Faith in the Cracks

The opening ceremonies in Paris brought with them an uproar. Some Christians were beyond upset over an artistic rendition on a foot bridge over the Seine that they thought was the Last Supper. They thought France was mocking God. Well, it wasn't the Last Supper but a depiction of Dionysus, the Greek God of wine. It was a party scene and many American Christians were offended.  They called for...

I am going to take a week off. In the almost 18 months of this podcast, I missed the week just after the death of my dad. This time, I am taking a week just to relax and recharge. Americans are notorious for leaving vacation time on the table and working way too hard. Our society applauds busy-ness, but it isn't actually in our best interest.  One of the commandments is to remember the Sabbat...

In the wake of the assassination attempt on Former President Donald Trump, we, as a society must stop the violence. We need to change our language and rhetoric. We need to find peaceful ways forward and common ground. Violence is becoming normalized in our society as more people seek to solve things through physical force or shooting people. It has to stop.  Support the show

Having watched fireworks this past week, I was drawn to playing Sousa marches. It made me think about music at Christmas and as I listened to a recital tonight, about various types of music and how music can speak in many different ways. Knowing the state of the world, the tensions in the world of politics, the divides in American culture, I wonder what the soundtrack would be. Would it be "T...

Last week was the first presidential debate for 2024. To say it was awful is an understatement. President Biden didn't look or sound good. Former President Trump failed to answer questions and offered lies (it has been fact checked). I turned it off after a while because they were talking about golf handicaps and honestly that has no place in this debate. I was frustrated with both men not an...

If you have not seen Disney's Inside Out or its latest release, Inside Out 2, go see it. No spoilers here. The movies are about the emotional growth of Riley. We meet Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Aner in the first movie and more emotions come into play in the second. The team worked with psychologists to be as accurate as possible with how the mind works. It is all pretty amazing. In work...

Watching one of my kids compete in National Dance Competitions this weekend and the other  trying out for competitive soccer a week ago, we put a lot of pressure on our kids to win and to be the best. One thing that we like about the Dance Studio we are in as well as the Soccer Club we are part of is that the emphasis isn't on winning, but on doing your best. Have fun, learn, grow, and do you...

Today, several children and youth helped lead worship. We have been doing Vacation Bible School all week. Their energy, joy, wiggles and giggles are infectious and they are needed in the church. As church we need to embrace them as the current church, not as the future of the church. We need their creativity and joy to help us find new ays to be community and new ways to share the love of God with...

June is Pride Month. And it has already started, a conservative seminary classmate had a social media post that was decidedly anti-LGBTQIA+. There are many churches and pastors who believe homosexuality is a sin and use "clobber passages" as the scriptural basis. However, not every pastor or church agrees. Many of the passages used to claim homosexuality is wrong have been misinterpreted...

In conversation with a friend, we wondered about Memorial Day and if it was for all who have died or specifically for those in the military. We discovered it has been celebrated in some form since 1868 as Decoration Day to honor fallen Civil War soldiers. In 1971, the holiday was officially put on the final Monday of May and serves as a reminder to honor all those who have died in war in service t...

We just passed Pentecost. In the Christian church it marks 50 days after Easter. In the Jewish faith it is 50 days after Passover and also marks the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai. In the book of Acts, we find the disciples gathered in Jerusalem and in chapter 2 a mighty wind blows and flames alight on their heads. They are able to speak in other languages that are heard and understood by many fro...

We all have choices to make in life. We decide what to wear, what to eat, who to hang out with, and what we want to do with life among the hundreds of decisions we make each day. Sometimes the choices are based on what we prefer - like red or green grapes.  Choices can be based on the weather. It's cold so perhaps I should wear a coat and maybe it is a better day to do something indoors. Yet...

A couple weeks ago on my podcast I used a phrase that I grew up with. Low man on the totem pole. I had a friend message me to say that could be an offensive phrase and that we use it in a way that is backwards to its actual meaning. I apologize if I offended anyone, that was never my intent. I have been reading and learning about the tradition of the totem pole with First Nations people of the Pac...

