Spiritual Practices and Mental Health: A Matched Pair   There appears to be a “great gulf fixed” between spiritual practices and mental health. I attempt to merge spiritual practices with mental health. Spiritual practice helped me overcome fear of death. As a 25-year-old pastor I officiated at 58 funerals in one year. Death haunted me day and night. I struggled with inordinate fear of dying. I dreamed of being in the funeral procession headed to a country, cedar-lined cemetery and... Read more

God Has Been Indicted Photo by KATERINA BOLOVTSOVA In 2007, Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers filed a lawsuit against God, accusing the Almighty of “fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues. Lawsuit was dismissed. God doesn’t have a legal address, the presiding judges argued, so he can’t be summoned to appear in court. The atmosphere feels like the courtroom scene in Miracle on 34th Street as the case is made that Santa Claus is not really Santa.... Read more

Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana Vies for Quipster of the Year   What exactly does Senator John Kennedy, of Louisiana do for the state of Louisiana and the nation? Surely, behind the scenes he is a dedicated legislator crafting bills that will provide economic boosts to his state, but in a day where persona trumps policy, where the public image of an elected official matters most, that’s not what the good Senator does. Instead, Kennedy appears to be vying for... Read more

Political Rhetoric Deserves an “F” Image: mytutor-jpn.com As a public speaking professor, I give many political speakers an “F” in public speaking. A major problem is the interminable length of many political speeches. Political candidates now approach the length of sermons from the Puritan era of America. A ninety-minute political speech covering 25 different topics strains the ability of any audience. Therefore, major deduction for length and excess number of subjects covered. As a character in Lisa Alther’s Original Sins... Read more

“The Good News Is Not Good Business”                     centralsaanichtoday.com The Old Testament and Gospel lessons are about God’s business and ours: Jonah 3:10 – 4:11 and Matthew 20:1 – 16. Fred Craddock tells the story of meeting a man named Frank who told Craddock, “I work hard and I take care of my family and I mind my own business.”  People have a real sense of “business.” I’m reminded of the... Read more

  Being an anti-gay church in a nation that has expanded gay rights to include marriage can’t be easy. Maybe this is why such churches go to great lengths to mask the anti-gay position. The marketing departments in anti-gay churches have to work twice as hard in 2023. The majority of Americans favor same-sex marriage, so churches that refuse to marry gays or ordain gays have to be creative in marketing. It is not easy to be anti-gay so sometimes... Read more

When “Liberal Talking Points” Are the Gospel Two gospels are now engaged in a battle for the heart of Christianity: the gospel of the evangelical world and the gospel of progressive Christianity. Russell Moore, editor-in-chief of Christianity Today says, “Multiple pastors tell me, essentially, the same story about quoting the Sermon on the Mount, in their preaching — ‘turn the other cheek’ — church members will ask, ‘Where did you get those liberal talking points?'” Moore revealed. “And what was... Read more

A Map for Leaving MAGA Land Democracy, always a glass house, faces attack from all sides. The attacks are generated by demagogic candidates taking a wrecking ball to democracy. This theme is commonplace in today’s climate of political warfare. Faith in democracy has declined in America, but I believe there is a map for leaving MAGA Land. Here’s the problem: With both sides hurling huge rocks at the “glass house” of democracy, damage is being done beyond the ability of... Read more

How 9/11 Fueled 1/06 Donald Trump’s indictment on charges that he incited the insurrection on January 6, 2021, brings that infamous day back into the vision of the American people. I believe that 1/06 was fueled by destructive tropes that originated after 9/11. The day known only as 9/11, like a famous person with only one name, lives in American memory. The day of 1/06 erupted from the distorted memory and vision of 9/11. Here’s my case for this audacious... Read more

Trump Is the Last White Man to Be President Trump is the last white man – the symbol of the hopes and dreams of white men that they can rule the world once again. The passing of the torch always has an ending – “the last” – followed by a new beginning. Our movies have produced an entire genre of “the last”: The Last of the Mohicans, The Last Man on Earth, The Last Starfighter, The Last Samurai, and  Last... Read more