Bob's Blog

This is an abbreviated version of my sermon from Sunday, February 9, 2025, and was based on a portion of Jeremiah 17, verses 5-10.

As I sat in the Starbucks just down the road from the Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia last Monday morning, surrounded by federal workers, I was stunned at the arrogance of the retiree in orange sneakers, sitting behind me.

A young Asian woman waiting for her drink casually said hello, and he responded by returning the hello, and then went on to ask her how she was – that question that we all often ask, but without really wanting an answer! We’ll this woman was a talker, so she DID answer, and then proceeded to share how hard the past week had been for her.

Now I didn’t actually hear her say the words, but before I knew it I heard orange sneaker dude say “I wasn’t raised with any of that DEI stuff! In my day, people were people! Blacks were Blacks, and whites were whites. None of it mattered!”

I looked up from my computer screen, kinda’ stunned! “Really?” I thought! “Because if ‘your day’ was here in America, anytime in the past 400 years, then you’re really showing your ignorance right now!”

You see, if Blacks were Blacks and whites were whites, then why . . .  for example, are the incarceration rates for Black weed users so much higher than for white weed users? In fact, why just last year did a justice department investigation of the Memphis police department reveal that while Blacks and whites use weed at roughly the same rate, the arrest of Blacks for possession and use, was more than 5 times higher than that of whites!

If people were people, then why is home ownership for middle class Black families so much lower than for middle class white families in this country? 44 to 65% to be a little more precise! And why is the infant mortality rate for people of color in this country more than two times as high as for our white population?

And none of it is new! It’s been like this for generations! So exactly ‘what day’ was ‘your day?’

There were actually all kinds of questions that I wanted to ask the orange sneakered  dude, beyond why he was wearing orange sneakers in the first place!  But I didn’t. I just smiled; and at one point I think I may have even chuckled out loud. I didn’t say anything because I’ve learned. I’ve learned that when it comes to our racism  . . . when it comes to Black history . . . when it comes to something like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion . . . well, ignorance doesn’t like facts! And it prefers to ignore truth. 

Now sadly, but not surprisingly, this ignorance seems to be on public display these days, for all the world to see; and in the highest offices of our land. So for the past week, in the midst of all the chaos being thrown at the American people, I’ve read and re-read Jeremiah 17 and concluded that neither Jeremiah, nor the entire nation of Judah, had anything over us when it comes to ‘parched places.’

‘Parched places’ seem to be everywhere today; and not just here in America, but all around the globe. And to be clear, they are not just the result of climate change. Humanity’s lack of care and concern for our environment may explain why the planet is heating up as quickly as it is; but parched places? . . . they exist for reasons that extend way beyond air temperature and the availability of water. Scripture speaks about parched places as those places where the justice, goodness, and beauty of God are absent. Parched places are those places where ignorance, and selfishness, where homelessness, and hunger, abound!  They are places where people are forced to live in fear, and where loneliness, violence, war, and poverty are ever present realities!

Now several prophets actually use this phrase to describe the sinful condition of their people; but Jeremiah was particularly concerned with this ungodly state of affairs. Perhaps that’s why he is referred to as the ‘weeping prophet’, because he knew, and appreciated, the depth of his people’s sin, as well as how the consequences of that sin were going to impact Jerusalem, and the entire nation of Judah! So like all the prophets, Jeremiah is calling HIS people, and ALL of God’s people, to a new way . . . to a better way. And that WAY, is one of groundedness, and growth! That is my take-away from Jeremiah 17. As children of God, we need to be pursuing both groundedness and growth, for ourselves, AND FOR ONE ANOTHER! And because of the world’s selfishness, this last part is particularly important today.

Jesus, and all of Scripture, make it clear that it is not good for us to be alone – that we need one another – that none of succeeds unless all of us succeed – and that we ARE in fact our siblings’ keepers! So why are we being told that this way of thinking is communism, or socialism . . . as if thinking about the well-being of others, or being concerned with the welfare of our neighbors, is akin to one of the most oppressive political systems on the planet! When did it become legitimate to regard caring for others, as communistic, socialistic? I thought it was just the way of Jesus!

In spite of what we are being told by the powers that be today, DEI is about being concerned for everyone in our community, especially those for who have been marginalized, and held back and down for so long. And I’m not just talking about people of color. I’m talking everyone . . . women, people who differently abled, people who may not look like us, or who have different religions! Diversity, equity, and inclusion, are all about making sure that we are on a level playing field, that everyone has a fair shot at living their best life, and that every voice in the room is welcomed and being heard!.

