by Greg | Mar 18, 2015 | Blog Posts, Uncategorized
A week or so ago many were amused, some outraged, and others mystified at the audacity of a pastor’s efforts to raise $65 million for a private jet. Apparently this pastor just skipped over the part in the Bible where Jesus instructed his disciples to, “Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff…” (Matthew 10:9-10) Come to think of it, maybe this pastor found a loophole, because in fairness Jesus makes no mention of airplanes. Pastors often follow the lead of other “successful” pastors, but I am not so audacious as to ask for $65 million for a jet (besides, I am prone to airsickness). I just need $65 for a tire cover for my Jeep. Truth be told, I can afford the tire cover, but I could use some suggestions on what should go on the cover. Maybe “Follow Me to FBC” or “What Would Johnny Cash Do?” Feel free to Facebook or tweet me your suggestions with #namethatcover. I guess we can roll our eyes at such outlandish actions by people of faith who prey on the vulnerable to enrich their lifestyles and do so “in the name of Jesus.” We can share our disgust with one another as well as bemusement. We can, and probably should, squirm a bit at our own complicity to justify some of our outlandish actions done under the banner of Christianity. Or we can be sad. Sad for this pastor so consumed in self-enrichment and self-entitlement that he no longer sees what is...
by Greg | Mar 11, 2015 | Blog Posts, Uncategorized
Have you ever heard of a “Selfie-Stick?” This past Christmas I was surprised with the gift of one, and a favorite one at that! First, for the uninformed, let me explain the term “selfie.” A selfie is a rather new word that refers to taking a self-portrait, usually with one’s phone. Some take pictures of themselves by standing in front of a mirror, which in my opinion is quite strange since the camera is now part of the portrait. The other method – my preferred technique – is to extend the arm holding the camera and click the picture. Many would agree that the longer the arm, according to the rules of perspective, the better the portrait. With a selfie-stick you can take the camera out another couple of feet and actually take a pretty decent selfie that does not look like a selfie. I guess if Jim Walls was using one it would look like a panoramic shot. Now that every other person on the globe has a phone with a camera, the world is awash in selfies. Perhaps we are a nation of narcissists. Or maybe because of technology we feel the need to document everything – and include a self-portrait in the picture. Or maybe we are just lonely and it is nice to see a familiar face at a ballgame, or at a concert, or eating a Tex-Mex combo platter. Maybe I should take my selfie-stick to church this Sunday. I think it would be kind of cool to snap a selfie with all my “peeps” beneath or near the steeple (Am I...
by Greg | Feb 18, 2015 | Blog Posts, Uncategorized
In baptism and through water we are marked by God as one of God’s own. Baptism is the symbol of being born again. On this day Christians around the world are marked with ashes. To be marked with ashes with the sign of the cross is really the only time Christians look distinctive or set apart from others. No one can see your baptism. Wearing a cross means little nowadays since it is now mostly a decorative symbol. Most Christians do not have hats or caps for the head, or veils to cover the face. This one day of the year, all over the world, Christians gather in places of worship to be smudged, right there in the middle of the forehead. Why? We are marked for penitence: Not a one of us will leave here unscathed by sin. It gets to us all. We mark others with our failures and fears and we too become victims bearing the scars of hurt and pain – some you see but most you do not. We are fooled into thinking that sin is a private matter, between us and God. Sin nearly always affects those around us. We are here together, tonight as a family. This whole business of being marked by ashes got started centuries ago when sinners were singled in the public in order for them to be brought back into the church. The trouble is once you start marking every sinner with ash, not a person is left out, no not one. “Ash Wednesday is the most honest of days.” (Christian Century,...
by Greg | Feb 16, 2015 | Blog Posts, Uncategorized
To The Field of Stars: A Pilgrim’s Journey to Santiago De Compostela, by Kevin A. Codd Told from the perspective of a Catholic Priest, this book recounts a thirty-five day pilgrimage across Spain to Santiago de Compostela, the traditional burial place of the apostle James the Greater. Pilgrims, trekkers, cyclists and hikers have traversed this route for hundreds of years. The author allows us to travel with him from village to village as he recounts friendships and insights and discovers changes in his own interior life along the camino (the way). He infuses his pilgrimage with delightful details of some of the places he slept, food he ate, and the scenery along the way. Along the camino he shares his admiration of some of the great architecture of the cathedrals and churches he encounters, confessing, “I gawk at Gothic but I pray in Romanesque.” Elsewhere he reminds us of the gift of authentic welcome that blesses him in surprising ways. “Hospitality counts for everything; appearances for nothing.” His story is breezily told, but there were places that I felt he bogged down in the telling. Nevertheless if you would like to learn more about this historic pilgrimage from the eyes of a modern pilgrim, I commend this to...
by Greg | Jan 28, 2015 | Blog Posts, Uncategorized
Every town and city has something that caters to the tourist. In my little hometown of Eatonton, GA, you can take a brief (and I mean brief) tour of the Uncle Remus Museum and purchase some sweet, Brer Rabbit swag. Right here in Augusta for one special week thousands upon thousands gobble up anything marked by “The Masters Tournament.” Recently I was in the city of San Antonio for a small conference. During a break I walked down to the Alamo to do some site seeing as well as look for trinkets to bring back home. In one shop filled with gaudy and goofy souvenirs there was a display of nativity sets, with the following sign: Don’t take baby Jesus Please, it is a set. Thank You Apparently pilfering baby Jesus is a problem near the Alamo. Thinking about this some more, there is a deeper truth than just defending a shopkeeper’s merchandise. If you take Jesus, you have to take everyone that comes with Jesus. In a culture we are used to customizing nearly all things towards our personal taste and nearly everything can be reduced to a commodity. Jesus, however, comes as is and along with Jesus comes a family of people that many would rather leave out. Reading the Gospels Jesus brought along Samaritans and Canaanites who were ethnically and religiously on the “wrong side of the tracks.” He associated with despised tax collectors, prostitutes, and other unsavory characters. Jesus reached across the cultural divide and gave women hope, the diseased healing, and the neglected life. Because of this Jesus offended those who wanted...
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