Earthquakes Firestorms Missile strikes Plane crashes City-wide gun violence Is this how we are starting 2020, God? Help us to stop. Now! Stop our pillaging of the earth for our comfort Stop our polluting the air with our poison Stop our scapegoating and warmongering Stop our putting profit before people Stop our othering Stop our… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: More Than Thoughts and Prayers
The Pastoral is Political: More Than Thoughts and Prayers. Is your heart sore? Is your carpal tunnel kicking in from writing to people trying to instigate action? Are you tired of having the same conversations—the ones resulting in no change? Are you losing sleep trying to figure out what else you can do and/or how… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: #BeatingGuns
The grief that visited that church on the west side of Cleveland in Holy Week, rippling out in concentric circles from the gravesides of the lost, had already found its own transformation into activism, intervention, wrestling a new life out of the death that interrupted families and upended the lives of countless others. Read More
The Pastoral is Political: How brave are we?
Yesterday, I sat in a pew at worship, in that strange position that I occupy these days as a mostly non-preaching preacher. My wife had scrapped her planned stewardship kick-off sermon to reflect the events of the week, naming how hard it can be to welcome the stranger and be a neighbor to all while… Read More
Saturday Prayer – Don’t Be Afraid
Holy One, You’re always telling those you meet not to be afraid. Meet us today. Another shooting, this one targeting a synagogue, a house of worship. Open our hearts, so they do not close in cynicism or despair. Give our prayers wings, fly love and strength and healing to our sisters and brothers in faith.… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Teach Your Parents Well
My college aged son and I attended the “Enough is Enough” Walk Out rally last Monday, organized by high school aged youth to mark the one month anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the one month anniversary of our continued inaction to the public health crisis of gun violence… Read More
Pastoral is Political: No Lifeguard on Duty
In the United States, we’ve had yet another mass shooting in a church. This one was in a Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX, not far from San Antonio. It appears that 7% of the entire town was killed today in church. About the same percentage was injured. Christe eleison. My first thoughts, prayers, and energy… Read More
The Pastoral is Political: Because it’s gonna take more than just prayer…
Last week, while a bunch of our church kids were gathered and playing and laughing and dancing, a couple miles north there was a drive-by shooting. A gunman (or gunmans) shot into a car, hitting all four people inside: two adults in their 20s, and two babies. Babies. A 9-month-old and an 18-month-old are still… Read More
Thursday Prayer: Dear God, @##!**$^@^!#!!
My son is in first grade. In the first week of school, they do these drills: Fire drill Earthquake drill Lockdown drill The lockdown involves “hiding and being quiet so the ‘bad guys’ won’t know we’re in there”. I don’t want to hear about any more thoughts and prayers. I don’t want to look… Read More
Right to Remain Silent
We spent a lovely week in Colorado Springs with family for Thanksgiving. Friday morning, while we were sitting around in our pajamas playing bridge (I would have heeded REI’s call to “opt outside” if it had been warmer than 10 degrees) I started getting texts from concerned friends, asking if I was okay, wanting to… Read More