So blaming DEI for the plane crash over the Potomac, as if the pilot had been a man it wouldn’t have happened . . . such thinking is absolutely absurd. The assumption that only men  . . . and it’s actually usually only white men . . . are capable of doing certain jobs . . . friends, that such thinking still exists today should be the only evidence anyone needs that DEI initiatives are vital to the elimination of parched places. For bringing about God’s kindom here on earth is only going to become a reality when ALL people, men AND women, whites AND Blacks, Christians AND Muslims, straight people AND gay people, are grounded in God’s unconditional love and grace, and are given the freedom to grow in their giftedness!

In 2020 people were outraged by Black Lives Matter; and then two years later it was Critical Race Theory that was being targeted. In 2023 and 24 it was all about our need to become ‘anti-woke’; and now, all of a sudden, it’s about being anti-DEI. But in the end, the opposition is all the same – and it’s nothing more than being ‘anti-Black’! . . . which is why we in the faith community have no choice but to be very clear, that Jesus calls us to speak up, and to speak out, and reject these, and any attempt to further movements that would continue to marginalize people of color, women, or any other minority group in this country.

Parched places abound today; and so we in the Body of Christ are called to seek groundedness and growth, for ourselves AND for others. And that’s not socialism, or communism. It’s called being being humane; and it’s called being like Jesus!

DEI is not destroying America. It was not the cause of the plane crash over the Potomac. It’s not leading to marginalized people being elevated to positions that have no right being in. And it is certainly not leading to the oppression of this nation’s most privileged class. None of that is true! DEI is baked into the theology of what it means to be Christian and the two cannot be separated! It reflects the heart of Jesus because it seeks to make this world a more equitable and just place for all of God’s children; first, by grounding us in the reality that we are all dearly loved by God; and second, by growing within us the knowledge that we all have gifts and abilities that can be used to make this world a better place.

Church, we have come too far to even think about going back: back to those days when women were in the kitchen, when gay people were in the closet, and when Black people simply ‘knew their place’. No doubt, we still have a long way to go; but we who claim to be people of faith are NOT GOING BACK! Because parched places, are no place for any of God’s children to be living!

“I just can’t!”

This has been my sentiment for the past 2 months.

I just can’t . . . believe . . . what so many Americans have done. I can’t believe the hypocrisy of so many people I love, so many people I once respected, so many people I thought were better than this. And I especially can’t believe the ignorance of those in the church: those who claim to be people of faith, but who in their pursuit of power were so willing to compromise the way of Jesus.

I just can’t . . . listen . . . to him speak. Few people as ignorant as our new president have been given a microphone as often as he has. And his addiction to attention is only dwarfed by his inability to say anything worth hearing. His vulgar, condescending, and demeaning ‘weavings’ only reveal his penchant for misinformation, his deliberate perpetuation of lies, his age!, AND . . . the “fool’s ability to fool the fools!”

And I just can’t . . . respond . . . the way I did eight years ago! Not because there was anything wrong with the way I sought to resist the evils of Trumpism; but because my health and well-being, and the health and well-being of my neighbors, depends on so much more. Surely all of the marches, and protests, and candlelight vigils kept my heart from being corrupted by the debauchery of the first Trump presidency, but this time around I am doing things differently.

So as our country prepares for another four-year circus, this time I am going to focus my attention on my immigrant and LGBTQ neighbors who are fearful and wondering where they fit in this nation that has yet again, failed to live up to the ideals of our founders. I am going to devote myself to lifting up the beauty and the joy of all those things that MAGA Republicans fear: that being anything that threatens their privileged, racist, misogynistic, and homo- and xeno- phobic worldview. I’m going to use an even louder voice when it comes to challenging and resisting policies that hurt the marginalized. And I will continue to do anything and everything I can to shame all who defend a ‘purple’ church, who preach a gospel that is more about making an American empire great, than walking in the footsteps of Jesus, and who make the naïve claim that we just need to sit down, listen to one another, and learn to get-along!

And here’s one thing I am NOT going to do! I am NOT going to give this president, or any nut-job in his administration, so much space in my head, or my day, that I am unable to know the peace of God that is so central to my faith. And while the media’s ‘breaking news’ and ‘headline news’ will try to force me to focus on the all the broken parts of this new administration – and there will be many! – I am going to choose to fill my days with love and light. A new day is indeed dawning; and we have a choice as to whether or not it will be a day of hatred or hope.

So beginning right now, I will no longer say “I just can’t . . .”! Because I can! WE can! Today, and for the next 4 years!

From Psalm 24 and Psalm 127:

¹ The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it . . . , ³ . . . And who shall stand in his holy place? ⁴ Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false and do not swear deceitfully.

I couldn’t sleep; and didn’t know where to go, or what to do. I know many were still celebrating, but I wasn’t. I was sad. I was heartbroken. Such is the way of elections, right? There will always be those who rejoice, and those who mourn – which is why they’re so hard on us. The uncertainty of it all can at times be overwhelming; and when elections linger as long as it does in this country . . . with the never ending name-calling, and vitriol, and often just down-right mean-spiritedness . . . well, it takes its toll . . . on all of us.

