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A Conservative Argument Against Capital Punishment
First of all, let me be clear. This is not a political argument. What I mean by that is that I don’t intend to argue against capital punishment from a political standpoint. To me, this is a theological argument. As a person of faith, as a Christian, I think capital punishment is abhorrent. And as I…
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More on the Bible & Homosexuality
I’ve been pretty clear previously on my stance around issues of homosexuality. See one of my earlier posts on the subject here. I continue to be outspoken. And I will not be silent. And I’m not alone. So why do I choose to continue to speak out? A 2009 book by Dr. Jack Rogers (Professor…
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Bible-Based Sermons
There seem to be two basic ways that preachers organize their sermons. One group is “topical,” taking a topic and using several scripture texts to support it. The other is “textual,” taking one scripture text and exploring how it applies to the world today. Do you prefer one to the other? I do…
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Being More Christian: Loving the LGBT Community
I’ve been a member of a church my whole life. My grandfather was a pastor, his brother was a pastor, and there were others before them. And now I’m a pastor. I serve a fairly large church in Grand Island, Nebraska. The good life. On a stick. I’m also a United Methodist. My grandfather &…
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What Happened to Miracles?
All four of the Gospels tell a story of Jesus feeding thousands of people with an incredibly small about of food. How did he do it, and where are his miracles today?
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Jesus Loves Gay Porn Stars
Yup. I said it. Jesus loves gay porn stars. And what’s more, I believe it! A friend, classmate, and author named Steven Luff gave me a T-shirt just the other day with that saying on it, and it made me think. Just how far does Jesus’ love go? Is it possible that Jesus could really…
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Wesley’s Quadrilateral & Arizona’s Immigration Law
Wesley’s Quadrilateral is applied to the recently signed immigration law in Arizona…
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Podcast: 5th Sunday after Easter, 2010
Here’s a conversation I had with three UMC clergy from the Cal-Pac Conference on the upcoming Lectionary scripture. The verses can be read at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Voices heard are Rev. Krista Givens, Rev. Molly Vetter, Rev. J. Dan Lewis, and me! This is a “first-attempt” episode, so if you like it please forward a link to…