I was excited to be able to worship this morning at Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ after missing out the last several weeks to worship with other area congregations that support the work of the faith-based non-profit I serve (for my sermon at St. James Episcopal Church see Preaching Hope or for my message at Eastminster Presbyterian Church see Preaching Difficult Discipleship). Celebrating 53 Years! 53 years ago something new happened in Dallas. In July of 1970 a group of 12 Read More …
inclusive
A Compelling Version of Christianity (#1804)
I cannot count the number of times in recent years that I've had to explain that I'm not the type of Christian someone assumes I am (and/or assumes all Christians are). A Compelling Christianity It is helpful to focus on what one's version of Christianity is about or stands for rather than how it differs from another type of Christianity that is best known for what it is against. Rozella Haydée White formerly served in the national setting of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Read More …
The Story of Jesus (#0960)
In the December 26, 2012 edition of the Christian Century, John M. Buchanan writes: The more I ponder the story of Jesus the more convinced I am that it's about a radical inclusivity that threatened and still threatens all who are invested in exclusivity of any kind, but particularly religious exclusivity. Jesus had no time for religion as a definer of who was "in" and who was "out," who was "us" and who was "them." The story still challenges every Read More …
A 30-Second Christmas Message (#0588)
Enjoy the latest addition to the United Church of Christ's Still Speaking campaign: "Don't Let Them Lie To You." Read More …
Full LGBT Equality in the Church (#0360)
Believe Out Loud is a project of Intersections International that is committed to being a" trans-denominational movement that promotes LGBT-inclusion in the Christian church." Recently they launched a campaign to get one million Christians to sign on in support of "full LGBT equality in the church." Sojourners, led by Jim Wallis, rejected their new 83 second ad (watch below) depicting lesbian moms and their son entering a new church and receiving a welcome from the Read More …
Radical Inclusivity (#0321)
Christian leaders make news headlines on a daily basis, but are rarely portrayed as open minded or inclusive. Jonathan Devin's "Radical Preachers Buck Mainstream Christianity" tells the story of a growing interdenominational group of pastors known as Outlaw Preachers who are bound together by their shared belief in radical inclusivity. Founded in 2008, the group has grown to 300 members and recently held their first conference, which was attended by persons representing Read More …
My Response to Anne Rice (#0127)
Anne Rice Quits Christianity As the days pass since Anne Rice wrote of her decision to “quit being a Christian” I have returned to her words on several occasions. Her words are those of a follower of Christ who cannot fathom why the church she thought she knew and loved has become an institution more focused on being against issues rather than for Christ. Rice’s pain and frustration have led her to walk away and to distance herself from the body of Christ. Today I quit being a Read More …