So Wednesday morning I just started writing . . . because that’s what I do when I don’t know what to do!  And I was grateful for the chance to step into few verses of Scripture from my preaching passages for the day in order to consider what they might have to say to us . . . to me!

Psalm 24 reminds us that this is God’s world; and 127 reminds us that unless God builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. And they are two important messages for this week! For they move our thoughts to what God desires for we are the disheartened right now; we who are both citizens of the world, AND citizens of the United States of America!

Whatever what thinks about God, or whatever one chooses to name that transcendent force that is moving all creation towards something more than we see today, people of faith know that holiness is embodied in humanity. In other words, God builds whatever God is going to build through us – through you and me! Our hands, are God’s hands; and thus our hands must always be about the work of God, work which at least according to Jesus, involves caring for the last, compassion for the least, and concern for the lost! Whether we’re talking about a home or a nation, these foci need to be the very foundation, walls, and roof, of whatever it is that we are seeking to build. And this past week I was reminded that this needs to be our goal regardless of who inhabits the White House! Because contrary to what we might think, this building really has nothing at all to do with our elected leaders.

Now this doesn’t mean that we do not want Godly leaders, something that the majority of Americans appear to have forgotten this past week. But rather, it simply means that the building that God seeks to do is simply not dependent upon them. And this morning, when that work appears as though it may be . . . slightly inhibited over the next four years, I simply want to remind us what that work is! Because in time, our lamenting needs to end, and our work needs to be begin again.

In time, we need to return to the challenge of being a people who are able to put ourselves in another person’s shoes, and show empathy for those who have only been able to see the world from the back of the line; remembering what Jesus says about . . . the first being last, and the last being first.

In time, we need to return to the challenge of giving our empathy legs, and showing compassion for ‘the least of these.’ We need to move beyond simply feeling badly, or even just showing mercy, for those the world continues to push aside; and instead, need to seek the justice that is so central to the Gospel message.

And finally, in time, we need to return to the challenge of showing concern for the lost; embracing an evangelism that is NOT about getting people to believe the way we believe; that is not about scaring people into heaven, or threatening them with an eternity in some place we call hell. Rather, we need to simply be one thirsty person leading another thirsty person to water . . . or a person down in the deepest of valleys pointing other people in the valley to that bring, burning light on the top of the mountain!

This is not OUR world, it is God’s! And God is working every day, through people like you and me, to build a kindom that cares for the last, displays compassion for the least, and that is concerned for the lost.

So when other builders, those who as our text says ‘labor in vain’ . . . when presidents and politicians call us to take up our swords and violently stand against the opposition, we remember that God calls us to turn our swords into plows and shovels; and when they call us take up our spears, we remember that Jesus calls us to take up our crosses! And when other builders, those who labor in vain . . . when self-serving leaders consumed by vanity and the pursuit of power call us to see the refugee and the alien as people to be feared, we will see them as neighbors to be cared for; and when they would have us regard our enemies as people to be punished, we will regard them as siblings to be loved.

Will this be hard? Of course it will be hard. Care for the last, compassion for the least, and concern for the lost, is never easy. And in the coming years those who pursue such a kindom will likely be challenged, and demeaned, and called everything from woke, to libtard, to communist! But we will not give up! We CAN NOT give up! For this is God’s world, and this is God’s work.  And the last, the least, and the lost need us. They are people we need to come alongside of, and with whom we can work to transform all creation.

My entire family has had a tough week, and in our family group text one of my kids sent us all a song titled Mountain of Madness, by City and Colour; and like so many of songs of lament, the chorus cries out to us with these angst-filled words:

Many of us where in such a place last week. But my response? The words Jack Johnson!

Today, this is our good news. We are better when we’re together! And if you really stop and think about it, perhaps that sentiment may be just enough to see us through these challenging days! We are not alone; and together, we are even now being strengthened to get back to that often frustrating work of caring for the last, showing compassion to the least, and being concerned for the lost! For one last time, this is God’s world, and this is God’s work. And no one, not even the likes of a godless president, is going to keep God from doing what God is going to do! Together, all of us can become like Jesus, a . . .

May this be our goal, even today!

The cries the privileged – we’ve all heard them; I, from where I sit, quite a lot over the past eight years.  I’ve heard them from pro-birth advocates in response to the SCOTUS reversal of Roe v Wade.  I’ve heard them from long-time ‘friends’ who couldn’t understand why I spent four years – four painful years! – condemning the presidency of Donald Trump; and why I’m beginning to become so vocal once again.  And I’ve heard them from White friends who don’t understand why the issues of race, White Supremacy, and Christian Nationalism continue to occupy so much of the brain and heart space of so many of us.

