tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60487489118883432112011-10-28T11:35:27.029-05:00Writing from the perspective of the second half of life.TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.comBlogger1261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-42074140799510130052010-09-11T11:07:00.000-05:002010-09-11T11:07:44.908-05:00

September 11, 2001 It has been nine long years.   Unlike a lot of other events from that long ago I remember that day so clearly. My daughter was a junior in high school at that point.  She was excited about her birthday coming in four days and past that, about flying solo to Chicago in about a month to visit the university she hoped to attend.    She was on the editorial board of her school

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-58531135448300413082010-04-04T08:45:00.000-05:002010-04-04T08:45:51.952-05:00

forgotten. My break from this blog has been a reflection of my break from corporate worship. However, reading friend David's post about Easter lilies in combination with the poem below from Knopf has encouraged me to share both with you this Easter Sunday. Allelulia, Christ is risen. As part of the body of Christ I believe the church must be, I can only respond - I am risen, indeed!

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-57324940448390501772009-10-31T08:36:00.003-05:002009-10-31T08:36:46.596-05:00

with a little help from my friends.For those who may not be especially practiced in supporting their feelings the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America did the right thing by changing policies that institutionalized discrimination, especially in the face of some of the more vehement fundamentalist accusations, I offer here as guidepost words from my friend David Weiss, a theologian by

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-23872680004484412072009-08-29T11:59:00.015-05:002009-08-29T14:36:35.616-05:00

For years now, as part of working with Lutherans Concerned/North America for full inclusion of glbt Lutherans into all aspects of the life of their Church and congregations I have been thinking a lot about brokenness. I got used to it really, and to my surprise found that nothing in the momentous decisions made at Churchwide Assembly changed my thinking all that much. My inner world is still

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-13538244800156362522009-08-22T08:30:00.007-05:002009-08-22T08:40:35.915-05:00

Much excitement over the news from the ELCA Churchwide Assembly yesterday as voting members approved resolutions allowing for glbt clergy in lifelong committed monogamous relationships to be called by congregations who wish to do so and rostered by the church. There is much confusion and fear as well on the part of those who perhaps do not fully understand how this can be lived out or who have

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-61844466779185690872009-08-21T09:24:00.010-05:002009-08-21T16:52:48.214-05:00

Many obviously emotionally stirred speakers took the microphones. Voices and hands shook, pain was evident in many faces. Scripture was quoted equally by proponents for and opponents of policy change. Some statements were carefully crafted, others came rushing out reflecting strong reaction.People poised questions. "What about the children?". "What about those who will now feel they have no

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-18333020790033271582009-08-19T18:08:00.003-05:002009-08-19T18:35:22.813-05:00

If this is legit (and I am praying it is), then by goodness and by golly folks, we have ourselves a passed Sexuality Statement:From Twitter:ELCA passes sexuality social statement by exactly two thirds as needed.6 minutes ago from txtThanks be to God!CONFIRMED via the ELCA Website:ELCA NEWS SERVICEAugust 19, 2009ELCA Assembly Adopts 'Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust'09-CWA-15-MRC MINNEAPOLIS (

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-89289409734505568152009-08-17T07:23:00.007-05:002009-08-17T11:00:29.538-05:00

UPDATE: From local LC/ACT volunteer Jan Quirl who is on the scene and helped set up Goodsoil Central - there are over 500 prayer shawls ready to bless and distribute. What a moving testimony to and for the welcoming community!Churchwide Assembly starts today at the headwaters of the ELCA in beautiful green Minneapolis/St. Paul. I cannot be there in body, but my friend David Weiss is there and

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-5344055933452607062009-08-07T16:51:00.004-05:002009-08-07T17:05:03.712-05:00

This last bit of wrangling over ordination of openly glbt clergy including the idea of offering rites of marriage in areas where that is legally permissible has gotten to feel to me more and more like a family fight. What I mean by that is many are no longer arguing so much in a factual or logical way, it is boiling down to "so and so agrees with me" or "I'm tired of talking about this -

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-66892112673896366352009-07-27T09:40:00.011-05:002009-07-30T07:52:14.769-05:00

A few days ago I finished my first prayer shawl to send to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Churchwide Assembly. Lutherans Concerned/North America and Goodsoil put the call out for shawls. From their website:Over two thousand rainbow scarves, created lovingly by volunteers, adorned voting members and supporters alike at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Churchwide

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-76457533187593999592009-06-24T07:54:00.004-05:002009-06-24T07:57:29.795-05:00

Click here to view a series designed to investigate the parallel histories of the American mega-church and the corporate-organizational complex by Joseph Clarke for triplecanopy. Absolutely fascinating in a somewhat chilling way.

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-79980115497821695632009-06-13T14:29:00.003-05:002009-06-13T14:44:22.710-05:00

Readers here may know I am also a food blogger over at Austin Agrodolce and a garden blogger over at Gardenista. My interests are all over the place, and I read all sorts of bloggers regularly. Every once in a while there is an interweb harmonic convergency and my blog worlds collide beautifully. Such is the case with this recent post by Culinerapy's Sara about her Uncle, Bob Synes. Read it

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-43675566313877436712009-05-30T08:08:00.019-05:002009-05-30T09:55:03.336-05:00

There's a not so funny joke that claims all second marriages are the triumph of hope over experience. A lot of days, that is how I've felt about my return to church in general, and my adult choice of a denomination, the ELCA, specifically. After growing up an "in the pew every Sunday and in the Fellowship Hall every Wednesday" Baptist, I fell away, disenchanted with the jarring disconnect

