"I'm ashamed of you," she said. But she didn't mean it. Her religious leaders taught her to say such things and it caused her pain.
Category: church
I Counted In Church
Leaving the church was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I have no qualms about letting go of God and religion. But the people--I loved them and I still do. I am aware of the flaws, dysfunction, and outright abuse that happened in many churches, and I understand that those who were … Continue reading I Counted In Church
I No Longer Reach for Heaven
I’m astounded that anyone could be persuaded to accept a way of life that guarantees their condemnation. But I’m sorry to say we made converts.
Pangs of Envy
After forty years, I can say I'm free of envy of my fellow youth group member, even if he is still handsome at sixty--like a movie star who has decided to make his hair gray to acknowledge he’s aging but still sexy.
A Friendship Begins
I lowered my hand to give the downbeat and that's when Craig exploded all over the piano
I Hope I’m Wrong About This Prediction
I've always felt gratitude and respect for the service of the outgoing Presidents, even the ones for whom I didn't vote. Until this one. It’s the last twenty-four hours of his term, and I’m not breathing a sigh of relief just yet. In every church I ever served, there was a Trump personality who grasped … Continue reading I Hope I’m Wrong About This Prediction
Maybe Less Can Be More
Am I the guy who was once the starting quarterback but is now diminished to where I only play occasionally off the bench? I can’t look at it like that. I have a whole life to live and it does not include becoming less as I get older.
A Conspiracy of Silence
I’m horrified that we locked my sweet, loveable, funny aunt into a prison of silence, where she dreaded the day she would die and go to the hell we had created.
Will God Answer for His Actions?
Over my time as a minister, people whispered these questions to me, often ashamed to put them into words. I’m articulating them in hopes of engaging their thinking.
Drowning in the Baptismal Waters
It has taken me a long time to see that our religion could be a tool to prey on the vulnerable. The baptismal waters come closer to drowning them rather than cleansing them.
Deep Calls 