cantwell Smith suggested that to talk about someone as a Buddhist, rather than as Buddhist misconstrues what faith is about. It flunks English grammar as well. Christian is not a noun (i.e. a Christian), but an adjective (i.e. a Christian person). In that context, I could perhaps be both Buddhist and Christian. So does that get me into heaven and kicked out at the same time? My

Hindu in the House

2007-07-12T19:23:00.000-04:00

Tom, (Freidman) I don't know whether the world is flat, but I do know we live in an interfaith world.Actually, it was not the house, but the Senate! Chaplain Rajan Zed, North Nevada Hindu Association led a prayer that was supposed to be a testament to inclusiveness in America, not intolerance from narrow minded believers. Three fundamentalist adherents were arrested after disrupting the session

The Religious Landscape is Changing!

2007-07-08T16:47:00.000-04:00

Tom, (Friedman) - I don't know whether the "world is flat," but I do know that we live in an interfaith age. Our urban landscapes are changing. Here in Atlanta (yes, I did say Atlanta, not in the suburbs!) the place to be is the new multi-use high rise development called Atlantic Station. Stores, offices, restaurants, dog walking paths, apartments, homes, condos - and oh yes, parking. It's all

The Globe is a Village - The Village is the Globe!

2007-07-07T10:33:00.000-04:00

Tom, I don't know whether the "world is flat!" But there is no argument that we live in an interfaith world. In the late 80s, before our family moved down to Georgia from Illinois, I had the privilege of meeting with some folks who would eventually become the local steering committee for the 100 year anniversary of the Parliament of World Religions. This watershed event was first held in

Bible Study in an Interfaith Age

2007-07-03T12:25:00.000-04:00

Last week, in conjunction with the remarkable exhibit here in Atlanta, Cradle of Christianity at the Carlos Museum at Emory University, Bruce Feiler pushed hard for the broad recovery of Bible study suggesting that the Bible itself is the most direct answer to those extremists who would make the Bible a weapon for their ideological wars.In the same vein, I am particulary interested in how we

The problem with Citing Scripture

2007-06-24T12:02:00.000-04:00

Citing references from scripture is sure tricky. Now don’t misunderstand me as saying that scripture references are unimportant. I am just a little bit wary because I’ve seen too many conversations degenerate into a process of one-upmanship where one person (or caucus) tries to pile up more references than the other, thus mistakenly believing that the bigger pile proves their point of view. We

The Birthday of John Wesley

2007-06-17T16:22:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful to share with you these words by Garrison Keilor from his National Public Radio column, The Writer's Almanac.It's the birthday of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley (books by this author), born in Lincolnshire, England (1703), who was saved from a fire when he was five years old, and came to believe that God had saved him for a purpose. He became an Anglican priest, and

Ann Rice's Jesus vs. the Vampires

2007-06-15T20:25:00.000-04:00

I’ve been fascinated to read Ann Rice’s recent book, Christ the Lord - Out of Egypt. In it, she spins a well researched but finally fantasic tale of Jesus as a Jewish boy around the time he was 12. She pays careful attention to the elements of his Jewish environment. She readily acknowledges the work of Paula Fredriksen, who I have mentioned before in this blog. Where she parts company with

Why we must not wait...

2007-06-08T16:20:00.000-04:00

Meaningful discussion and appropriate change about whether our United Methodist Church will be led by compassion and a respect for God-created diversity is being regularly hi-jacked. Please note the following comment included at the end of a list of 2008 General Conference issues found in one right wing candidates letter soliciting votes - "..., the ever present sexuality issues will continue to

Why we can't wait any longer!

2007-06-04T16:26:00.000-04:00

Please see the attached post --While I am pretty confident that the American people will reject the imperialist neo-conservative and right wing fundamentalist agenda that Bush is pushing in the next election - I am not sure that we can afford to wait for 18 months until he is out of office. Certainly, there are forces that are in the United Methodist Church that must reject any suggestion that

Can we wait any longer

2007-06-02T08:56:00.000-04:00

MLK's famous statement in his Letter From a Birmingham Jail spoke to the issue of why we can't wait. As we move toward annual conference season in the United Methodist Church, it is becoming clear that somethings can not wait.We must say loud and clear - Homosexuality (and related GLT issues) is not an abomination!If it is an abominatiom, the let's stone them all.What is an abomination is our

God Weeps - Holy Week Saturday

2007-04-07T12:24:00.000-04:00

This provocative poem was recently forwarded to me by a friend. Pray for peace!John-------------------------------------------------------------------------------God Weeps By Shirley Erena Murray God weeps at love withheld, at strength misused, at children's innocence abused, and till we change the way we love, God weeps. God bleeds at anger's fist, at trust betrayed,

After 40 years....Religion of the Feet!

