Celtic Odyssey

Last night, the Republicans won control of the Senate. Or, one could say, the Democrats lost what little control of the Senate they had. Here in Oklahoma, most of the incumbents kept their positions. That is, the ruling party is mostly the Republican party. For my Republican friends, they’re elated. For my friends who are Democrats, not so much. I’m not happy. In fact, I’m a little irritated and sad. Not because my party lost, but because we didn’t have to. We gave up. We forfeited. That is, no one showed up to vote. Some figures I’ve seen show about 40% of registered voters turned out to perform their “civic duty.” Just let that sink in. Only 4 out of 10 of our fellow Oklahomans even bothered to raise their voices. What’s more, Oklahoma is a “red state.” That is, the state is overwhelmingly controlled by the Republican party. Or that’s what we’re led to believe. In fact, it’s not. There are more registered Democrats in Oklahoma than Republicans. Now let that sin...

A dear friend of mine recently wrote me asking my take on a hot topic “issue.” The following email is used with permission and edited for content. I saw the link you posted on Pastor Nadia addressing a seminar about the ‘issue’ of homosexuality . I watched their video response. I really do have a soft place for Pastor Nadia. If I were LGBTQ, I think she’d be such a gift. Like some kind of protector. I admire that. I’d like to be that same way for marginalized LGBTQ folks … I have what I believe to be a God-given love for gay and lesbian individuals. I imagine them not going to the prom. I imagine them not marrying. I imagine them adoring someone of the same sex, and being around that person, yet not taking it to the next level. All of this is so sad for me to imagine. What I struggle with is how their lifestyle is OK in the context of Christianity. Put another way, when I read 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1, there’s a list of sins and sinful lifestyles. None of us are told to...

Last time , I wrote about a book I had stumbled upon, Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness by Nan Merrill. In that post, I explained how the Psalms bother me at times, specifically when they’re violent. As an example, I quoted this section of Psalm 139: Psalm 139.19ff (GNT*; adapted): O G‑d, how I wish you would kill the wicked! How I wish violent people would leave me alone! They say wicked things about you; they speak evil things against your name. O Yahweh , how I hate those who hate you! How I despise those who rebel against you! I hate them with a total hatred; I regard them as my enemies. Examine me, O G‑d, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts. Find out if there is any evil in me and guide me in the everlasting way. I then went through and gave various examples of how Psalms for Praying removes the violent passages and focuses inwardly. That is, instead of seeing the “wicked” as someone “out there,” Merrill recognizes the fal...