The World's Okayest Pastor

 On Friday, June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court ruled, in a 6/3 decision, to repeal Roe v. Wade - the 1973 ruling that federally protected a women's right to full reproductive healthcare, including abortion, on the basis of the right to privacy. I have been fairly quiet on the subject and a few folks have asked me about my thoughts.  First let me address why I took time to respond to this decision. It is not a surprise that I am a Pro Choice, female, ordained clergy person. I have been for over 21 years (yes, my thoughts and perspectives changed a while ago on the subject). I have written countless federal and state legislators, sat in elected people's offices waiting to speak with those elected to represent me, spoken before state legislator committees and hearings, signed petitions, financially supported groups that work hard to ensure a woman's choice to full reproductive healthcare. I have done a lot of work, shared from what feels like my core. Friday's decision, n...

 Dear Nancy Pelosi, I extended this invitation when Catholic Bishops said they would refuse President Biden communion and now I extend it to you. You can have communion with me. I would be happy to share God's love with you around a simple meal that Jesus started.  This invitation to the table, communion, actually doesn't come from me. It comes from God. God extends their grace and love to all. God adds chairs to God's table of love, grace and mercy. I, nor any other person, has the right and/or authority to deny you at God's table.  Thank you for standing up for what you believe regarding women's healthcare. What many American Christians have forgotten is that until roughly the 1950's and 60's many denominations/traditions were pro-choice because life begins at first breath - a very biblical notion. You are fighting for those who are considered the least of these as Jesus tells us to do. So when we meet, I look forward to sharing in a scared act with you th...

I often leave the TV on for my dog when I leave the house. Yesterday, a TV preacher came up on the screen. I usually don't pay that much attention as I'm leaving but his words (of course it's an old, white man, telling us what the Bible says) struct me and made me sad that this was the teaching being shared with a large audience.  The preacher kept saying that "God loves you but 'he' loves the faithful more." "God loves you but 'he' loves those fighting for God more." He had a whole litany of these sayings. A few also had the word "but" in them. "God love you but only if..." It was clear that there was a mandate of being their version of Christian. The list made it clear that it was either this or that - an all or nothing to being loved by God.  I cringe at this because if this were the truth about God and God's love - I don't think anyone would be loved by God. Of course, the preacher had all kinds of proof te...

 Another funeral story- I was asked to officiate a funeral for a person who didn't have a church. When the funeral director called to ask me to officiate, I was told that the family had been interesting to work with. The deceased had been taken to a different funeral home and then the living members had some issues with that funeral home. So the funeral director who called me had to go and claim the body off the other funeral homes table. This is not something that funeral directors want to do. Then I was told that the family is having issues with each other and was being fairly demanding. Not unusual.  When I met with the family, at the funeral home, I was told that they didn't really need "all that religious stuff," that a family member had written a song and someone else was reading a poem. Immediately after the service I was told that my services would no longer be needed, and I could leave and not stick around while the casket was prepared to be lowered into the ...

Yesterday I resigned from my current call as pastor. I have been with this congregation for 10 and a half months. When I interviewed, I knew that I would be accepting a position with a congregation that needed to do some work to revitalize itself and that was having some financial issues. But this is 2020/21 and what church isn’t having to discern both of these things? The folks I interviewed with told me of their hopes and dreams about going back to having a full-time pastor in 3-5 years, of restarting Sunday School, of wanting to try new things. They said that they had used the resources provided to them from the conference and that they were committed and just needed guidance. And while I want to believe that they were being honest during the interview process, the congregation’s behaviors tell a different story. Much was left up to me, and I’ll admit I over function at times so I’m not blameless, and there was no interest in people wanting to do the work. Sunday School: asking fo...

The following story is true. Names have been changed to protect individuals. For a Maundy Thursday service, I decided to move worship to the fellowship hall so we could have a meal during worship. As part of the service, we read scripture to move us through the events of the night as recorded in the Gospels. There were 12 readings throughout the service/meal so I had 12 candles lit on the table. As different readings were completed, someone was asked to extinguish a candle close to them. Because this was a new format for the service, the bulletins were printed differently. We started the service and get to the opening prayer. As I'm mid prayer, one congregant starts yelling the name of  another. I keep praying because I have no idea what's going on. I'm looking at people trying to figure out what's happening. This congregant never yells and definitely wouldn't be yelling at this person. Finally my congregant realizes we need more direction then him just yelling a na...

It's June 24, 2021 and I just want to say "Oh Church People!" The current president of the USA, Joe Biden, is a devote and practicing Roman Catholic. Bishops in the Catholic church are in serious discussion about whether or not they will deny Biden communion, one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. This is because although Biden, personally does not believe in abortion, he refuses to sign federal laws banning all abortion and other restrictive means for women's healthcare. Biden is demonstrating a founding principal of the USA - separation of Church and State and demonstrating that religious freedom means that all faith expressions and that one fraction of a particular tradition doesn't speak for the whole tradition (I speak for my own faith perspective and no one else's just like the the Catholic Church doesn't speak to my faith perspective). What I find so interesting is that the sacrament (ordinance in some traditions) of communion was insti...