The World's Okayist Pastor

Every week, I join pastors around the world, in thinking about the words that will come out of my mouth Sunday morning from the pulpit. I take preaching seriously because, in theory, I stand in a position of authority as pastor. I'm suppose to have learned about this stuff and have spent the week studying, praying and reflecting on scripture and the events of the world. I'm called to challenge, to teach, to encourage, to even scold at times. Here's the thing; when I get up to preach in most of the settings I've been in, I can see what people are doing in the pews. Generally I'm higher up then the people in the pews. I can see the kids who are being kids and drawing pictures on the bulletins or taking a nap because let's face it being 3 is hard work. I can see who has their phone out and is not reading an e-bible because I can see (and occasionally you forget to turn your sound off and/or you forget where you are and you get excited) that you're either usin

Below is a link to a Buzzfeed article written by one of my classmates from my undergrad school. Here's my take on what I remember during my 4 years there (2000-2004): - Confederate flags hung from dorm room windows. People had it as bumper stickers, wore it on shirts, etc. - Jefferson Davis and Henry Clay have several connections to the school, both have male dorms named after them. - Old South Week (part of the KA - Kappa Alpha - fraternity traditions) happened every year I was there. - I saw men wearing Confederate solider uniforms and women wearing their finest hoop skirts walk across the campus to attend a ball. - Every year on at the beginning of Old South Week, around midnight, the KA's lined up across from the women's main dorm, Forrer Hall, and sang their songs, one of which was "Dixie" at the top of their lungs. Every year, I watched the stupidity of the drunken brothers (not all were drunk but a good portion were) sing and chant until campus securit