The World's Okayest Pastor

Congratulations Class of 2015 and also to your families.  You've  made it to the finish line of high school. Next week you will receive your diplomas and will be officially adults by all standards. You’ll get the speeches that include hearing “The Giving Tree” and other stories to inspire you as you go about what the future holds for you. And while I could use this time to read you one of those inspirational stories, I’m not.           Instead I’m going to boil it all down for you. Our hopes, dreams and prayers for you all are really this; that you all will be decent human beings in all that you say, do and be. That  doesn't  seem to be that big of a task. But when we look back at scripture, the accounts of people trying to live a life that is faithful and aligns with God’s purpose for creating us, we see that it’s harder then we think. Ecclesiastes reminds us that there are times for everything. You will be c...

Scripture readings are Acts 4:32-35 and  1 John 1: 1-2:2           So what do you hear or think about when we look at these scripture readings? Usually with the Acts reading, people think of Communism, not the China/North Korea version of it. But true, real communism, where everyone is taken care of and has what they need. Most folks don’t react very well with this concept today, especially in Western society because we've all earned what we have and if you don’t have what you need then you’re not trying hard enough. Let’s face it we've all had those thoughts running through our heads when we see someone asking for change or when you get in a line behind someone who’s using WIC to buy milk, juice, formula and other basic items and the cashier has no idea how to ring it up in the computer system so you have to wait a few minutes longer. Isn't it interesting how fast we jump to assume that these people have...

            I am convinced that there are not many new ideas coming out. For the most part, folks take what already exists and put it in new packaging or reword a phrase or two and then say it’s new. Think about your cell phones. We’re bombarded with constant ads that we need new ones that are better somehow. Really it’s the same thing, just coming out of a new box.             At times, when we follow the Church year it feels like there’s nothing new. We move from one thing to the next because, as the Church, it’s what we do. The Church  doesn't  really think of time like we do in our everyday lives. Generally, we think of time in a linear fashion; there’s a beginning, middle and end. So it’s already a shift in thinking when the Church year, although it technically does have a beginning (first Sunday of Advent) and end (Christ the King Sunday), is a circle. With a perfect circle ...

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...

Below is my contribution to the annual devotional booklet for Light a Candle for Children Prayer Vigil. Clearly I'm way behind in posting this but here it is. Friday, October 10, 2014 Seeing More than Stumbling Blocks Jeremiah 6:21 There are days I struggle to get tasks completed because I don’t understand them. It’s a blessing when one of the church children come up and magically move things or hit a button and things just work. Children see more than stumbling blocks and make a difference because they believe that they can do anything. They haven’t heard society tell them what/who they are or are not yet. Children have a unique way of seeing a different perspective. Jeremiah addressed God’s people, who often refused to change their hearts and see differently. It’s not the most loving thing to put a stumbling block in our way. But sometimes blocks help us to slow down and re-evaluate the situation. The Church has the blessing of children to let us see things in ne...

As a pastor, I get asked a lot of questions about a lot of things. Often times, folks ask me questions that I can't answer. It's not that I don't want to or that I don't have my personal opinions. It's that there are just some things that I can't give an answer too. It's those universal questions - why me, why did this happen, why now, why? I wish I could provide answers for folks because usually by the time someone comes to me asking these questions they're in a place of deep searching - a yearning for answers. Often times these questions are triggered by a major life event: divorce or break up of a significant relationship, death, major illness, violence, just to name a few. Please know that I ask these questions right along with you too. While I believe that God is in these situations, that doesn't mean I'm not hurt, upset, bothered, angered by these things. The latest funeral I performed was for a sweet member of my church. While they had hea...