The Practical Parson

 This week, the governments of Spain, Ireland, and Norway announced their joint decision to recognize a "Palestinian State", with the present Palestinian Authority as its legitimate government.  While on the surface there is the thinnest of a veneer of civility, this action demonstrates just how much hatred and animosity many still hold for Jews and the State of Israel as a whole.  The facts of the matter are simple, yet everyone who wants to be a 'social justice warrior' seem to have forgotten, so let us review: The modern state of Israel was established in 1948, following a failed attempt by the Arab nations of the Middle East to destroy the Jewish population of the British "mandate of Palestine", following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.  This attempt to wipe out the Jews in the Middle East failed, and as they retreated; the Arab authorities encouraged, coerced, convinced, and forced non-Jewish citizens to leave their homes in the area that is Israel,...

   “Holy Communion is not a reward for good behavior, but spiritual food for the starving!” While on the surface this may sound like a noble and pastoral sentiment, it underlies a lack of knowledge of the depth of the great mystery of Holy Communion, and a lack of respect for the dignity of the mystery itself.   While it is indeed true that Holy Communion is not a reward for good behavior, it must be understood quite clearly that the church has never held nor taught that only those who are on their best behavior are able to receive it.  Rather, the church advises and admonishes the faithful (as they are charged so to do, 1 Corinthians 11:27) to prepare themselves as best they may in order to receive the great mystery of our Lord’s true presence in the sacrament.  Why does the church do this?  Is it because they want to prevent sincere souls from seeking Christ?  Heaven forbid!  It is rather because the church truly loves those even outside of...

 This Past week, a member of the Kansas City Chiefs' (American football) team was invited to give a commencement speech at Benedictine College in Kansas.  Speaking to fellow Roman Catholics in the graduating class and gathered, he addressed what he saw as problems with society today; which reflect his beliefs and the values which the Roman church has always held.   While at any point in history prior to 2008 this may have gone unheralded and of no great importance; suddenly to the leftist agitators in the United States, Harrison Butker has become the icon of everything wrong with the Christian faith and conservative values, almost overnight.  The most disheartening part of the entire ongoing saga is not so much the reaction to anything the man actually SAID in his speech; but that the entire "progressive" world is loosing its collective mind over what media outlets have proclaimed he MEANT by what he said.   In short, those screaming "racist, misogynis...

 So the General Conference of the United Methodist Church decided this past week, that they would lift the church's ban on openly gay clergy, broaden the church's definition on marriage, and extend to deacons the right to baptize and consecrate the elements of Communion.  Quite the few days they had, no?   While the traditionalist world is loosing its collective mind over the 'gay clergy' matter, they overlook simple facts that make the situation worse than it truly seems.  There have always been gay clergy in every church, and there always will be; because it is not something that people simply, actively choose for themselves.  No, what is worse is what is done WITH who and what one may be in this life.  Rather than simply expressing "we are clergy and gay" and going back to worshiping the Lord in the traditions handed to them; the UMC has decided that it needs to change everything in order to make a pronounced statement about their acceptance of gay ...