This is the last of a three-part series. Click here for Part One, which lays out Parker Palmer's description of how we "kill" people. Part Two talks about how anonymity fosters killing. More than a decade ago, as I was just beginning to imagine shifting from “lawyer” to “pastor,” a fellow layperson dared to say some true words that I’ve never forgotten. He said I must pay more careful attention when someone spoke to me. “What?” I said (because I hadn’t been listening very well). He explained that sometimes, when he was speaking to me, it felt like I was distracted, … [Read more...] about The People I’ve Killed: the church as a no-kill zone (Part 3 of 3)
church
Yes, Oklahoma, but will you welcome them?
Oklahoma made history on Monday with the release of nearly 500 persons from prison, 70 of which were women. The release is one step. Here's the next: Oklahoma churches and communities have an unprecedented opportunity to welcome those people home. Will you seize it? Oklahoma has had the unholy distinction of incarcerating more of their citizens than nearly any other state, and the highest proportion of women. The state has been working on changing that, and Monday's commutation is one step in that larger effort. The 462 persons released that day were doing time for drug possession or other … [Read more...] about Yes, Oklahoma, but will you welcome them?
Making Our Burdens Visible
What if a bubble over our head disclosed the burdens that each of us carry with us? This was poignantly illustrated in a video produced by the Cleveland Clinic. The video was meant to help their staff notice the invisible hurts and challenges that play a role in even the most simple of interactions within the hospital setting. "If you could stand in someone else's shoes," the video ends, "would you treat them differently?" A New York Times writer asks this question similarly, from a flight in which he was bearing a fresh heaviness of grief. There are so many burdens. #FoolishChurch … [Read more...] about Making Our Burdens Visible
Sitting Next to Arthur Fleck
When Arthur Fleck begins to laugh uncontrollably on a crowded Gotham City bus, it’s easy to understand why people recoil at the awkwardness of this moment. I’m talking, of course, about the new Joker movie, which depicts Arthur’s disintegration from would-be stand-up comic and clown into the villain we’ve met in the Batman story. We come to know that Arthur’s loud and misplaced laughter is a symptom of his mental illness. He even has a beat-up business card he can hand to onlookers with that explanation. It doesn’t really help. No one understands. We probably wouldn’t, either. What if … [Read more...] about Sitting Next to Arthur Fleck
What We See: different churches (Part 3 of 3)
This week’s post is the last in a series. “What We See” is worth considering, whether it’s our town, our lives, or our churches. Scroll to the two prior posts if you missed them, so you'll be up to date on this conversation. If we see spaces differently based on our life experiences, emotions and perspectives, then it must be true that we sit down in vastly different churches, even if we are on opposite ends of the same pew. I walk into my home church and those gleaming floors still bear the footprints of beloved, faithful souls who were the church for me, through my childhood and … [Read more...] about What We See: different churches (Part 3 of 3)
What We See: different eyes (Part 2 of 3)
This week’s post is Part Two of a series that started last week and will continue with one more post. “What We See” is worth considering, whether it’s our town, our lives, or our churches. Scroll to last week's post if you missed it, and stay tuned as we continue this conversation. Some years ago I read a book whose main character arrived in an unfamiliar town and as a first order of business figured out, seemingly effortlessly, where to pick up some marijuana. I remember marveling at that. Is it that obvious to people who arrive in my town? I wondered. As a pastor of a church inside a … [Read more...] about What We See: different eyes (Part 2 of 3)