“Why can’t we all just get along?”  “Why can’t we dwell on what unites us, rather than on what divides us?”  And in the church, “Why can’t we focus on our unity in Jesus; and just accept the fact that we’re a ‘purple’ church so that we stop alienating people?”

They are great questions; and I confess to having asked some of them myself.  But if we’re honest, such questions are only the cries of the privileged.  

Author and activist James Baldwin taught us years ago that we can disagree on things and still be united and in community with one another . . . unless our disagreement is rooted in someone’s oppression.  That’s why today we’re not hearing cries for unity coming from women being denied to the right to control their own bodies.  We’re not hearing cries for unity from the Capitol police officers who were on duty on January 6, 2021. And we’re certainly not hearing cries for unity from the families of people who look like Tr​a​yvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, or George Floyd.

Not at all!  Because cries for unity almost always come from we privileged people who hold all the power, we advantaged White people who don’t have anything to lose as a result of this desired unity.  We don’t have to sacrifice our health, our bodies, or at times our very lives! We don’t have to give up on dreams for a better future for our children, or deal with systems and structures that continue to try and hold us back and hold us down. We don’t have to abandon the reality of our gender or our sexuality. We don’t have to give up any of these things; and because we are so blind to the injustice of the situations in which so many find themselves today, unity becomes that all-consuming priority . . . that over-arching objective that distracts us and everyone around us, from the oppressive foundation of this artificial harmony being sought.

So let’s consider a few responses to these pleas for unity!

“We can’t all get along because you don’t trust me to make my own decisions, especially if they disagree with your decisions.”

Or how about, “we can’t dwell on what unites us because what divides us is killing us, and our Black and Brown siblings, and you just don’t seem to care!”

And when it comes to our unity in Jesus . . . well . . . this is the easiest question of all to answer! “Our unity in Christ is born in our behavior, not our beliefs. And it comes from walking in HIS way; not OUR way, and certainly not the way of an off-the-rails political party!”  

Whether talking about a nation, a family, or a church: who doesn’t want unity? Unity is a worthy goal and a valuable aspiration. But when it comes at the expense of justice; when it involves my conforming to your standards, and negating what I believe; when it means ignoring sin, oppressing others, or failing to be the person I was created to be; when it means accepting the ways you seek to level power over me in an attempt to control my destiny . . . well, that’s not unity! That’s abuse. And while people may have a different ‘opinion’ about that – opinions not based in facts, are untruths! They are false proclamations, and will never become true regardless of how long and how loud one keeps shouting them from the halls of their power.

Privileged people: we hear your cries! And we understand your fears. But your cries are no more worthy of our attention than the cries of the poor, the marginalized, or the oppressed. And because your cries have been dictating the policies and practices of country and congregations long enough, it’s time we pay attention to the cries of others. So we will stand by you, and walk with you, as change comes. But change will come. And you just need to trust us. One day, your tears will turn to joy; and God’s kindom will make life better for everyone – for immigrants and refugees, for people of color and the differently abled, for Muslims and atheists, for Americans as well as for citizens of every other country on the face of this earth. That is the promise of God. And it is the promise made to ALL of us; not just to you!

It’s a story like no other!

George Bailey teaches us to appreciate all the imperfections of our ‘one wild and precious’ life. The Grinch reminds us that “maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store; maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” And “The Family Stone”, one my favorites, makes me laugh and cry, often at the same time, as it reveals the beautiful messiness of family life.

But the Christmas story – as in the birth of Jesus – that story, is the story like no other! And whether or not one believes it actually happened the way Luke and the church have told us it happened, it is a story worth telling and retelling, again and again.

Just consider some of the themes: the stars announce the birth of a child-king; born to a peasant couple, in a dank and dirty barn; calling all people, beginning with local, lowly shepherds, and ending with wise rulers from distant lands, to discover the divine presence in the neighborhood; and all so that we might learn to live in ways that honor, respect, and care for all that is.

It’s a story teaches us several things. First, all creation, even the stars, have the capacity to point humanity to the wonder and beauty of the universe: to that which one might even say is holy, and sacred. Second, divinity – and by that I mean the dynamic mystery of the universe – is both transcendent, and immanent, and can be known and experienced by all people and creation, and more often than not in the most simple and humble of circumstances. And third, it is a story that calls us to live in the pattern of one who rejects religious hypocrisy, who denounces the power of empire, and who models a life that pursues justice and loves extravagantly! It truly is a powerfully transforming story. And whether one takes it literally, or metaphorically, it is a story that needs to be told each and every time Christmas rolls around . . . regardless of what one ‘believes.’

