As a pastor I know that we can sometimes become too familiar with a passage of Scripture or the observance of a Holy Day. We can fall into the error of over analyzing or the converse error of assuming the congregation already knows this stuff and they require no analysis. It is helpful to hear how others have treated a subject. I make this offering of meditations on the seven last words of Christ not with expectation that others will duplicate it, but that others will build on it and make it better.

Update: On 22 March the Council of Bishops rescinded their call for a 2021 General Conference. I expected they would have challenged the 2022 GC. At least one of the two was going away. In my informed opinion, and consistent with the ongoing conduct of the Council of Bishops, it is still just as likely that 2022 will be canceled. The Commission which set the date included caveats that might postpone it, and there are possible Disciplinary challenges as to whether the Commission has the authority to set an off-year date or if that is the sole jurisdiction of the Council of Bishops.

This 1983 publication is back in print…and for only $7.95. A few years ago I published excerpts from the book after being unable to get any reply from the last known publisher. Since the book is now available (and at a ridiculously low price) I have removed those posts. Here is how I introduced At Noon on Friday at that time.

There are saints of the Church whose life and words have healed many wounded souls and guided multitudes safely to heaven’s shore. Perhaps in the world to come they are the equivalent of Medal of Honor winners in spiritual warfare or Nobel Prize recipients for eternal peacemaking. Too often, however, in this world their good name and inspirational words are interred with their bones. This ought not be the case — especially for Rev. Hoefler.

Continue reading “At Noon on Friday, Dr Carl Hoefler” →

If you follow this site then you are likely aware of these books and maybe already own them. If you need one more voice to say you won’t find a better use of a $20 bill…this is it.

(Update: Since the post, I have returned my Twitter account to unprotected status.)

The purpose of this post is to respond to Twitter inquiries or complaints by referencing this link in my Twitter replies. The ability to insert a link is preferable to the tedious redundancy of long threads. Consistent with my method of rule making it does not require how you must think, speak, and act. It explains how I hope to think, speak, and act…when I am at my best.

On how Christians ought not allow their words to be controlled by any Worldly Power, and how every Christian ought to be multilingual—fluent in both the language of the World and the language of the Church.

Whatever crisis we awaken to this morning…war, pandemic, climate change, economic collapse, or whatever the world may bring…if we look about to our neighbors in this modern world for answers then we are looking to people who are in the throes of the same enigma as we are. Ask me how to respond to the pandemic and I will offer you whatever words of direction I can, but understand that I am standing in the same fog as you. Such is always the case when we look to modern writers to find solutions to modern problems.

On how Christians ought not allow their words to be controlled by any Worldly Power, and how every Christian ought to be multilingual—fluent in both the language of the World and the language of the Church.

On January 6 I thought it might be helpful to offer a small commentary through social media on the great divide between us. I was wrong. I deactivated my Twitter account and removed its share button from this site. I went silent on Facebook. From January 7 to this day I have not read or watched one news story. That is the privilege of a hermit preacher.

Continue reading “Church, American Politics, Lent” →