I’m very proud of my association with the United Church of Christ. As a Christian denomination, we tend to be a bit different from other denominations. We are rooted in the Christian tradition. We strive to be radically inclusive of people and their life experience. While we don’t always get… Read More »The Arrogant Preacher
It was news that had been anticipated and hoped for in the scientific community. On July 4, 2012, it was made official: with 99.99% statistical certainty, the presence of the Higgs boson was identified. The Higgs is a particle whose presence enables other particles to have mass. Mass is an… Read More »The Higgs Boson, God, and Belief
July 4: Independence Day. The people of the United States remember the events that culminated n 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Primarily written by the humanist Unitarian, Thomas Jefferson, the famous words of the declaration have become the hallmark of patriotism for citizens of the United… Read More »The Pursuit of Happiness: Thoughts for Independence Day 2012
The question caught me by surprise. It’s not that I hadn’t thought that people would have this question. It’s just that after more than 30 years in ministry, no one had ever asked me this question. It was simple, straight-forward, and a bit unnerving. The question: why should I care… Read More »Why Care About the Bible?
It’s not uncommon for people to associate spirituality with positive feelings and an optimistic outlook on life. Words often connected with spirituality include peace, healing, wholeness, happiness, contentment, and fulfillment. Through spiritual practice, we hope to experience peace, healing, wholeness, happiness, contentment, and fulfillment. However, it doesn’t always work that… Read More »Spirituality and Difficult Times in Life
If you’ve ever spoken to someone who is part of a 12-step program, one of the things you’ve most likely been told is that it’s a spiritual program. The founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill W. and his companions, came from rather traditional Christian backgrounds but wanted to move beyond the… Read More »They Say It’s a Spiritual Program
Over recent weeks, as I read the headlines, I’ve been very confused by the message preached by some Christian pastors. They read the same Bible I do. How do they reach such very different conclusions from me? I’ve been stunned by the number of headlines that report Christian ministers preaching… Read More »Preaching Hatred and Violence
Anyone who’s attended Catholic school from a certain era has at least a few good stories to tell. Having graduated from both a Catholic grade school and high school, there are more than a few memories that fall into the category of, “They didn’t actually do that, did they?” At… Read More »The Intersection of Science and Spirituality
