The Adjustment of Conflicting Interests: Count Raymond of Toulouse Swears at the Altar to Observe the Liberties of the City;u00ec Color Study for Mural, Supreme Court Room, Minnesota State Capitol,u00ec Saint Paul by John La Farge is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0 Reflections on: 1 Corinthians 13, Maundy Thursday, and "All the Buried Women" My reflectionsContinue reading "Grace isn’t an Excuse to Harm"
Reflections on Netflix’s “Adolescence”
Excellent acting all round lends emotional gravitas to this moving short series. The topic at hand is, of course, the true issue of our time. We have been feeling the effects of the crisis of young men long before we noticed that it was the main source of political and cultural shifts that continue inContinue reading "Reflections on Netflix’s “Adolescence”"
Who Do You Trust?
Lent approaches, and this year our Lenten fast of discipline will be more important than ever. Our country and our world are in turmoil. No matter how we try to avoid the elephant in the room, it is there. There was a time when Facebook and social media didn’t exist. I was a freshman inContinue reading "Who Do You Trust?"
On Sin (and Jesus Dying for It)
Photo by David Dibert on Pexels.com In my career I have listened to countless peers and younger people vent their frustrations with “The Church”. All of them fall away from the denomination of their childhood to either cast aside organized Christianity entirely or find that perhaps they can trust my example enough to hope thatContinue reading "On Sin (and Jesus Dying for It)"
What is Love?
Today, I am looking at one of the most well-known statements from Jesus, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). When we seek to understand something, we must define each word’s meaning in the context of the document we are reading. What are Jesus’ commandments? Of course, if we were thereContinue reading "What is Love?"
(A)Idol Worship
A particularly egregious AI creation representing a giant wooden Jesus Idol. People learned long ago that using the words “Biblical”, “Jesus”, and “Christlike”, with things they want others to accept is a surefire way to get in good with a lot of Americans. Want to convince someone your views are correct? Throw “biblical” in frontContinue reading "(A)Idol Worship"
On the “National Day of Prayer”
I live in a small town in Southwestern Pennsylvania, which also happens to be the county seat. The country courthouse, which is the most stunning part of the town (primarily because of its grand architecture) hosts this gathering each May on its many steps. We are a town of mostly Christians and “nones”, with noContinue reading "On the “National Day of Prayer”"
What Divides Us?
I must make a rant… I just received an unsolicited text message from the Cambria County Republican Party Chair telling me I need to switch parties if I support the military, God, and law enforcement. Rather than argue the bad faith claims within that I want to address the root philosophy behind this text. AtContinue reading "What Divides Us?"
The Letter A
I am writing this during June, which is Pride month, a time when allies like myself affirm and advocate for equal treatment of LGBTQIA+ people. As LGBTQIA+ people are often discriminated against by the church universal, it is extra important for we Christians who do not take that view to speak out and affirm thatContinue reading "The Letter A"
Yes, God is Everywhere, But I Need Worship
It has often been said during this pandemic that God is everywhere. The church is not a building. We should not despair that we cannot meet as usual in our buildings. All of this is true and valuable, but I think we are missing something essential and that is worship. Speaking for myself I needContinue reading "Yes, God is Everywhere, But I Need Worship"
A View from the Loft 