The delivery of a guilty verdict in the Chauvin trial was the beginning of one kind of justice. As many have said, true justice would have been witnessed by a living George Floyd, not one who had been the victim of horrific brutality. But Mr. Floyd is dead, and even as the blessing of a… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: By the Numbers, November 4 2020
Let us talk of numbers. As I write this, the US Presidential election is not yet decided. The magical number of 270 – the electoral college votes necessary to secure the presidency – is the source of all energy. The strange and complex system called the electoral college is not worth exploring on this day… Read More
The Pastoral is Political – Who’s Choosing What?
Bear with me. This one will be a little long, but it is a needful thing. Those who serve in ordained ministry as I do (and many who are not ordained) learn how to serve others in their most difficult times during a stint of training called CPE. Clinical Pastoral Education. One spends a summer… Read More
The Pastoral Is Political: Gold, Silver, Bronze
Winning is on everyone’s mind, with the Winter Olympics in high gear in Sochi. As the television commentators talk about the competitors in each event, they seem to view it as an opportunity to talk about “our team” – read USA – as if US competitors are the only ones that really matter. And if… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Commonwealth for the Common
It happened again. I was headed out the door to make a hospital visit and the parish secretary called to me, “There’s a call on line one for you.” When she announces a call this way, not saying who is calling, it’s safe to assume it’s someone who is not a member of the parish,… Read More
The Pastoral Is Political: Here I Am. Send Me.
Our local newspaper, which generally endorses Republican candidates, has done something rather unusual. It has refused to endorse either candidate. The Republican is a right-wing extremist who advocated for trans-vaginal ultrasounds for those women who sought to terminate a pregnancy. The Democrat is an ethically-challenged fundraiser for his party. In the words of today’s editorial:… Read More
The Pastoral Is Political: Choosing to Serve
We are in the final few weeks before election of a new governor in our state. The television and the radio are wall-to-wall political ads, and I wish for nothing more than for it to be done with. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that the two candidates are both pretty awful. One seems… Read More
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