For the last couple of days, I have been reading repeatedly an account and commentary by Rev. Rich Lane on being pepper sprayed during an Occupy Wall Street (OWS) demonstration in Seattle. I have come back to it many times because I find it to be both thought-provoking and troubling. I suggest you read the whole article here before you read my response. Rev. Lane recounts from his perspective the confrontation that initiated the whole incident. He writes, Read More …
At PLTS, a popular phrase quoted is two words from Martin Luther. Students will triumphantly announce something like, “Well, Luther tells us to SIN BOLDLY.” It seems it is more often than not used as an excuse to allow sins (not Sin) to continue in the life of the believer. It has become a license to allow breaking the commandments–behaviors that transgress the way God would have us live as members of the Kingdom of God Read More …
I often hear in Lutheran circles (ELCA) a division between laity and clergy that is completely unhelpful. What I find particularly troubling is the degree to which some exalt clergy to such a point that the Pastor’s vary nature changed–somehow by the laying on of hands the person is now elevated and special in ordination. I had an experience a while back where someone told me that the Job of a Youth Minister and that Read More …
I wonder if anyone has ever read the Hippocratic Oath. Here is the text, just in case you haven’t. I swear by Apollo the Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods, and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant: To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in Read More …
About a month ago I ran into one of our local street preachers here in Valencia. Here’s the encounter: After having a lovely lunch with my children, I was coming out of a restaurant with my head down looking at them. As I came through the door I looked up and their I was face to face with a local street preacher (who will remain unnamed). Something happened when I looked him in the eye; Read More …
Today is my twin brother’s birthday. Rarely do I find it strange when we show up to church wearing the same clothes, or when we go see the same movie on the same day or any of the other odd twin things we do, but Friday weirded me out. On Friday, while procrastinating on homework, I chose to take the next step in my “secret” love for zombie movies. I decided that I would start collecting their DVD’s. Read More …
This week I am preaching at Lutheran Church in the Foothills. I am preaching on Stewardship and the spiritual disciplines. We are entering the time in our church were we talk about about pledging and tithing–I hate that. There was a church in San Diego that I visited, that never did that. In fact people pledged a certain amount of money, but it was never seen by anyone. The congregation would bring their pledges to the Read More …
Last night my group of Santa Clarita friends went to a concert in Irvine. We saw Third Day, Switchfoot, Jars of Clay. The most dissapointing act was Jars of Clay, they just didn’t seem up to par. An interesting thing happened at the concert that shows the shift in culture within the last 15 years. Instead of people getting out there lighters, they brought out there cellphones. Now this may seem unsignificant to the young Read More …