Incoherent Ramblings of an Insane Pastor

Where Everybody Knows Your Name by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo Making your way in the world today  Takes everything you've got;  Taking a break from all your worries  Sure would help a lot.  Wouldn't you like to get away?  All those night when you've got no lights,  The check is in the mail;  And your little angel  Hung the cat up by it's tail;  And your third fiance didn't show;  Sometimes you want to go  Where everybody knows your name,  And they're always glad you came;  You want to be where you can see,  Our troubles are all the same;  You want to be where everybody knows your name.  Roll out of bed, Mr. Coffee's dead;  The morning's looking bright;  And your shrink ran off to Europe,  And didn't even write;  And your husband wants to be a girl;  Be glad there's one place in the world  Where everybody knows your name,  And they...

There was a time when the church was the community meeting place, the  elementary school and center of social activities. A politician without a church affiliation would most likely lose an election. I don't believe that the church has ever been perfect, but it was respected and it's influence was broad. Without making this an incredibly long post about the myriad of causes, let me start with this statement. Christianity seems to be losing it's influence in society. Atheism is at an all time high. The separation of church and state has been used to pull any reference of God out of our government, schools and public places. Opinions of moral values are quickly branded as intolerance. In an effort to “stem the tide”, conservative Christians have engaged in this culture war. Picketing abortion clinics, taking a stand against homosexual marriage, and rallying for morality legislations, conservatives have drawn lines in the sand on several fronts. They are losi...

This week I watched two different news stories about people who have had a huge impact on the world. The media tends to focus on the negative. When we see something positive, maybe we should take note. Many times we can see the hand of God. Sir Nicholas Winton http://www.cbsnews.com/news/saving-the-lives-of-669-children/ In the months before WW2, Nicholas Winton spent a two weeks vacation in Czechoslovakia that saved the lives of 669 children. With little support from any government or organizations, he stepped up and did what he could do. His work went almost unnoticed because he never talked about it. He never looked for fame because he was just doing the right thing. Even at over 100 years old, he is still building nursing homes and taking care of people who need help. Mitch Albom http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/mitch-albom-on-the-intersection-of-life-and-death/ Mitch Albom, a sports writer, connected with his high school coach who was battling a term...

Last Sunday was Palm Sunday. Every year, when I read the part about Jesus riding on the young donkey, my mind wanders off the topic of the triumphal entry and I think more about the donkey. I know that's odd. Everyone else thinks of people shouting, “Hosanna!” or throwing coats and palm branches, or the people who tried to quiet the crowd. I'm thinking of the donkey. I guess it's the situation that was forced on the poor thing. Everything about that day is bad for a colt donkey. One day he's chillin' with his mom at his home, the next minute someone he doesn't know is untying him and taking him away. Then, even though no one has ever sat on him before, someone throws a blanket on him then they proceed to mount a full grown man on his back. Then he is led down a road lined with crazy screaming people waving clothing and plants in his face. And he's expected to be calm and obey. I don't think that is part of the donkey personality....

My wife and I had a conversation the other day. She was telling me of a knitting site that was really well done ( Ravelry  for you knitting junkies out there).  Anyway, she was telling me that although the site has millions of followers, there are groups that you can join within the site. Some are for people who prefer wool and some are for cotton lovers. Some are for people who knit for children and some are for people who knit for charity. Her viewpoint was that in such a large sample of people from all over the globe, it was natural to group up along likes and dislikes. Then she said something pretty deep. She compared it to the body of Christ. We have one belief in Christianity, that God loves us and sent His Son to die for us. But in that large group we have many different groups of preferences and beliefs. Some prefer casual church and some prefer liturgy. Some are comfortable following strict rules and some are more relaxed. There is nothing wrong with variet...

