Category Archives: Uncategorized

Celtic Christianity

Posted on November 6, 2017 by jim

I had a great conversation recently with John Philip Newell. John Philip is one of the world’s leading experts on Celtic Christianity. All Celtic Christian services I have attended have been similar: quietly contemplative, prayerfully pensive and filled with moving … Continue reading →

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Resolutions

Posted on November 4, 2017 by jim

In recognition of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, and Martin Luther nailing his 95 thesis to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, my church recorded our hopes and wishes for the future of the congregation and … Continue reading →

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Reformation

Posted on November 3, 2017 by jim

When I was in seminary, I learned my theology was a product of the Protestant Reformation. When Martin Luther wrote his 95 complaints against the Catholic Church he was opposing the selling of “indulgences.” Indulgences allowed people to pre-pay their … Continue reading →

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Sometimes you will never know

Posted on October 28, 2017 by jim
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The crisis in the U.S. church

Posted on October 24, 2017 by jim

“How can you be a Christian and support abortion?” “How can you be a Christian and support Trump?” Seemingly simple, the distance between the questions is massive, made wider by  Christology, pneumatology, eschatology and Biblical hermeneutic. Simple questions are seldom … Continue reading →

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A great video of a pastor talking about LGBT rights

Posted on October 19, 2017 by jim

Here’s a great video of a pastor talking about LGBT rights. Here’s what the same minister wrote about the speech, five years later. Why my viral video about LGBTQ rights was wrong

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i thank You God for most this amazing

Posted on October 6, 2017 by jim

by E.E. Cummings i thank You God for most this amazing day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes (i who … Continue reading →

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Bapu

Posted on October 2, 2017 by jim

In a world growing more violent, filled with those who accept violence as the cost of living in the world, our thoughts should turn to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Better known as Mahatma. Great Soul. Born Oct. 2, 1869, he was … Continue reading →

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Finding God in the unexpected

Posted on September 17, 2017 by jim

From Upper Room Daily Reflections Finding God in the Unexpected I FIND GOD in the unexpected, the unexpected places where I least expect to find the presence of the Living God. It is in these unlikely places that the undeniable … Continue reading →

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Jesus is on the side of the oppressed

Posted on September 14, 2017 by jim

Jesus is with the people on the fringe of the culture who demand to be treated with respect and dignity. He is always on the side of the marginalized victims. Jesus is with refugees and minorities. Jesus supports the meek … Continue reading →

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Eclipse

Posted on August 30, 2017 by jim

Did you see this Facebook profile frame for the eclipse? This was a sponsored ad from the Institute for Creation Research. It was a paid ad from a religious organization, and most Facebook users had no idea. Who is ICR? … Continue reading →

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Both sides

Posted on August 16, 2017 by jim

Both sides on the beaches of Normandy weren’t equal. Both sides at Auschwitz were not responsible.  Both sides did not cause the Civil War.  I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, “Both parties deprecated war, but one of … Continue reading →

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A letter for our times

Posted on August 14, 2017 by jim

In the aftermath of the chaos in Charlottesville, too many moderates remain silent. Anti-American, anti-Semitic racists marched through the city brandishing images of bigotry and hate, culminating in a racist white, male, terrorist driving his car into a crowd of … Continue reading →

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A line drawn in blood

Posted on August 13, 2017 by jim

A new line was drawn on the streets of Charlottesville, Va. A line as red as the blood on the pavement and as stark as the Nazi flag. Because the line is clear: those who are on the side of … Continue reading →

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