Faith Challenges: It Ain't All Comfort

We celebrate the birth of a nation this month. For some, it is such an important a celebration as to compete with their Christian faith. For others, it is even more important than their faith. Others cannot see a difference between one and the other. Celebrating a national holiday is not a problem. Confusing a national holiday with Christianity, however, raises all sorts of flags. One church I served had a rotating system of who was in charge of special music for the month. I was not kept in the loop, but for the most part, that was not an issue. Then one Sunday around July 4th, the special music for the service began with the national anthem. Okay, no big deal, at least the anthem made some reference to God. Then the music continued. The choir sang the anthems for each branch of the US military, including the Coast Guard, followed by a medley of armed services anthems. By the time the special music was over, the time frame allotted for worship was over. It had taken up more ...

I was given a new title recently. It was not one I had ever expected to receive. I’ve had lots of titles over the years. I’ve been minister of music. I’ve been evangelism director. I’ve been Sunday school teacher. I’ve been summer missionary. I’ve been youth leader. I’ve been seminarian. I’ve been church planter. I’ve been pastor. I’ve been professor. I’ve been missionary. I’ve been guest lecturer. I’ve been interpreter. Over the years, I have been licensed to preach twice. I’ve been ordained. I’ve been commissioned six times. I’m currently in the process of having my ordination recognized by another denomination. While I have embraced those events setting me apart for Christian service, I can’t say any of those events quite measure up to the new title I was recently given. A couple of weeks ago, I was at a family-friendly drag show. It was not the first time. Since helping Union County, NC host its first Pride festival last year, I have been around a company of drag que...

I tend to think I’m a pretty loving guy. I tend to see myself as compassionate, caring, and kind. I tend to view myself as accepting of differences, seeking the best in people, and defending those who are oppressed. I tend to understand myself as interest in justice, in equity, in working to meet the needs of all persons. I tend to consider I’m a rather good guy. On the other hand, I don’t believe I measure up to the character of God as presented in Christ Jesus. I’m pretty sure I have a lot of room for growth, for better understanding, for recognizing injustice within my own life and attitudes. Yeah, so I’m not perfect. The love and grace of God have not yet taken over my life and   completely  eradicated selfishness, pettiness, and unloving attitudes toward others. God’s still working on me and leading me toward what John Wesley called Scriptural holiness. I don’t know anyone who would consider me perfect. Well, there is a part of me that wants people to think...

At last night's city council meeting, the last speaker in the public comments portion mentioned she had never heard a rationalization for why it is important that children have access to drag story hour and family-friendly drag shows. Interestingly, three parents had just mentioned how a drag event had been a significant turning point in their children's lives as they found a community of acceptance where they could be themselves. Story hour is about reading books on inclusion and celebrating the worth of all amid all our differences. That is a very important message for children. It is especially important in a context rampant with bullying over disabilities, race, ethnicity, language, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Story hour does not sexualize children. Most children have no clue that the entertainer dressed up in a wild outfit is anything other than the character being portrayed. We do sexualize constantly as we ask preschoolers about the...

I constantly hear people quoting the refrain, “Love the sinner; hate the sin.” It makes for a great bumper sticker, especially as it is about as deep as one. The problems with the statement run a whole lot deeper than the thickness of a bumper sticker. It’s really bad theology and a distortion of Jesus’ message. Yes, I know the Bible tells us to avoid sin and in no way to encourage it. Yes, I know we are to keep ourselves above reproach. Yes, I know that sin is not pleasing to God. The problem is the other things I happen to know. To start with, “God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world.” Secondly, if we back up two chapters in John’s gospel, we find Jesus empowering everyone receiving him to become children of God. In becoming children of God, the only sin that is relevant is one’s rejecting Jesus, rather than receiving him. In fact, when Jesus speaks with Nicodemus, sin is not part of the discussion. When Jesus speaks with the woman at the well in Sychar...

Words and rhetoric have more power than we tend to allow. The Ancient Hebrews understood words to have a life of their own. They considered speech to be creative and to act upon the world. A word spoken cannot be recalled, and it lives on beyond its hearing. We don’t seem to agree very much with that notion. It would seem we have come to a place where what is said or written has little or no meaning or importance of its own, much less living on beyond a first expression. At some point, however, words are indeed creative. They not only express ideas, they also work to create a new reality. “Stranger danger!” “Go back where you came from!” “We don’t want their kind around here!” “Stand your ground!” “Don’t talk to strangers!” “Terrorist threat.” “Yankee, go home!” “Protect our borders!” “It’s a matter of national security.” “It’s a dangerous world out there.” “They are coming for your kids!” We are inundated by messages that promote fear of others, portraying them as th...

Pride month is not about celebrating sexuality. Pride is not about promoting sin. Pride is not about deviant behavior, pedophilia, sexual violence, or destroying the family. Pride is not about celebrating behavior of any kind. Pride is about celebrating people--people who often find themselves ostracized, harmed, and excluded for being true to themselves. Pride is about recognizing some of the vast array of diversity in human life and experience. Pride is about seeing everyone as worthy of love, acceptance, grace, belonging, and those things needed for survival and living without fear. Pride is about everyone being welcomed at the table and seated as equals. Pride is about getting past willful ignorance about people whose experience is not our own. Pride is about moving past received stereotypes and prejudices. Pride is about being seen and valued. Pride is about seeing and valuing. If I...