2007-03-22T20:23:00.000-04:00

October of 1967, I was 19 years old and my great adventure that month was to join lots of other people marching across the Potomac Bridge to surround the Pentagon in a valiant witness against the war in Vietnam. We tried to levitate the five-sided building, but it did not work. Now after forty years, have we learned anything?Some like to talk about their religion as a matter of the mind -

God as Mysterious Power

2007-03-17T14:55:00.000-04:00

When Bultmann speaks of the deity, he uses the image of a “mysterious power” (and the complementary phrase “the activity of God”) that drives human beings (and all creation) this way and that by care, yet cuts each aspiration off in its finitude. This has always begged the question of whether the Most Holy One is a personal entity with a unique purpose intimately and directly interacting with the

Speaking of God as Father and the Problem with Idolatry

2007-03-17T10:16:00.001-04:00

Our most Christian theological statement (and prayer) stands in the ironic tension of addressing the Most Holy One as our (not my) father and at the same time affirming that the Most Holy One’s name (God is not God’s name) is hallowed i.e. always ineffable – never literal.Here, as Sallie McFague teaches, metaphorical language with its tension between “is” and “is not” is fundamental to God

Sacred Head Now Wounded

2007-02-23T11:29:00.000-05:00

What language shall I borrowTo praise Thee, heavenly friend,For this my dying sorrow,Thy pity without end?Lord make me Thine forever,Nor let me faithless proveOh let me never, neverAbuse such dying love- Bernard of ClairvaixBrian Wren uses the first line of this sacred hymn's fourth verse as the title of his book. The book explores metaphors and images within our worship and formation practices.

Ash Wednesdy 2007

2007-02-21T12:24:00.000-05:00

"Remember, you came from dust, to dust you will return!"So you say "I want to pick up Jesus' apostolic project"You say "The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and Believe the good news."- that is, in the battle between good and evil, even though it looks like evil is winning, the outcome is certain, evil will end and God will reign. Now if your past loyalties are a little questionable, then this

Noah's Pudding vs. Chains and Flagelation

2007-02-12T17:19:00.000-05:00

Food is so central to all the great religions - it symbolizes community and the depths that only emerge in sacred kononia. In celebration of Ashura, my Turkish Muslim friends from the Cosmos Foundation brought all of our staff here at the Food Bank bowls of what is called Noah's pudding - the myth (and of course, it is a myth - facts could never be so profound!) recalls Noah on the ark making the

World Peace and Interfaith Dialogue -

2006-12-28T23:04:00.000-05:00

So what are the prospects for interfaith dialogue? I was taken yesterday by the recent post by Media Matters for America on '"Most Outrageous Right Wing Comments of 2006." This was published recently on alternet - I share a couple of comments made about American Muslims.For example: CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck to Representative-elect Keith

James Lawson Returns to Nashville

2006-12-24T06:32:00.000-05:00

The invitation to James Lawson to serve as Visiting Professor this fall at Vanderbilt is for that venerable institution a courageous act of repentance and a sign of hope that life can and does change. Lawson was dismissed from the Divinity School for his civil rights organizing activites with Fisk students more than 30 years ago.One could wish that the late Langdon Gilkey had lived to see this

Thou shall not bear false witness...

2006-12-16T13:37:00.000-05:00

Apparently all those evangelical pundits who make such a big deal of insisting that the Ten Commandments be placed in the public square are more concerned with displaying them rather than obeying them. Of course, they simply ignore the fact that in the Jewish tradition - the tradition to whom this construct belongs - there are more than 600 commandments.Recently, noted psychologist Carol

Metaphorical Log jam

2006-12-12T21:42:00.000-05:00

In the Pacific northwest, loggers float their product down from the high forests on the rivers that run through the countryside. On occasion, there is a big log jam and everything stops. Clearing the flow requires teasing out each individual log much like a game of "pick-up sticks." The formative task in theology can by seen in much the same way - in our congregations, we often have spiritual log

Theology #1

2006-12-10T08:07:00.000-05:00

Recently, it has been helpful to me to understand a theologian's work to be taking place at two different but clearly interconnected levels. There is the normative level, where theological statements are tested against the general consensus of viability and there is the formative level where theological statements are tested overagainst the religious foundations of the greater tradition in

Second Naivete

2006-12-09T16:19:00.001-05:00

Dr. Paul Ricour died recently. While he was associated with the University of Chicago and remained in that community as emeritus professor until his death, I was active at that venerable institution. Unfortunately, the closest I ever got to him was to read portions of his many books. I wish that I had at least met him. His most useful insight for me had to do with what he called "second naivete"

Now the truth comes out!

2006-12-08T09:11:00.000-05:00

I haven't seen Mel Gibson's latest lovefest with violence, Apocalypto, but I have seen the trailers and I have read the reviews. It becomes clear the Mel's movie, the Passion of the Christ, was in fact just one more in a series of films contemplating violence and testing the audience's stomach for such lurid display. Jesus was just one more in a long line of new action heroes!

Religious Gibberish #1

2006-12-07T09:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes an interfaith encounter can reveal more about one's own tradition than it reveals about the other. Recently, I made visit to a local Hindu temple and had the chance to participate in another's "puja." Such encounters are alway enlightening. (he-he!) One of the first things that one notices is that the ceremonies are conducted in Sanskrit, an ancient language that only the priests know.

A chance for a new conversation!

2006-12-04T11:40:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my new "Blogspot." You are invited to participate in a new conversation about being a "new church in a new world in a new time." I will try to post blog comments on a regular basis - I welcome your comments, critiques or what-ever!Grace and Peace