Postmodern Renaissance Culture Revolutionary

It isn’t easy reading the news. It isn’t easy to sit down at a table with a mixed group of people. It isn’t easy to share things on social media. The reason? Because politics seasons all of these. And sometimes, the seasoning is off putting. Have you ever put salt in a dish when sugar was called for? That is how some conversations go these days. I think it is time to make some declarations about my politics. One, so others can judge me by my own position. Two, so I can look back on this and see development and change. Three, just so I can get a few things off my chest. I don’t affiliate with a single political party or platform. Republicans and Democrats can’t agree within their own party on what they think is important. The two party system has limited the true freedom of expression and a realistic representation of all people in this nation. We are convinced that these two parties are the only “real” way government can be run. Strangely, the two we have are not the two we ha...

While I was sitting in morning meditation, preparing for the Sunday busyness, I was struck by a thought. Was it God? I'll let you judge. But if it was God's voice speaking, let me caution you, dear reader: don't listen to it  - God will only get you into trouble. The thought that came to me was a paraphrase of a familiar passage of Jesus dealing with someone. 16  And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17  And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18  He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19  Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20  The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21  Jesus said to him, “If yo...

This post reflects my personal opinion and only that. It is not an effort to convince anyone to accept my point of view. It is not intended to be directed at any person I know personally. I'm done with the gun rights argument. The assassination of concert goers in Las Vegas (where two of my step-cousins were attending) was the straw that broke this camel's back. The shooting in Parkland, Florida where 17 students and staff were killed sealed the deal for me. I can't accept that unlimited rights and access to guns is a legitimate position. My background is intertwined with guns. I grew up with BB and pellet guns. I have been hunting. I love guns. In college, I was part of a cowboy gunfighting group that performed around Oklahoma. At some level, I wished to have served in the military. I can shoot with some accuracy. I am not afraid of guns. I have field dismantled and reassembled an M-16 and M-60. I would have loved to have owned guns, including assault style weapons, th...

October 1, 2017 I preached a sermon that concluded my series on Sharing Your Faith Story. The final sermon was Living a True Story. It is about the final step in sharing with another person the reason for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. The point was that if we are saying that Jesus Christ is lord of our life and all things are centered in him, and we have a  hope that gets us beyond the difficulties of life, then our living must bear that out. How we live, our behavior, matters in telling and sharing our faith story. Due to emotional issues that came to a head, the sermon and the response to the sermon got beyond my control. There were some issues that developed. There were some emotional burdens that I took upon myself that weren't necessarily mine to bear. And I wrecked my soul. I am working to be better now. But I still stand by the sermon. I stand by its word as prophetic and Holy Spirit inspired. It is not easy to hear. It is easier to read. So I am presenting bo...

One week ago, I got some strong affirmations for a sermon I preached on Christians and Protest. In that sermon, I stressed that there are times when Christians need to raise their voice in protest against or for certain subjects. There were very strong affirmations about that sermon. Stronger than I typically receive. It was nice. It also told me that it was a likeable sermon. Yesterday I preached an unlikeable sermon. I decided to narrow in on one subject that the Bible consistency tells the people of God they should be attentive of. It is a subject that God protests about. It is a subject that is highlighted in the commandments and statutes of the Covenant. It is a subject that the prophets hold the people of God accountable for. It is something Jesus refers to in his ministry. It is something that the letter writing apostles bring to the attention of Christians. The subject that God protests and expects Christians to protest about is how the poor are treated. Due to an elect...

Am I a Conservative or Liberal? Am I a Republican or a Democrat? Am I Pro-Life or Pro-Choice? With all of the latest posts that are hitting the internet, some people may wonder where I draw the line that defines my stance. Well, I want to point out where my line is drawn. The easy answer to the questions above is YES. Let me give you some background. I was born to a family to moved due to my dad's Air Force stations. I was born in California. My sister was born in the Philippines. The first home I remember was in Wichita, Kansas. I grew up in southeastern Oklahoma. I saw a lot of the world early in life. I don't remember much about it. My memories don't kick in until we lived in Wichita. But I was exposed at an early age to different places and cultures and races. In Wichita, my parents divorced. My dad disappeared from my life. My mom worked hard to make a living for us. We weren't rich by any stretch of imagination. We always had a roof over our head and sup...

