Preaching from Acts 2 this Eastertide, it dawned on me this familiar passage was saying something much simpler, yet more profound, than providing fodder for theological arguments between Pentecostals and, well, every other Christian. The early portion of this chapter (tongues of fire, upper room, etc.), gets most of the attention in the chapter, and rightlyContinue reading “Leaning Into Death: An Alternative Reading of Acts 2.42-47”
Category Archives: Autobiography
My Final Gift to my Father: This Burden
Unsuspecting subjects of the fates is what we become. Persons wandering the land only to be shackled by a yoke fashioned in the randomness of life. Living life, free, free of this burden, the world a place of solace and comfort, then suddenly, that world dies. There is no more freedom, not fromContinue reading “My Final Gift to my Father: This Burden”
Death asks Questions. Ecclesiastes Answers.
Sudden, premature, Death is the great equalizer. Both for those who die and those they leave behind. For those who die, suddenly, everything they were, or weren’t, did, or didn’t do, is finished. Their dreams, their opinions, their loves, their hates, their things and their family, all stay behind. The prince and the pauper meetContinue reading “Death asks Questions. Ecclesiastes Answers.”
A Prayer of Lament & Forgiveness
How Lonely sits the city where silence now resides The doorways are clean and empty, the water basins full Yet, there are no ripples in the water No footprints in the walkways The corridors are silent- only filled with the tears of lament The joy of my heart has ceased, our dancing has been turnedContinue reading “A Prayer of Lament & Forgiveness “
NO! You haven’t been here: The Singularity of Grieving Loss
“Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent” – Ludwig Wittgenstein Experiencing the death of a loved one is not fact to be stated, a proposition that is an absolute truth. That a loved one has died IS a fact; that one has experienced the grief of the death is not a fact; itContinue reading “NO! You haven’t been here: The Singularity of Grieving Loss”
My Fathers Sermon on Peace
Two weeks ago, Feb 26th, was my father’s last Sunday alive. In usual fashion, he found himself at church around 9:30am preparing to teach Sunday School. I did not attend his Sunday School class that morning. I missed his last lesson. In retrospect, I wish I had not worked so much on the weekends,Continue reading “My Fathers Sermon on Peace”
My Confession: God Made Me Do It! Or why I am in a DMin Program
It takes very little for many of us to become enamored with intellectualism and knowledge. This shouldn’t surprise us. Knowledge is power and when suddenly one acquires knowledge that seems to give you leverage over others…well, not only do you acquire said knowledge but one begins to sense the power associated therewith. It feels goodContinue reading “My Confession: God Made Me Do It! Or why I am in a DMin Program”
Thoughts From World 3
A fool can offer words, a creator can offer worlds An academic can show you a world, a dreamer invites you into it Consumers of knowledge are everywhere, generators of knowledge are the rarity Anyone can summarize the great thoughts of others, yet not simply anyone can have great thoughts An English teacher can beatContinue reading “Thoughts From World 3”
A Thanksgiving Re-Membering
It was probably 22 years ago when I made the comment that would follow me the rest of my days. I was a 13 year old kid riding in the back seat of my parents car on the way to West Virginia for Thanksgiving. My mother, always the astute observant one, said, “well today isContinue reading “A Thanksgiving Re-Membering”
What is “White Privilege?”
There is a video going viral of a 14 year old boy making an apology tour for “white privilege.” The video shows a young middle school aged kid reciting a poem at school in which he derides white privilege (thus bringing attention to it) while also refusing to abscond his privilege. Yes it’s a problem,Continue reading “What is “White Privilege?””