Blogging for effect
This month is NaBloPoMo. National Blog Posting Month, and NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. The idea in blogging is to post every day. The idea in the writing is to write a 50K novel in one month.
Dealing with the contradictions and challenges of faith, disbelief, and living and dying
This month is NaBloPoMo. National Blog Posting Month, and NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. The idea in blogging is to post every day. The idea in the writing is to write a 50K novel in one month.
Tradition is what you resort to when you don't have the time or the money to do it right.
Labels: Quotes
For the two readers who remain watching this blog - I appreciate your support. Please know, it isn't you, it's me.
Mikey's Funnies offered this today
Someone made a comment in something I paid attention to for a brief moment earlier today. I was watching Bones, and there was a questions asked by Hodgins whether the best Islamic team would beat the best Christian team. It followed a question about Celtics and Lakers, so I went to the basketball world immediately.
Labels: Humor
My dear child, the Bug, has decided to fuse two of the great fads of my time. Wearing clocks and Grillz.


As you may have noticed with the lag in posts I am feeling a little slow and sluggish.
'Cause I got nuthin'
Off to the Men's Fellowship Group at St. Andrew UMC for breakfast this morning. I am taking my daughter, so in one sense she represents the +1 in the title.
Labels: Discipleship, Men's Breakfast
The Youth Group at St. Andrew UMC in Santa Maria is making a comeback.
Labels: Discipleship, Youth
I spoke yesterday on the passage in Mark 9:38-50. In many ways it is the most challenging passage in scripture for me. The great millstone to be hung around my neck should I lead any of the "little ones" astray. I spoke about how when I took things literally, it was very obvious just to give folks a cup of water. I told them by giving them water I had assured my reward in heaven (or been additionally blessed depending on your reading) - cause that's what it says. I then got to talking about how people really weren't taking the whole scripture literally, they were merely taking it literally as they chose. The evidence was a plain as the hand before my face. No one I knew was walking around maimed from having cut off hand, arm or eye or some other body part because it caused them to sin. I reminded them that the scriptures also tell us something deeper. The surface may be easy, but it does get harder. In that way I spoke about the passage where Jesus tells the Disciples it isn't what goes into the mouth that causes us to be unclean, but what comes out for it comes from the heart. And so it is with all sin, that it comes from our hearts and our minds. Our body parts don't cause us to sin. But, if I carry the logic out then I must cut my heart and mind out. Paul even tells us to have our hearts circumcised. We are given several commandments - the Great Commandment, and the others: to baptize, to teach them to obey, to cast out demons, to heal the sick, to care for those in prison. Water was a sign of hospitality, as are the commandments, they bring us back to community. We are not to run off those that do not do things our way, even if they are sinners to us (and yes I included adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, liars and the like by name, as well as running a denominational list before them), because Christ has called them to do things in his name as well. As long as they are doing so, they are not against us, but for us. So, if you want to take things literally, begin by giving some water.
Labels: Scripture, Sermon Notes, Theology
I was once one of those who took the Bible literally. Pretty quickly I realized that I could not do so with any amount of integrity. I found passages that contradicted each other, and so I could justify those that directly override another passage, but then I get left with those that just plain contradict each other. (oh, gee, really, some of you want examples - sure now you throw that at me [sarcasm] I may have to come up with those for you)
Labels: Bible, Scripture, Sermon Notes
Maybe you have noticed that most of my blogs of late would qualify as Tweets in Twitter as well. I could take the cut and paste pieces and just add the shortened URL to the post.
Labels: Life, Miscellaneous
...belongs to someone else.
An Open Invitation to the People of the United Methodist Church
If you believe that Jesus Christ is the center of our Faith and that all of life flows from life in him…
If you believe that what unites us in Jesus Christ is greater than any difference that may separate us…
If you believe that we as Christ-followers need to recapture the gift of Christian Conversation…
If you believe that the Holy Scripture is best understood in light of the life, teaching death and resurrection of Jesus…
If you believe that we are better together than we are apart…that our strength is in unity not in schism…
If you believe that resurrection is stronger than death, that hope is greater than fear…
If you are tired of the endless arguing about who is in and who is out, who’s acceptable and who’s not…
If you would like to have a conversation about what’s right with the United Methodist Church…
I invite you to a conversation about the matters of our hearts and the desires of our faith…
I invite you to a conversation where we discover those places of vitality and strength…
Some pieces that caught my attention today.
Labels: Community Discourse