This morning, I was apprised of an article of legislation that has come before the Oklahoma House of Representatives Public Health Committee. HB1441 was tabled previously, but now comes up for consideration in committee. The substance of this bill would make it a law in Oklahoma that a woman must seek permission from the possible father of an unborn child to be aborted. This bill would also allow a man who was named as the father of such an unborn child to require a paternity test be performed to prove his sirehood. Here are the points of HB1441: A. No abortion shall be performed in this state without the written informed consent of the father of the fetus. B. A pregnant woman seeking to abort her pregnancy shall be required to provide, in writing, the identity of the father of the fetus to the physician who is to perform or induce the abortion. If the person identified as the father of the fetus challenges the fact that he is the father, such individual may demand that a pater...

They stumbled through the cold night. The trees of the forest did little to stop the snowfall. The journey had been difficult because they could not keep the cold from their finger and toes. The suitcases they carried held the few belongings they were able to gather when they left their home. That was months ago. That was hundreds, thousands, of miles away.  It couldn't be helped. To live in their home would mean death. To escape into an unknown land offered more hope than the certainty they faced if they remained. Their suitcases held all that was left of their home and their life before. "Before" wasn't just a time. It was a way of life. It was a way of life without fear. It was a way of life with some measure of hope. In that time, they were not worried about who hated them. They had plenty of food. They even had jobs that supplied their needs. They had friends and family who could be called upon to laugh or cry together.  Now it was just this little family. ...

We survived another weekend! I don't mean politically. I mean Super Bowl Sunday. I watch the game, but mostly I hang around for 5 hours watching the commercials. This year, I had 1 all around favorite, 3 favorite funnies, and 1 that I want to speak more deeply about. My favorite all around commercial was the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer. I'm a geek and GotG was one of my favorite teams and comics from my early days. The movies have not been faithful to the original storyline (or even the second volume of stories). But the first movie was a lot of fun. I am hoping the trailer is proof that the second movie will be just as fun. My 3 favorite funnies were - the Melissa McCarthy Hero commercials. She attempts to become an environmental activist, trying to be an "eco-warrior" saving whales and trees and polar ice caps, and such. It is full of physical comedy. And being raised with the Three Stooges in the background of my youth, well this was a sure hit for ...

What qualifies someone to speak publicly about their opinion or beliefs or criticism? I have been wondering this in the face of cries for "celebrities" being told to stay out of the political debate. Numerous stars in various entertainment industries are using social media to express frustration, anger, anxieties, and opinion about politics. That seems to be a platform of expression for all people. Even the President chooses to "vent" on Twitter, a limited but widely embraced channel of expression. The pushback against the opinions of celebrities tends to fall into the attitude that they are unqualified to speak into politics. The tone that I have seen used is usually marked by offensive language or examples of behavior that would be unacceptable in civil discourse. Honestly, can you say that you have watched anyone in normal conversation say to the other in that conversation, "Shut up and go back to your own area of experience"? I really don't kno...

The thing that has honestly bound me to a disagreeable disposition is the blind follower-ship of conservative Christians to President Trump. And I mean that in the most critical way. As a pastor who is charged to enter into a community and see to its spiritual and moral development, I am struggling to find a way to justify the complete acceptance of the man who was elected President by a people defined by their self-identification of Christian. I established in a previous post that I could not allow myself to be considered evangelical any longer because of the overwhelming number of self-identified evangelical Christians who accepted Donald Trump's candidacy. I have continued to struggle with the overwhelming fan-boy like acceptance of his speeches and comments, especially when he utters the word "God". I have fumed and raged at the reaction to people who are standing up for justice and rights of the forgotten, forsaken, and downtrodden. I am struggling to maintain comp...