So I’m not getting rid of my nativity sets anytime soon. I’m going to unwrap all of those delicate figurines, and I’m going surround my little clay family with sheep and shepherds, with camels and kings, and maybe even with an ass and an angel! I’m going to put lights and candles around it, and hang the biggest star I can find above it. And then I’m going to allow the power of its message to continue the process of transforming the world, by transforming me!

May we all do the same!

I found the ‘Letter to Chad’ in an old file, but have no idea where I got it! It was written by a Chad Holtz, but I can’t find much about him online; so this is the extent of the credit that I can give him. Apparently, his words resonated with me when I first read them, because I saved them. But rereading them today has me on my knees! I find myself wanting to echo his sentiments, but with my own words. So here goes:

Dear Bob,

Oh how you have changed! When I look at the man you are today, I can’t believe how far you’ve come: as a husband, father, and pastor, but most of all as a follower of Jesus! Because of that which can only be attributed to the work of what we call the Holy Spirit, you are no longer who you once were; and for that you should give great thanks. Not that you were a bad guy then, or that you still don’t have a long way to go now, but your growth is testimony to the transforming power of God.

Relationally, you have come to better understand the partnership that we call marriage; and the self-giving love that you’ve seen in your wife for 37 years has clearly rubbed off on you! “Head of the house” talk has given way to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” talk, and your arrogant patriarchy continues to be confessed, rejected, and avoided whenever possible.

While you are sadly, unable to raise your kids again, your interaction with your granddaughters reveals one who no longer equates respect with fear, and one who avoids displaying a love that in any way needs to be earned. In many ways your children became the beautiful people that they are today ‘in spite of your parenting’, and not ‘because of it!’ Fortunately, your interaction with them now, and your interaction with their children (and dogs!), continues to develop and mature.

And when it comes to your ministry, and your faith . . . well, where do I even begin? Open and affirming? Woke? Seeker of justice and lover of mercy? Community builder and peace maker? Who could have imagined your ever coming to the point where you would acknowledge that in the end, the Gospel is about loving God by loving neighbor. And all that ‘steeply climbing’ that was once so important to you, that whole measuring success by buildings, budgets, and butts (in the pew!): all of that seems to be gone! You’re not afraid of hell. You don’t believe that virgins give birth. And you don’t make an idol of the Bible. But you still love Jesus, and that’s what needs to remain central to our our faith!

As a result of this, and so much more, you’re emotionally and spiritually healthier than you’ve ever been. I know you continue to grieve all the ‘false teaching’ that you shared with so many people over the years, especially all the young people you ministered to in Young Life and in your first church, but fortunately you know that God is bigger than you! So today, you’re secure in who you are, and no longer interested in trying to impress anyone! (Sometimes I have to laugh because I can even see it in the way you dress: the way you’ve exchanged ties for t-shirts, and leather wing-tips for bamboo Allbirds!)

But here’s the thing Bob. There are still lots of people out there who look more like the person you were yesterday, than the person you are today! And those people – they’re not bad! And they’re certainly not all evil! Are they misguided? Perhaps. Have they been misled? No doubt. But many of them love Jesus as much as you do. And they’re just afraid. Most of their lives they’ve been taught to fear things . . . God, those who don’t look like them, and change . . . especially all the changes that are taking place in our world. And change is hard, for all of us. But they really don’t like it! So they’re going to resist it until their life experiences help them to discover a different way . . . a better way.

So until that time, remember to be kind. Resist the temptation to repay their vitriol, with words and attitudes that fail to reflect the growth you’re enjoying. And do everything you can to model for them the peace, trust, and security that are so central to your new way of being in this world. You can’t show them contempt, or they’ll dig in their heels in harder. And if you’re condescending when you speak with them, they’ll avoid you at all cost. So when they try to cut you out of the kindom and tell you that you’re backsliding . . . when they mishandle information and misrepresent your beliefs . . . and when they become violent and call you names . . . in all these situations, remember to somehow, try to show them the love of Jesus!

Bob, you cannot change this world. Yes, you CAN change your little corner of it, and you should never cease to be the prophet that you’re called to be. But in the end, you need to . . . as the saying goes . . . be the change you wish to see!

So, in the words of 1 Peter 3: try to see the unity of spirit. Show sympathy and love for others. Always maintain a tender heart, and a humble mind. And repay no one with evil, but rather with a blessing. For it is this, to which we have been called.

With much love and grace, all because of Him, Bob

Shakespeare was right! “All the world’s a stage.” And that means that we’re all acting, all the time. And I hate it.

The older I get, the more I value authenticity. Perhaps its because sometimes it seems as though my job as a pastor forces me to constantly be in ‘performance’ mode. Perhaps its because I grew up in a family that was a little too concerned with ‘what other people think.’ Perhaps its because I tend to be a ‘people-pleaser.’ Whatever the reason, today, more and more, I’m attracted to people who are genuine – people who are comfortable in their own skin and not always trying to be something they’re not.

