The Chair of the District Committee on Ordained Ministry looked me in the eye on February 27, 2013 and told me I had “no place in ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church now or ever.” There was no room for ambiguity. She tried to temper...
A meme has been circulating on social media that says “Have you ever saved someone’s reputation by not telling your side of the story?” I called it out asa form of gaslighting. The exchange also compelled me to hasten the publication of my...
Words cannot capture my utter shock and disbelief at the glowing tributes to Eddie Long on the occasion of his death. Dying was perhaps the best thing he ever did. In so doing, an ignominious rot was removed from the church. I attended seminary...
National Public Radio aired a storyabout a minister who decided to try atheism after being kicked out of his church for struggling with his faith openly. I shared the article with friends while invoking the spirit of Chris Rock: I ain’t saying...
There is an old country song whose refrain repeats the line “looking for love in all the wrong places, looking for love in all the wrong faces.” That seems to be the story of my life personally and spiritually. We can leave my love life out of...
This month precedes another high holy season when we celebrate the victorious resurrection of our Lord and savior. I’m not referencing Lent, but rather the NCAA tournament when millions of fans try to predict with random accuracy which men’s...
In the top of the newsrecently was the “baptism” of Prince George, the heir to the British throne, followed by the announcement that he is now a member of the Anglican Church, which he will head one day as King of England. Even some of the more...
I grew up going to church 52 Sundays a year. It’s not that my parents were particularly religious. They actually were not at all. They just happened to have discovered free childcare for their brood for a few hours on a weekend morning. Other...
One of my less than honorable responses to my call to ministry was my obsession with my preacher swagger. I am not into whooping and flashy cars, but I am quite a clothes-horse. As I prepared for my initial sermon, what I would wear received more...
As much as I gripe about organized religion, there is something about it that compels me. There is a saying of dubious attribution that “The church is a whore, but she’s my mother.” I know exactly how that feels. I grew up with children whose...
There is an old saying that all dogs go to heaven. Quite frankly, I’m not sure if I want to go there if this is not true. We all have our lines in the sand about what would make our bliss eternal. Some are quite base; others quite noble. There is...
A friend recently tried to encourage me to watch a heavily-advertised “epic miniseries” on the Bible being aired on the History Channel. My first question was about the physical appearance of the characters. Predictably they were all...
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