Category Archives: Essays and Articles

In 1970, Merle Haggard released a song called “The Fightin’ Side of Me.” It had been 10 years since he’d been released from San Quentin Prison where he’d been an inmate when Johnny Cash played his famous concert. Haggard’s life had taken a turn since being released from prison, and in 1972 he received aContinue reading ““The Fightin’ Side of Me””

I recently wrote an article which I then took down, and I issued an apology. I want to be really clear why that was: I had worked to guess at the emotional experience of those really like Donald Trump. My sensemaking did not land with some folks, and they felt very upset. So in thisContinue reading “The Way of Trump and the Way of Jesus”

I recently published an article titled “Orange Man and the Juice.” Some of you may have read it here or maybe got an email in your inbox and read it there. Or maybe I decided to take it down before you even seen it. A thoughtful reader reached out to me a few hours afterContinue reading “Retraction; Apology”

Two Memories I’m fascinated by black light. When you turn off the everyday overhead light sources and turn on an ultraviolet, you see things you had know idea were there. In my senior year of college, I was recording a weekly podcast with my best friend. I was taking a theology class called Critical Issues,Continue reading “Black Light”

“There’s only two things that human beings are ever saying: please and thank you.” That line is from Marshall Rosenberg in one of his trainings on nonviolent communication. I have become very interested in his method, and I decided I would try to review here what I learned from reading his book. In this methodContinue reading “Nonviolent Communication”

It takes much discipline and restraint to care for a person while allowing them to make their own choice. The easier thing is to enter into an argument, to try and outmaneuver the other.

On this Christmas evening, I am reflecting a bit on the church. Anyone who’s read much of anything I’ve written may now sigh at the inevitable forthcoming gloom, surly observations, vexation etc. But no! It is Christmas, and this is more cheerful. My last article was about the roles and nature of the pastor andContinue reading “The Gifts of My Childhood Church”

Introduction One night, near the end of our class time, the professor had a pastor speak to us about bereavement and end of life care. After she signed off, the class discussed the roles of mental health counselors in conjunctions with and opposed to pastors in providing care. My classmate remarked that the church isContinue reading “The Pastor & the Psychotherapist”

*the use of the cover art for this piece was generously permitted by John Kennedy: www jedika.com A Funny Scene There’s a funny scene I imagine sometimes in which I get to the afterlife and meet God after a life on earth. And God tells me, “Sorry pal, you were wrong. I’m actually not quiteContinue reading “Deconstruction of Small Gods”