OK, I’ve finally figured out what I think about Taylor Swift. I know you’ve probably been hanging on for years wondering, “Gee, I wish Noel would just let us know what he really things about Taylor.” Well, here goes… I respect the boldness of reinvention TSwift has shown in her music career—leaving a very lucrative … Continue reading The Authenticity Era
religion
Abortion, Federal Funding and Religious Freedom
In December of last year the Federal Government announced that it would require all applicants to the Canada Summer Jobs Program to agree to a formal attestation that: Both the job and the organization’s core mandate respect individual human rights in Canada, including the values underlying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as other … Continue reading Abortion, Federal Funding and Religious Freedom
“Nobody Was Born Racist” and other Things I Wish Were True
This blog is the continuation of a previous post On Aug 16, 2017, a few days after the alt-right rally in Charlottesville, VA this tweet became the most liked tweet in Twitter’s short history. It’s a quote lifted out of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography Long Walk to Freedom that continues, “people must learn to hate, and … Continue reading “Nobody Was Born Racist” and other Things I Wish Were True
Whataboutism
This blog post is a continuation of a previous post. “What about the alt-left that came charging at, as you say, at the alt-right? ... You had a group on one side that was bad. You had a group on the other side that was also very violent.” – Donald Trump This was a particularly … Continue reading Whataboutism
Taking a Stand Against Racism is a Meaningless Gesture
You need to listen to that speech. Aug 28, 1963. You’ve heard parts of it. You could likely quote some of it, but you need to hear the whole thing. Take 17 min, click here tonight and listen to it. It is a homiletical masterpiece, a speech that defined a movement. It expresses so poetically … Continue reading Taking a Stand Against Racism is a Meaningless Gesture
Being Childish
There is a short but familiar story in Luke 18:15-17 where we see Jesus receiving little children. Right before that, Jesus finished his his parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector with the words “those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but whoever humbles themselves will be exalted” (Luke 18:14b) and then almost as … Continue reading Being Childish
The Gospel of Stranger Things
I discovered a Netflix show called Stranger Things earlier this summer. Everybody else probably watched it when it dropped last fall. Either that, or you have no plans to watch it at all, so I am probably safe talking about it, but if you haven’t caught it and are planning to watch it, here are … Continue reading The Gospel of Stranger Things
Dealing with Silence
I recently watched "Silence," the latest Martin Scorsese film, based on the novel written by Shusaku Endo. It was a deeply troubling movie. The film portrays the fictional story of a 17th Century Jesuit Missionary from Portugal named Father Sebastian Rodrigues (played by Andrew Garfield) who sets sail for Japan in 1640, determined to help … Continue reading Dealing with Silence
(Not So) Merry Christmas From the Pope
Today, Pope Francis addressed the Vatican in his annual Christmas address for the bishops, cardinals and other staffers who live and work in Vatican City. Rather than offer up a pithy "Merry Christmas" and how-do-you-do, Pope Francis offered up what we in the preaching biz call an "epic verbal smackdown." Not an angry rant or … Continue reading (Not So) Merry Christmas From the Pope
X-Men and Eschatology
(By the way, Eschatology is the study of the last days.) Spoiler Alert! Read no further if you were planning to watch Days of Future Past and haven't gotten around to it yet! In the most recent X-men movie, Days of Future Past, things are not going well for our mutant heroes. The movie begins … Continue reading X-Men and Eschatology