Pastor Brian's Blog

Words for the violent events of the past few days seem inadequate.  Disturbing.  Despicable.  Deadly.  It has felt as if all Hell has broken loose. After the police-related deaths of two black men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, in separate incidents; and after the sniper ambush on police in Dallas that claimed the lives of five officers and injured seven others and subsequent attacks on police, it is important to affirm that "black and blue lives matter." First, black lives matter .  As reported this week by the Center for Policing Equity , there is an implicit racial bias in many police departments that results in a higher rate of police use of force against African Americans.  For example, black residents are 3.6 times more likely to be subjected to the use of force than white residents. 1      Second, blue lives matter .  In every community, police put their lives on the line as public servants d...

Dear Friends in Christ, “Practice what you preach.”  It is common advice for anyone who values integrity.  But what about “preaching what you practice”?  I am not suggesting that we proclaim our bad habits as gospel truth.  But rather look for gospel truth in the experience of human life. One way of doing theological reflection is called “theology-in-action.” 1   This method assumes that theory and practice go hand-in-hand.  Believing that God is active in our lives and in history, we should ask: “Where are people groaning with creation for redemption?”  It is not possible to talk about God without a commitment to join the struggle for human dignity and freedom. One key text from Scripture that guides this approach is the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46.  Just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so too will the king of heaven separate those who...