I went through high school always wondering if I was ‘normal’! Did other people think and feel all the things that I thought and felt? Why was I so serious? Why was I so passionate about so many things? Why was my heart so ‘soft’? Surely other people did not experience the same things I did. Something must be wrong with me.

Consequently, college was a time for me to reinvent myself. It was the perfect time for me to leave my past behind, and for the first time in my life become ‘normal’ . . . like everyone else. I began partying like there was no tomorrow. I joined a fraternity and went to my first (and only!) X-rated movie and strip club! And I started popping my polo shirt collar, wearing scrubs to my early morning classes, and dressing like some kind of preppy playboy. (I think one of my sons still has my navy blue pants with kelly green whales embroidered on them!)

But at some point during my junior year I began thinking, “This is not who I am!” I had all kinds of friends; but did they really know ME, or just some version of me that I was pretending to be? It was at this point in time when my faith was coming to life as well, and so it would be easy to assume that authenticity would become my new reality. But sadly, the faith community in which I found myself just forced me into another kind of mold – this one of purity and positivity, of saccharined-sweetness and syrupy-sentimentality, and most tragically, of cult-like passion and feigned courageous zeal. A theology of “confession is possession” ruled my heart and head, and as a result a different kind of performing became my norm. God had a plan. Just believe and stay faithful. Smile, praise God, and trust Jesus.

When I wasn’t speaking in tongues like others I knew and respected, I was told to just my move my lips and make whatever sounds came out; and when things I was told to believe things didn’t seem to make any make intellectual sense I was told ‘that’s why it’s called faith.’ Then I went to seminary where I was taught how to play the role of the professional religious elite; and after graduation, the institutional church taught me that the more and the better I ‘performed’, the higher the steeple I’d be able to attain. And so I continued to pretend.

We live in a performative culture: full of politicians willing to say whatever they think will get them reelected, and social media influencers willing to do whatever will gain them more followers. But am I really any different? Why do I so often feel so fake – like I’m not saying what I really want to say, or doing what I really want to do? Like artificial turf, plastic plants, and bulging Botoxed lips, I sometimes feel like I’m living my life in ways that are unreal, more concerned with how I’m being perceived, than whether or not I’m being genuine; more concerned with what other people want or expect from me, than what is healthy for me to be trying to give them.

Interestingly, the only place I’ve ever been able to really be me, is in the pulpit! Because I have way too many convictions, I’ve only ever been able to preach what I truly believe. I’m not very good at telling people what they want to hear, or professing a faith for which I lack conviction. Heck, I can’t even sing a hymn with words that I don’t believe! And this isn’t easy. I don’t like always being the prophet – saying the hard things, or that which I know is going to offend someone. But when it comes to the pulpit, I can’t go near it without being mindful that it is God’s. And so I don’t dare pretend or perform. I have not choice but to only speak what I believe to be of God, from the Spirit, and pointing us all to Jesus.

Now, if I could just bring that attitude to every other aspect of my life and ministry! Because if all the world’s a stage, I want to get off. I’m tired of pretending, and I don’t want to perform anymore. I just want to be me. And just as important I only want YOU, to be YOU! We ALL need to stop performing for one another. God created us to be exactly who we are, and it is nothing less than arrogant for us to think that we know better who we need to be. No offense, but I trust God a little more than I trust you . . . and most definitely more than I trust me! God knew what the world needed when each of us was created, and so why would we continue to think we know more than God – more about what the world needs from us, more about what the world needs to see in us, more about what the world needs us to be?

Performing is exhausting! Trust me. I know from experience. And if you’re honest, you know it too! So let’s just stop. Let’s all do it together. Let’s be real. Let’s be who we were created to be. Because the world has enough performers. What it needs is us . . . you and me . . . just as we are.

No! The events at last night’s Oscar ceremony do not need any more attention than they are already being given. It is likely that the media will be covering what happened for days, and so the last thing anyone needs is another White guy’s interpretation of what happened.

So I will try not to do that. But (and I realize that buts abound in my world!), I am compelled to write about what I am thinking and feeling this morning because my thoughts and feelings are not new. I’ve been thinking and feeling them for a while; and writing things down often helps me to better understand both myself, as well as my ever-changing role in the world around me. And this morning, I have come to two realizations!

First, life continually confronts us with competing values: with freedom comes responsibility; where there is no justice there can be no peace; and forgiveness does not mean acceptance. Sometimes these competing values can be summed up in a short, simple phrase: tough love, democratic socialism, or righteous anger. When it comes to our values, I don’t believe any of us can be singularly focused because life is too complex, and our choices are never merely black or white.

