Circuit Writer

This week’s column (May 2-8) for The Tahlequah Christian.

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The ongoing news of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to be a source of consternation for me. As I listen to the ever-growing reports – 1,000 barrels per day leaking into the ocean has managed to grow to over 5,000 barrels per day – I am greatly concerned for the long term damage that this disaster will cause. The resulting oil slick, now estimated to be over 130 miles by 70 miles (roughly the size of the state of Delaware), could potentially cause an even greater disaster than the Exxon Valdez incident that coated Alaska’s Prince William Sound with roughly 250,000 barrels of crude oil. continue reading…

My latest column for The Tahlequah Christian, written for the week of April 25 – May 1.

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I’m quoting from a page found on Facebook, the popular social networking site:

DEAR LORD, THIS YEAR YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTOR, PATRICK SWAYZIE. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE ACTRESS, FARAH FAWCETT. YOU TOOK MY FAVORITE SINGER, MICHAEL JACKSON. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT IS BARACK OBAMA. AMEN.

I didn’t spend any time setting up this comment, because it’s not worth the setup. This type of language is crass and despicable, and what’s worse, it’s said in the guise of religious language that is presumably Christian. continue reading…

This is the latest pastor’s column for The Tahlequah Christian, for the week of April 4 – April 10.

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Easter has now come and gone, and with it a sometimes forgotten anniversary: the death of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thirty-two years ago this past Easter, King was assassinated on the balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He had arrived in the city just days before to offer his support to African American employees of the sanitation department who were striking for fair and equal treatment. Just the day before, he had delivered what is known as his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” address to the crowd at Mason Temple of the Church of God in Christ. In it he reiterated his consistent theme of nonviolent resistance and protest against the injustice of segregation and bigotry. continue reading…

Here’s my latest column for The Tahlequah Christian, for the week of March 28 – April 3.

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Regardless of where you stand on the passage of health care reform, I think we can all agree that it has created quite the … media frenzy. Leading up to the vote, the TV news was dominated by voices pro and con. Since then we’ve heard the angry cry of opposition and the jubilant celebration of the supportive base. To put it plainly: it’s a mess. And if you’re attuned to any of the other major issues that are floating around Washington, D.C., you’ll know that they have been all but drowned out by the health care squabble. I’m particularly fond of the rallying cry of Repower America, an organization working to promote green energy and improved infrastructure for the nation. They are simply stating: “We got next.” continue reading…

Here’s an excerpt from an article hosted by the National Council of Churches. It discusses the Ecumenical Advocacy Days gathering last Sunday, March 21 in Washington, D.C.  Disciples’ General Minister and President Sharon Watkins preached at the gathering Sunday morning.  The focus of this year’s event was comprehensive immigration reform.

Washington, March 21, 2010 — As more than 700 delegates to Ecumenical Advocacy Days continued to pursue their hope for just immigration laws, the Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins preached about the oneness of the human family.

Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), delivered the sermon at Sunday morning worship on the third day of the ninth annual Advocacy Days gathering in Washington.

Throughout the ages, Watkins noted, human beings have separated into distinct groups. “The broad sweep of human history is not a feel-good story,” she said. “We make boundaries, and we decide who’s in and who’s out.”

Click to READ MORE.

Here’s my weekly column for The Tahlequah Christian, written for the week of March 21-27.

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Nothing says Spring quite like snow drifts, driving wind, and cancelling church! Well, at least I’ve found it’s not that uncommon here in Oklahoma. Recently, in a conversation with a longtime Tulsa resident, the point was made that over the last few years Green Country received the majority of its snow in March rather than December or January. I haven’t checked the weather records to confirm or deny this, but if I were a betting man, I wouldn’t go against this one.

Yet it was the irony of this – making the decision to cancel church on the first day of Spring – that set me thinking about the equinox. continue reading…

This article comes from Christian ethicist, Dr. David P. Gushee, the Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University.  It is an eye-opening and insightful response to Glenn Beck’s biblically illiterate attack on social justice oriented Christian communities.

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Speaking as a Christian ethicist, I can say with certainty that in flippantly attacking the concept of social justice, Glenn Beck inadvertently poked a finger in the eye of every person who takes the Bible as God’s revealed Word and (according to Scripture) poured contempt on a central concern of God Himself:

“For I the Lord love justice.” (Isaiah 61:8)

“You must not distort justice; you must not show partiality; and you must not accept bribes, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue.” (Deuteronomy 16:19-20)

“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

Click to READ MORE.

Here’s an excerpt from the Global Ministries mission bulletin insert for March 2010.  You can read the entire article here.

Faith apart form works is dead.  James 2:26

Many groups travel from the US to another part of the world on a mission trip. Some of these groups plan their trip with Global Ministries’ People to People Pilgrimages office in order to maximize their spiritual experience as well. One group from Atlanta, GA recently traveled to India.  One pilgrim wrote:

“One month ago today we were ringing in the New Year sitting half way around the world in the Christian Church of Mungeli, India.  Even though the words spoken were unrecognizable Hindi, there were some comfortably familiar sights as I gazed around the sanctuary:  wooden pews filled with worshippers, Bibles and hymnals in their hands; the open communion table; a temperamental sound system that worked intermittently, and the cadence of the Lord’s Prayer …

Read the rest of this story here.

This is a rather late posting of my column from The Tahlequah Christian for the week of February 28 – March 6.

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This last week I attended a public presentation entitled “Beyond Apologetics.”  (Also on Facebook.) The lectures, jointly sponsored by Phillips Theological Seminary and Brite Divinity School at TCU, were funded by a grant from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. This evening gathering convened a panel of scholars and pastors who are working on the question of ministering to and with people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. It was a fascinating set of presentations that challenged me to think differently about how we behave in community when we gather together as church. continue reading…

Here’s my latest article for The Tahlequah Christian, my congregational newsletter,  for the week of February 21-27.

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Last week I was so excited about the H20 Project Challenge that I spent my entire column writing about it and completely forgot to announce my Lenten Sermon Series: Atonement Through the Years. So this week, I’ll offer this belated announcement and give you a little bit of an idea of what’s in store for the coming Sundays. continue reading…