My view of the “presidential” debate
Leaving Babylon Part 4
This episode came from a lot of emotion because I had another conversation with another young minister who is leaving a conservative denomination because of the current partisan climate. The nice part of me wants to apologize for that, but I won’t.
The closer we draw to the election, the more doubling down culturalized Christians are doing, leaving friends of color FAR behind. Our “George Floyd Moment” was just that… a moment. Shame on us.
What is ahead for the culturalized Church is hard and I let those emotions roll as I walked through Jeremiah 27-29. This isn’t easy or enjoyable. And it will probably be ignore. But I leave it as a witness.
There is no justice
Not “breaking” a particular law does not mean there is “justice.”
This is the case of Breonna Taylor.
Continue reading “There is no justice”1955 and 2020
Over time when visiting Montgomery, Alabama we’ve been able to visit different significant spots regarding Civil Rights history.
One we regularly visit is not the place itself, but where the business is located. We always frequent Prevail Coffee when in Montgomery because their coffee is great, but it’s also built on the site of the old Kress Department Store, where Rosa Parks worked. Just down the block is a statue of Parks representing the place where she got on the bus that day in 1955 and refused to move back a few blocks later when the driver ordered her to do so.
Continue reading “1955 and 2020”No antidote for stupidity
It would be great to think we could overcome some things in society. According to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, stupidity is not one of those things. For believers, there is possible hope. Read on:
Continue reading “No antidote for stupidity”Missing Rich Mullins
Yesterday was 23 years since the world lost the poetic/prophetic voice and example of Rich Mullins. I somehow missed it in social media yesterday until late, but I’m reflecting on it this morning, so I’m listening to his music on Spotify. His was a voice that if I heard it, I would instantly tune my ears in and before long I would be fighting back tears. I have forgotten how much his music touched me so deeply. There isn’t much music today that does that to me.
Continue reading “Missing Rich Mullins”Book Review: Might from the Margins
I’ve known Dennis Edwards for a few years. He was pastoring a church in North Minneapolis where one of my sons and his wife attended. They raved about Dennis. It was a privilege to visit that church a few times and take in what God was doing in a hard part of town. This church was a shining jewel. Dennis would deliver such depth in his sermons. I was always jotting down some book he would reference in his sermons. They turned out to be DEEP reads… academic studies/theological works, etc.
Continue reading “Book Review: Might from the Margins”Our civil rights moment
One quote I saw going around on social media went something like this: “If you wondered if you would stand up for civil rights in the 1960s, what you’re doing right now is what you would be doing back then.”
Continue reading “Our civil rights moment”Our grand invitation
Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV)
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
I recently finished up another journey through the Sermon on the Mount and come away once again with awe. The Kingdom of God is so grand and powerful and our King invites us into this incredible life.
Continue reading “Our grand invitation”Where I failed after 9/11
It’s been 19 years. I can still remember where I was sitting. The memories of halting the retreat where I was attending, huddling around the one TV with bad reception, the shock… calling my family…
Coming out of that time I also knew the word I had from the Lord: “Prepare the Body. The world is different. Get back to discipleship.”
This is where I failed. Miserably.
Continue reading “Where I failed after 9/11”