As the conversation about gender and sexuality is more prevalent in American culture, the question, “Do we have to welcome and affirm all?” is circulating in churches. Some churches are responding to these conversations and this question by expressing their rights as religious institutions to express condemnation and judgement. Some churches are responding to these …
I’m sitting at the local coffeeshop in my hometown, running into family and friends, and in general looking out the window in awe at the way the city has changed. There was a group of people who came together with a vision for making Spartanburg into a place where there was food, books, and coffee …
Although we might like to think the church models that are currently in place exhibit the gathering of people trying to interpret and understand the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the 1st Century, they don’t. Our American churches much more closely resemble corporate America with hierarchies, hiring policies, and operating systems implemented directly …
When I was in Germany, the other American teachers and I decided that we were going to run a half marathon. Now when we decided this we had all been running for a couple of years. I had run the Cooper River Bridge Run a couple of times and had loved it, so I thought …
Although many ministers called for the Methodist to make a decision about the LGTBQ question during General Conference this week, a group of bishops has been commissioned to study the LGBTQ issue and possible restructuring of the Methodist denomination. Putting this conversation on hold is asking those who are a part of the LGTBQ community …
Uncovering Spiritual Abuse: Avoiding Difficult Conversations Read More »
There is no one place spiritual abuse happens, but since spiritual abuse is the misuse of power of a spiritual leader, spiritual abuse often happens in the sanctuaries, the fellowship halls, and offices of our churches. For those who have experienced spiritual abuse, the house of God is tainted making it difficult to worship in …
Uncovering Spiritual Abuse: Where Spiritual Abuse Happens Read More »
I’ve just recently finished re-reading Walking on Water by Madeline L’Engle. I’ve had the experience of having the book mean something completely different to me during this time of my life. That’s the power of words, isn’t it? They can change and transform you again and again as you meet or re-meet them at different …
This note fell out of my car yesterday. I found it in the parking lot as I was putting Ben back in the car and headed to Emmanuel Baptist Fellowship. It happened to fall into my path at a moment when I was thinking about the brief time I have with left with my Emmanuel …
Last night, Bernie Sanders won big in the New Hampshire primary. This was not a .2% victory like Hillary’s in Iowa, but a 59.9% to 38.5% win. Does this mean Bernie will be the democratic candidate? No. Does this mean that South Carolina and following states will go to Bernie? Not necessarily. What it does …
Why Churches Should Pay Attention to Bernie’s Win in NH Read More »
There were many sermons as I grew up on absolute truths, including that women were not called to be preachers and divorce was wrong. I remember when that comfortable, certain theology started to break down for me. It was when I heard stories of abuse. Stories of women whose husbands forced them to have sex …
