Inappropriate Conversations

129: Biblical Literacy

 "I love to tell the story" is a true statement whether the phrase ends "of Jesus and his love" like the hymn or with a disturbing denouement. Through parables or pure mythology, or even by the legends of the locker room, telling stories is crucial part of how we communicate. The best-selling book of all time is full of stories that we've historically taken for granted. What will become of our culture if many of us forget what those accounts relate?

Different Drummer: Steve Reich

130: Minding Your P's and Q's, part 3

Time to respond to feedback, formally, for the third time. The P's and Q's are your points and questions: excellent ideas for me to consider ... hopefully with adequate answers. Thanks!

Different Drummer: Richard Matheson

Walk The Earth 3

Whether a sermon is fundamentally the sharing of Word and Witness?

128: Proud To Know You

Pride 48 is the weekend of September 6th this year in Las Vegas. I would love to be there, but I can't. Even as recently as a year ago, I'd never considered attending an GLBT pride event before. Why would I, I could have said, not being gay? That, and questioning if there are better ways to defend people from discrimination than going to a meet-up. On the other hand, the absolute best way to tell someone "I am proud to know you, just as you are, and to continue our interactions because I anticipate my esteem of the person you will become" is in person. Face to face. I am proud to know you.

Different Drummer: Janet of CToBM

Walk The Earth 2

Whether the church is a building and the traditions built there?

127: The Sin of Silence

Elie Wiesel once said: "I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." I believe I've received similar direction in answered prayer. Too often, though, Christians are silent in the face of bullying and marginalization of those on the other side of privilege. More often than we'd like to admit, Christians join the oppressors. All of this is sinful, the log in our eyes that stops us from clearly seeing others, must less serving them as Jesus taught and demonstrated.

Different Drummer: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

wte1

Whether membership at a local church is as eternal as being part of the body of Christ?