Ask the Thoughtful Pastor: Forced Rehab and Misplaced Forgiveness
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: Is it possible to force a person into rehab? My mom confronted my sister about her drug problem again. Of course my sister continues to deny it even though we all know she is...
View ArticleAsk the Thoughtful Pastor: Justice Issues and Heaven for Pets
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: How can “the church” as an institution address or correct social/economic injustices based on race both within the church and in society? How can the church itself restructure...
View ArticleAsk the Thoughtful Pastor: Theology Matters, Especially ISIS Theology
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I have been wondering what it is about the Islamic religion that justifies the actions taken against innocent civilians? Certainly people have been making war on each other for...
View ArticleAsk the Thoughtful Pastor: Public Hypocrites and The Way of Jesus
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I have a question about praying in public and the scripture verse from Matthew 6:5. There is a man that dresses in a bright neon yellow robe at night. I’ve seen him in the...
View ArticleYou Choose: Was This a Worship Experience or Was It . . . ?
All our needs were met. Instructions were clear and signage was excellent. Gracious and competent attendants directed us through the gargantuan parking lot, waving us into a convenient spot. Greeters...
View ArticleA Time to Feast and a Time to Fast: Ash Wednesday Approaches
If every day were Christmas, we’d be miserable. We’d be stuffed, bored, broke and fractious. Irritations would win the day and gloom and unfulfilled expectations would slather everyone with...
View ArticleAsk the Thoughtful Pastor: Idolatry and Contrasting Points of View
In Exodus, God hands down the Ten Commandments. The second commandment forbids any graven images. Later in the same book, God tells Moses how the tabernacle is to be built and decorated — and all those...
View ArticleAsk the Thoughtful Pastor: Is Acts 29 a cult? Why do they marry so young?
Two questions today over similar issues: Dear Thoughtful Pastor: I read your article about neo Calvinism and the Acts 29 network. I have attended a few Acts 29 churches. I am frustrated with how...
View ArticleAsk the Thoughtful Pastor: Finding a Church and Ted Cruz as Messiah
[Note: because of the complexity of these questions, I’ve posted an expanded version below of what is slated to appear in the religion section of the Denton Record-Chronicle on Feb. 26, 2016.] Dear...
View ArticleAsk the Thoughtful Pastor: Lords Prayer and Wading Pool Theology
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: Why is the Catholic Lord’s Prayer different from the Protestant Lord’s Prayer? What Protestants call the Lord’s Prayer and Catholics call the Our Father is found in both...
View ArticleDid you pray and then walk away? You’ve done nothing.
Calls for prayer pop up immediately. Everybody’s “thoughts and prayers” are posted in public places. Churches open with prayer services advertised. Religious leaders offer statements to be read in...
View ArticleThe Brother printer, customer service and the church
Bissell vs Brother Customer service at its worst. Endless correspondence, multiple useless fixes, and a relatively new, what should be long-lasting workhorse black and white Brother laser printer is...
View ArticleChurch: take notice–people are leaving and not coming back
We all know the church ship is rapidly sinking. What fascinates me about the United Methodist Church is how little we seem to care. Instead, we wasted at least a generation and a massive amount of...
View ArticleRight-handers=Good; Left-handers=Evil
The dominant world enriches itself endlessly when it makes room for the less-dominant to have a voice. Those on the margins: left-handed, minority, poor, mentally and physically challenged,...
View ArticleDear Thoughtful Pastor: Has Facebook Hurt Church Attendance?
In my opinion, it is not Facebook, which does have room for somewhat reasoned dialogue, and yes, it can be contentious, but not always, that has dampened church attendance. There is space for nuance,...
View ArticleAfter Pittsburgh, I Can No Longer Wear A Cross
No longer will I wear the cross. I will stop identifying with this kind of Christianity. It’s one small step to saying to these dear Jewish people, “I am so sorry. My tears are mingling with yours....
View ArticleNo I/Thou, Only We/They at General Conference
It is official: we will not speak with each other at General Conference. We will only speak at each other. And we will do so in three-minute increments, limited to only three arguments for and three...
View ArticleLet Us Pray: Day One At General Conference: Brokenness And Surrender
Brokenness and surrender. These are the themes of the morning. Very triggering for those who have suffered much at the hands of an autocratic church which has offered few open doors and limited welcome...
View ArticleWhat If The Holy Spirit Did Indeed Fall Upon Us? Could We Survive It?
Yes, should the Holy Spirit fall here, no one will walk away unchanged. We’ll all recognize ourselves as hopelessly in need of grace, utterly thankful when it falls upon us, and devoid of judgment over...
View Article“Will Your Church Survive?” Coronavirus Diary, March 18, 2020
Will your church survive? Not in the form it is in now. Some budgets cannot recover, mainly if we stay in recession mode for a while. Unpaid mortgages could easily lead to many buildings going back to...
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