Perhaps I’ll die in the fog of dementia.Perhaps I’ll forget what buttons do and I’ll get mad because I am cold and madder because someone I don’t know is putting a jacket on me.Perhaps I’ll look into those eyes and not recall our decades of moving and being as one. Will I know you still love me?Even then, maybe I’ll forget the world is full … Continue reading Perhaps I'll Die in the Fog of Dementia
There are times in life when certain events reoccur and a pattern is discovered. This past week, I received a text from a former parishioner that another former parishioner had died the day after Christmas. I get these from time to time, especially as my pastoral career continues and I have 6 congregations in 4 different communities in my past. But Gio was young, 26 … Continue reading Crossroads in Pastoral Ministry
This Week in Ministry was very incarnational. Sunday (12/15) Baptized a 6-week old. Children’s Pageant #1 was classic, funny and delightful. O was excellent as Joseph. Children’s Pageant #2 was more contemporary and equally delightful. O was excellent as a shepherd. A was excellent as one of the narrating actresses. Also observed a town-acquaintance gracefully help is father enjoy the pageant. Monday Last real office … Continue reading This Week in Ministry
A good pastor or public theologian must be ‘anthropologically curious’. Being curious about people ought to be a natural gift of any minister. And there are two main skills that go with being ‘anthropologically curious’: 1) Being able to ask good questions and 2) listening without prejudice. Unless danger is sensed, people will most often tell you the truth: either The Truth (which is rare), … Continue reading The “I” Has It
You probably expect me to pray for you. That’s fair. And I do, even if I keep a fairly open definition of prayer. I think about you all the time. I fret over you and on your behalf. If I know your current dilemma or your current blessing, I worry or smile accordingly. As a clergyperson, I try to do the old Levite thing, which … Continue reading WHY CHURCH? To Give Order and Structure in a Chaotic World
I suffer from FOMO. This stands for “Fear of Missing Out” and describes the phenomena of checking social media obsessively. One does this to not “miss out” on a funny or important post from your friends, your favorite news site or your favorite media outlet. It is automatic most of the time. When my conscious mind re-emerges, I usually feel horribly wasteful and vain. Also, … Continue reading One More Thing about Crosses
Borders are real. They make tremendous impact on our lives. Juarez, Mexico is only 2 miles farther away from me than El Paso, Texas, USA. And yet El Paso calls my concern and responsibility. I feel real powerlessness toward the crippling violence of Juarez. Note: As I was editing this post, the news poured in of the mass shooting at a Wal-Mart in El Paso. … Continue reading The Paradox of the Border