The second realization is that the events of last night, like so many events that have taken place in our country over the past few years, have forced me to boldly stand in the tension that results from these competing values. I can’t escape that, and this morning those competing values need to be both acknowledged, and celebrated!

In the Spirit of Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesus himself, my first commitment is to non-violence. (And while I say this is my ‘first’ commitment, it does not come before any of my other commitments, but rather is merely the first one I am choosing to mention here.) I believe we are all called to live in non-violent ways, and I think I have strived to do that most of my life. I DID have fights with my siblings when I was growing up, and I DID spank my children when they were little; but outside of throwing a rock at Edmund Sullivan when I was in middle school, I can’t think of a time when I’ve ever been violent. This is how I believe Christ-followers are called to behave. And as Easter approaches, one can’t help but be reminded of how non-violence is the only way we can find victory over the grave, and the sole way to find life in the face of death. Non-violence may never be the guiding principle of a nation-state’s foreign policy, and in certain situations people may believe it to be justifiable for them to take violent action in order to bring about something good; but for me, violence only promotes violence. And this is true both on the world stage, when evil dictators invade other countries and kill innocent people, as well as on a Hollywood stage, when a celebrity seeks to defend the honor of someone they love. While I am not putting the dictator and the celebrity in the same category, both give evidence to my belief that violence is never the answer; and at the very least, other options should always be considered first!

But having said that, my second commitment, which is equally important, is to doing whatever I can to confront and dismantle racism our land. And at this point in our history, what this means is that as a well-educated, economically advantaged, White, Christian, heterosexual man, who has been ‘running the show’ for centuries, I need to simply sit down and be quiet! I’ve been calling the shots, making the rules, and telling people what to do and how to live for far too long. And this is particularly true when it comes to the actions and behavior of marginalized groups of people both here in America, and around the world. At this point in time, my thoughts and opinions on a given situation are neither required nor needed! People don’t need me to hold them accountable, pass judgement on their actions, preach to them about forgiveness, or make it appear as though I have some kind of moral high ground from which to declare the solutions to all of the world’s problems. For when it comes to the ‘right thing to do’ — history has no choice but to give people like me a failing grade. Which is why it’s time for other voices to be heard. It’s time for other people to offer words of counsel and advice. It’s time for other people, people not like me, to chart the course forward in order to bring about the healing, wholeness, and health that is so desperately needed today. I have nothing to say that isn’t already being said, and the world will survive without my opining.

Can I hang on to both of these values and commitments in light of all that is happening today? I believe I can. And I believe I must!

So now, at the risk of a blog-post like this denying everything I’ve just said, I will take my own advice, sit down, and keep my mouth shut!

Working the polls on Tuesday, I came to yet one more tragic and disheartening realization about the church and us people of faith. Messed up theology, leads to messed up politics. And it is not only destroying our church, but it is also destroying our nation!

Standing in the rain, with a woman from a different political party, who embraced a very different understanding of what it means to be a Christian, I realized yet again that a distorted understanding of the Gospel, will distort everything else in a person’s life. And it will lead to a politics that stands in startling contrast to the way of Jesus. This is why for the past five years any responsible Church, and any faithful pastor, has had no choice but to address the deterioration of American political landscape. Because more and more, we are seeing that Church people are responsible for the state of American politics today. And for that reason, Church leaders have an important role to play in getting us out of the mess in which we find ourselves.

Whether talking about Evangelicals or “Mainliners”, no one seems to know or understand the Gospel! Evangelicals can quote Scripture as well as anyone, but there is little theological grounding and even less historical context to their interpretations of the Bible. Intellectual credibility is anathema to their understanding of faith and a walk with God; and discipleship involves little more than going to Church every Sunday morning, and spending 45 minutes singing to Jesus and telling him how much they love him! And while some are actively engaged in small groups, that can and often do provide the disipleship that is so needed today, most are not.

Those of us in the smaller, denominational churches are no better off. The average Presbyterian likely knows more about our “Book of Order” than the Bible. Worship is a place where people want to be inspired, not taught! And Sunday School is routinely given up upon confirmation, which usually occurs at some point in high school. People in denominational churches are more inclined to serve on a church committee than to ever darken the doors of a Bible Study; and so while we boast of an educated clergy, we’d prefer that their education not be forced upon our people!

So where is discipleship taking place in the Church today?

The answer, is “no where!” And that is why we find ourselves living in a country that claims to be Christian, full of people who claim to be following Jesus, but with a grossly immature and inaccurate understanding of what any of it means! We have churches with lots of ‘members’, but with very few disciples. And it’s killing us! It’s killing the church. And it’s killing our nation.

