As many are aware, my denomination, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), is embroiled in an ongoing division over ordination standards and biblical interpretation as it pertains to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered) people and their place (or lack of) in the life of the Church. With the recent passage of Amendment 10-A, which amended our denomination’s … Continue reading “Schismata in the Body of Christ”
Category: Kingdom of Heaven
There is Hope…
This just in from the Covenant Network, reporting on a case that reached the highest commission in my denomination, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, or GAPJC), involving the ordination of an openly gay woman who, in keeping with our tradition, declared a scruple (conscientious objection) to several parts of the … Continue reading “There is Hope…”
New Pastoral Call – Days 1 & 2
Tuesday I began a new call as pastor/teaching elder at University Presbyterian Church in Tempe, AZ. In their bulletin they describe themselves as an intentionally “open and affirming community” where “all are welcome.” It is refreshing! But, it is still a congregation in transition, as so many are these days. They have been without an … Continue reading “New Pastoral Call – Days 1 & 2”
The Hunger Games
I just finished the final book of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I am shaken by this story—it’s honesty about the realities of the human race, the circle of violence that seems to plague every generation, evidence of our fears and insecurities taken out on our neighbors. I don’t know how intentional Ms. … Continue reading “The Hunger Games”
A Church in Decline: Balancing the Need to Teach with the Need to Listen
I just read a blogpost by Carol Howard Merritt entitled “Generational Roadblocks: What sort of obstacles keeps a new generation of people away?” Carol is an amazingly prolific and prophetic writer about contemporary themes of church and young people (she mostly blogs for the Christian Century and Huffington Post). In this latest she outlines a … Continue reading “A Church in Decline: Balancing the Need to Teach with the Need to Listen”