Veggie Tales made a full length movie in 2002 of Jonah. In the movie, there is a gospel number called  Second Chances . It is a reminder to Jonah that it is not to late to obey God. This is demonstrated in other stories in the Bible as well. I also saw this in the community. The East Hill Singers  is a men's choir that was founded in 1996. Inmates from the minimum security unit at the Lansing...

Psalm 23 is a familiar text for many who grew up in the church. It is often used at funerals or to comfort those who are grieving. Take a look at it again and find some of the meanings missed in the English translation. Goodness and mercy don't just follow us, they pursue us and chase us. God wants us to have what we need and wants to walk beside us and guide us through life. Live into the ab...

In the 1990s Robert Fulghum wrote a book entitled "Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." The poem he uses covers a lot of ground and is made very easy to understand like we do with kids. Clean up after yourself. Don't take things that aren't yours. Yet it seems that we forget the simple things as we age.  The Gospel of Luke chapter 24 provides a basic pattern...

It has been a busy 6 weeks on my calendar. Lots of traveling and lots of emotionally charged moments. All of it has been meaningful, yet, I am weary. Physically tired from travel. Mentally tired from the thought that has gone into things. Emotionally tired from all the human interactions and emotional highs and lows. Spiritually tired because 2 celebrations of life, a wedding, and Holy Week take a...

Many of us played a game as children called Follow the Leader. Good leaders made the game fun and silly. Bad leaders could get us into trouble. Even as adults, good leaders and bad leaders take us to different places.  The Easter text from the Gospel of Mark reminds us that Jesus goes ahead of us, so we are to follow. Follow Jesus, you have been invited to go.  Support the show

Palm Sunday, many churches wave palm branches and shout Hosanna. We have a celebratory parade atmosphere, but when we do this, do we miss the subversive side of the story? As the Passover festival is beginning, Pilate and Rome would make a show of power and parade with legions of soldiers and Pilate on a war horse or in a chariot to remind the people who was in charge.  Meanwhile, Jesus comes into...

Just as the mythical bird, the Phoenix, dies and is reborn from the ashes, we to face opportunities to die to ourselves and become new creations. There are times in life when we must "level up" and go through change or other hard things like grief, and when we get to the other side, we find that we are no longer the same. We too can rise from the ashes.  Support the show

It is a verse seen at sporting events through the years. For God so loved the world. It is a reminder that God loves us. All of us. Whenever you see it. Remember that you are loved. To believe is to have the promise of eternal life. Whether you have been a believer all your life or are new, God loves you! Support the show

The 10 Commandments was made into a movie about Moses bringing these words from God to the people as they came out of Egypt. There have been court battles about whether or not to have the 10 Commandments posted in schools or at courthouses. In 1980 the Supreme Court ruled to take the 10 Commandments out of schools on the grounds of religious freedom.  These however are rules that we need to revisi...

I went back to Eisenhower Elementary where I taught for a decade. The school celebrated 50 years. I was very much shaped and formed by my time as a teacher there. The school has been an influence on many others as well which could be seen and felt during the celebration with over 1000 people in attendance.  The Cougar community stretches far and wide and it was a great reminder that finding a comm...

This past Wednesday was Valentines Day. It was also Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of Lent. And it was for people in Kansas City the Super Bowl Victory Parade. A day of joy and celebration quickly turned to one of horror as gun shots rang out as the ceremonies concluded. KC STRONG merchandise has come out. There have been pictures taken of KC STRONG spelled out in folding chairs around...

Yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday, to see who is the best NFL team. If you think about winning teams and those who are always contending for titles, it seems like some stay on the mountain top. However, just like those who summit Mt Everest must turn and descend, no one can stay on the mountain top.  This past Sunday was Transfiguration Sunday, the Sunday before Lent begins. Tranfiguration is about...