Part 4 of the 12-part series “Lepers, Loons and Losers: The Outcasts of the Gospels.” Read the rest of the series here. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. (Luke 7:13 NLT) As Luke relates the story, a great crowd followed Jesus
Rabbi Harold Kushner says the words of religion are words of encouragement, not words of condemnation.1 Through James, the Lord is encouraging us to live in such a way that our faith in Jesus is a positive force in the world. James is not intended to
Read the rest of the series Gentle Shepherd Metropolitan Community Church Phoenix, Ariz. When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front
It was about year 30 or so when a man started what was going to be a huge craze in the 1990s. He was the ancestor of the TV talk show host; he gathered large crowds, walked around giving advice to people who didn’t really
The church is not of one mind. I expect this issue to continue to be raised until society comes to terms with it. (Bishop Elias Galvan of Seattle, speaking on March 21, 2004 after Methodist minister Rev. Karen Dammann was acquitted in a church trial
With his endorsement of an anti-gay Constitutional amendment, President George Bush fired the opening shot in a new culture war. This new war — launched ironically by the President who promised to be a “uniter, not a divider” — has not only divided the larger
Editor: Wow, what a powerful article. I have considered myself a straight, married, conservative, evangelical Christian for over 40 years. However, in the last year, I have become increasingly ashamed of conservatives and evangelicals. I am ashamed of our flaming nostril gay bashing. I am
“First victory, then peace.” These were the words written on coins of first century Rome according to scholar Dr. John Dominic Crossan. The slogan does not epitomize “the evil of the Roman empire” with its stranglehold over conquered nations, including Israel. Instead, Crossan, in an
Growing the honest church Rev. Dr. Andrew J. Good has worked in the ordained ministry for over forty years, chiefly in United States. The main issues addressed in his book The Dishonest Church concern fear and cowardice, honesty and courage, pain and growth in the
Reshaping power With a title like Why Bush Must Go: A Bishop’s Faith-Based Challenge you might expect The Right Reverend Bennett J. Sims’ book to be a political screed, filled with rants about how horribly our president has led this country through days filled with