My poll-worker friend kindly offered to let me stand with her under her bright red tent, but then proceeded to tell me that when it comes to abortion, women lose their right to chose when they ‘spread their legs.’ She recently moved to Northern Virginia from Kansas, and so in her sweet mid-western style, she assured me we had more in common than we realized; and then went on to tell me that surely we both had faith in a Jesus came to save us from our sin, whose teachings were all about ‘law and order’, and whose ministry had nothing at all to do with challenging the Roman Empire. She willingly acknowledged that Jesus was concerned with the refugee and the immigrant, but then went on to say that they needed to be legal, and they needed to have some kind of skill that would be of value to their new homeland. And finally, as the rain continued to fall, in an attempt to display the compassion and empathy of Christ, she affirmed her personal desire to care for the poor and the marginalized, but then touted that age-old nonsense that such caring is the responsibility of people, not the government . . . apparently forgetting that in a democracy, the people ARE the government.

At some point in her preaching to me, she indicated that she was an active member in a local Evangelical Presbyterian Church. But I saw little fruit of one who is a disciple of Jesus. And as I graciously listened, biting my tongue and grinding my teeth, I saw no grace or mercy, a great deal of arrogance and fear, and nothing that even comes close to the humility or love that is central to the Gospel.

It is no wonder so many people have given up on the church. The witness of far too many is nothing that even comes close to the way of Jesus. And the understanding that far too many church people have of Scripture, God, faith, and discipleship, continues to lead to thinking that is so racist, sexist, homophobic, self-serving, and nationalistic, that is nothing that even remotely resembles the life of the one we call Savior.

So pastors, and churches: we have a great deal of work to do! Our people are destroying our witness in the world and tearing apart our our nation. And we bear a great deal of responsibility for this state of affairs. So we had better start doing a better job of teaching our people how to more carefully study what the Bible says; and then giving them the tools needed to interpret it, and to apply it to their lives. And we need stop being afraid to raise these issues in our preaching.

Our calling is to grow followers of the living God. Our responsibility is to cultivate ambassadors of the Gospel. And our mandate is make disciples, not members! And anything less, is anything but, ministry!

With the passing of the one year anniversary of the ‘closing down of America’ due to COVID-19, it would do us well consider all that we have learned over the past 13 months. Because sadly, much of it is not good!

First, in case anyone didn’t already know this, we Americans are a selfish people! Not everyone of course; but far too many. Whiners everywhere like to proclaim that they’re all about freedom, but the freedom they espouse is little more than the freedom to do what’s good for them. Everything from refusing to wear a mask, to demanding that schools open up sooner rather than later, and before appropriate safety protocols have been put in place . . . such attitudes are all about what’s best for them. And over time, their selfish rants have become tiring and offensive. No one enjoys physical distancing. We all want to be able to go out to dinner again. And no one is enjoys living in a society that has closed down. But we make the sacrifice because we care about one another, and people’s refusal to acknowledge this is nothing less than selfish!

A second thing we’ve learned is that we are far too opinionated. And even when our ‘opinions’ are proved wrong, we refuse to capitulate! Who would have thought that Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Forest Gump operated on the same wave length! “Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice . . . (because) stupid is as stupid does!” We all have a right to think and believe whatever we chose. But facts are facts, regardless of our opinions! And so Carl Sagan adds his voice to the voices of all those who would remind us that our opinions must always be tempered by reality. “The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what’s true.”

Third, the pandemic has taught us that slowing down can allow us to take a more critical look at our world, so that we might see things that we’ve overlooked for way too long. The eyes of a growing number of White people have been opened to the White Supremacy and racism that have plagued our nation for generations. The economic disparities inherent in capitalism are suddenly glowing in the light of COVID-19, and the lack of opportunity for those living in poverty is being magnified for all to see. And American Exceptionalism and Christian Nationalism are exposing an arrogance to which far too many of us have closed our eyes for far too long. More and more, the label ‘ugly American’ is looking acutely accurate.

And finally, the pandemic has forced all of us to accept what has been true for decades — and that is that the world has changed. Technology is here to stay; and rather than resisting it, we need to learn how to better harness it and employ it for the greater good. Institutions, particularly the Church, must redefine themselves in order to better meet the changing needs of our society. And businesses and organizations must refrain from providing services that are no longer wanted, and stop answering questions that are no longer being asked. It would do us well to carefully, and non-defensively, find ways to address the sins of our republic, but in ways that will rebuild it without completely destroying it.

As has been said in countless setting these days — the world will never return to the way things used to be. We will never go back to what was, and there will be no return to normal. Rather, we will create ‘new’ normal, guided not by a desire to recreate our memories of the world that was, but by a vision of the world as it should be. Let’s build a nation that is truly committed to the common good, where liberty and justice for ALL is not just a motto but a mandate, and where we all have the courage to unlearn all the wrongs that we have held onto for so long. Let’s learn the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic; and in the spirit of this Easter season, discover again that the old is finished and gone and now is the time to build something new.