My beliefs are probably closest to evangelical Christian. (Try not to paint me as a wacko.)  So my kids have similar beliefs. They are working on it daily, just like we all should. Both of them went to a state college and are Science majors. I love their attitude of inclusion of others, never looking down on others because they believe differently. That attitude is a must for a major university. One of my daughters told a story of a class where a professor challenged the (200) students to prove him wrong on an issue of science vs religion. The class, including my daughter sat silent.  Kathrynthetwin I'm sure many left feeling defeated by their silence. I'm sure the professor felt all tingly superior that he dumbfounded the Christians. But there is a huge problem. Too many people think you can't believe in God and science. And furthermore, too many Christians try to make Christianity fit into current scientific thought. I believe there will always be knowledge b...

Fasting  If you ask the average Joe on the street if he knows anything about Lent, the majority will talk about “giving up something” or fasting some type of food or fasting on a particular day. It's so popular that restaurants actually advertise their fish options during Lent. Have you noticed the number of fast food places that are pushing fish sandwiches? Traditional fasting is denying yourself food for a period of time. The purpose is to deny the physical and focus on the spiritual. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before starting out in ministry (Matthew 4). He was so hungry that Satan actually used bread as a temptation. Jesus kept his spiritual focus and responded to each temptation with scripture. But what about alms-giving and why tie it to fasting? If you fast and give up red meat, only to replace it with a meal that consist of a 1200 calorie Filet-O-Fish combo, or give up sweets and use 15 packs of aspartame, I don't think you...

During the Season of Lent, the emphasis of the early church was of repentance, fasting, prayer and giving alms. This was all to prepare for the Easter Celebration. So let's look at the emphasis on repentance. Repentance is simply a change of direction of the heart. If you are living solely for yourself and your own pleasure, God is calling you to repent or change that direction and head towards Him. There are many places where repentance is emphasized in scripture. Jonah (tiny little book in the Old Testament) Jonah was a prophet who was tasked by God to deliver a message to the city of Nineveh. The message was to give them a choice. Repent from their wicked ways or face judgment and destruction. Jonah was a somewhat unwilling prophet, but he finally realized how important the message was to God. The message was delivered and the city changed. God is serious about the message of repentance, but it has to sink into our hearts before it can change anyone around us....

What it's not. It's not Biblical. There are no stories in the Bible of the season of Lent. No character ever said that he's giving up something for Lent. There's no passage that says, “Thou shalt observe Lent!” It's also not Roman Catholic. Although it is mostly only observed in liturgical churches, it isn't exclusive to them. It's not voodoo for Evangelical Protestants to observe. No one's going to revoke your church membership or tie you up and drop you off at the nearest Episcopal church. It's also not just about giving up stuff and having someone rub ashes on your forehead. Even though that is the only thing you may have been exposed to. It's much deeper than that. What it is. I believe it is Beneficial. And I do believe it is Biblical in the way that it is rooted in Biblical truths. Everyone can use a seasonal reminder of self sacrifice, giving, and prayer. In fact, it is so rooted in those truths that it should b...

I Believe. I believe in an infinite, all powerful, timeless, perfect God. I know that this is sometimes an unpopular thing. It does not, nor will it ever, make “logical” sense. But, if I choose to believe in God, I don't want a god with limitations. I want a BIG God. First I believe God is infinite. By definition that means He is beyond the ability of a finite mind to comprehend. He is beyond the ability of a finite vocabulary to describe. The whole science vs religion debate is foolish. Science is our understanding of the world around us. If one could write a definitive scientific proof of God, you would have to have a God that is small enough to be defined by our vocabulary and understanding. I don't want that small of a God. Theology is our feeble effort to describe an infinite God. It is not science. It's a way to put a “handle” on your beliefs. A way to resolve the infinite in a finite mind so you can sleep at night. I believe that God love...

Is it natural to revive a blog that's been this dead? Well we're going to plug up the electrodes and give it a jolt. Hopefully, when we finish we can do a song and dance. I'm already writing the next post. This is just a start to get the new Template together. Get your torches and pitchforks ready.