Category Archives: Pastoral Ministry

Guns in Churches?

As to guns being our protection:  A church looks to God as our ultimate source of protection.   As to wearing a gun in church even as we are passing the peace with others in the pews: As a follower of Jesus – as a Christian — I am called to a standard of loving my neighbor – a definition of neighbor that includes even my enemies.  It will take my lifetime to meet that standard.  If you are a Christian, you join me in that lifetime of work.  If we believe – and we legislate – that we can only safely interact with other people if we arm ourselves against them, we will never get even get close to that standard. Continue reading

Posted in Activism, Christian, Concealed Carry Guns, Ending Gun Violence, God Before Guns, Grief, gun safety, gun violence, Loss of Child, open carry guns, Pastoral Ministry, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Stay Woke …

My response to the Las Vegas shootings and how people of faith must respond to the issue of gun violence in our country.

Posted in Activism, Ending Gun Violence, God Before Guns, gun safety, gun violence, open carry guns, Pastoral Ministry, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

When Mother’s Day is difficult for you ….

It is for me.   I managed to avoid preaching on Mother’s Day for several years until this year. This link will take you to the video of what I had to say.   Maybe the day would be better … Continue reading

Posted in Activism, Children, Ending Gun Violence, God Before Guns, Grandparents, Grief, gun violence, LGBTQ, Loss of Child, Mothers Day, Pastoral Ministry, Racism, Uncategorized | Tagged | 2 Comments

So, how do you like retirement. Part Deux.

Writing about myself is a chore. I remember the first semester of seminary when I was suddenly sitting in a classroom 23 years after my undergraduate days. One of my first classes involved a weekly exercise of writing a 3-5 page paper about myself. I tired of it quickly Continue reading

Posted in Grandparents, Pastoral Ministry, Retirement | Tagged | 1 Comment