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-48859540892771447262009-05-08T09:39:00.003-05:002009-05-08T09:45:56.677-05:00

Invisible Work Because no one could ever praise me enough,because I don't mean these poems onlybut the unseenunbelievable effort it takes to livethe life that goes on between them,I think all the time about invisible work.About the young mother on WelfareI interviewed years ago,who said, "It's hard.You bring him to the park,run rings around yourself keeping him safe,cut hot dogs into bite-sized

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-63741371628993044452009-03-27T06:34:00.014-05:002009-03-29T09:41:51.629-05:00

The more they stay the same.I am in regular conversation with my daughter who is a first year law student at the University of Michigan.As she reports to me about the discussions they are having in class about desegregation and affirmative action decisions as handed down by the Supreme Court, I keep hearing echoes.In our nation's attempts to redress the wrongs done by routinely treating a portion

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-91417309380098861972009-01-19T08:23:00.006-06:002009-01-19T08:39:36.981-06:00

On this, the day when we join in the national observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I wanted to share this translation of Psalm 15. For those of us who struggle with politics, but especially those of us who struggle with church politics, it asks an important question.Psalm 15 Lord, who can be trusted with power,and who may act in your place?Those with a passion for justice,who speak the

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-25164153520181574032008-12-25T10:42:00.003-06:002008-12-25T10:46:54.620-06:00

Happy Holidays from Austin Agrodolce This is from the Human Rights Campaign, but it sums up for me precisely what I pray for, for every single person, every single day...However, whenever, with whomever you celebrate, I hope your days are merry, and bright, and that you will all be able to not only face, but realize, the plans that you have made.

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-4828534419614305552008-12-22T07:47:00.011-06:002008-12-22T12:59:26.837-06:00

Blog posts by nature are fairly one dimensional. Generally, folks who read blog posts do not have the time or the desire or to consider more than a couple of paragraphs. There are obviously problems with this.Significantly there is the tendency, when dealing with complicated situations, for the whole thing to get too flattened by a brief treatment.Like the way a camera flash will wash the

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-3840011629605614622008-12-19T08:30:00.012-06:002008-12-19T09:02:21.462-06:00

[Photo From the ET website] MOURNING THE DEATH OF JENNIFER GALEYet another death can be directly attributed to lack of shelters accepting of transgender homeless"December 18, 2008 - Equality Texas mourns the death of Jennifer Gale, a 47-year-old transgender homeless woman who died yesterday. Jennifer's body was found Wednesday morning. She was lying in an outdoor walkway at the First English

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-73683842251786630752008-12-07T07:36:00.007-06:002008-12-08T07:16:04.590-06:00

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” ~Mark 1:3bI think many of us misunderstand the nature of this passage. That might explain the need of some to so regulate the structure, policies and procedures of the ELCA (a flavor of Lutheranism here in the US) in ways that prevent glbt pastors from serving as clergy if they have committed the ghastly error of allowing themselves to fall

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-27137578991517916622008-12-04T09:51:00.002-06:002008-12-04T09:53:22.699-06:00

Just press "play" folks - we can heal our nation's divided society and fix the economy while doing it. Win/Win!See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-1088726535970242852008-11-28T11:28:00.005-06:002008-11-28T11:46:03.344-06:00

Recently I posted on an article by Richard Rodriguez where I talked a little bit about how so much of our framing of glbt rights is constrained by "Either/Or" thinking. I contend that all this either/or thinking and talking is not particularly helpful when so many of us are allegedly working together to create room within our families, room within our denomination(s), room within our culture, to

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-84428865167338007132008-11-26T09:02:00.016-06:002008-11-26T11:58:00.982-06:00

In the United States we often experience and express a naturally occurring dualism when we frame discussions about cultural issues, due in large part to our Western "either/or" mindset. Paper or plastic. Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip. Pepsi or Coke.Or take this photo - one of my recurrent "Be right back - I am running up the stairs to take a photo off the top deck", shots.Sunrise? Or Sunset?If

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-27996140680671602772008-11-22T15:09:00.006-06:002008-11-22T15:46:25.044-06:00

Are you willing to spend 6 minutes in order to learn some pretty startling information? No, this is not one of those "just when you thought it was safe to..." clips and nobody is trying to sell you anything.This is a presentation put together by a teacher from Arapahoe High School, Karl Fisch, along with Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D., who is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Educational

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-37319387176564728402008-11-22T07:05:00.013-06:002008-11-22T09:57:33.715-06:00

We are cat people individually, and collectively, we have been a cat family since before we were legally configured as a family.By that I mean I had cats growing up, my hub had cats and dogs growing up, and one of the first things hub and I did when we established ourselves as a household was to get a couple of kittens from the local animal shelter. Fast forward about a decade and our children's

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-73873359275261287832008-11-16T15:04:00.008-06:002008-11-16T16:02:25.141-06:00

We went on a little road trip this weekend to visit friends who live about 90 minutes north of us on the interstate.  I was the passenger so paid attention to this and that and I noticed a few things. One was a commercial truck with a sign on the rear bumper that read "No Lot Lizards".Call me unsophisticated, I had never heard the term before so I looked it up. Apparently Lot Lizard is a term

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-51579628586725152492008-11-12T15:32:00.006-06:002008-11-12T15:46:44.947-06:00

This election cycle brought its own version of shock and awe. I am awed that this country has it's first black President Elect.I am shocked, angered, and saddened that we also witnessed the passage of three bills to further codify the inequal treatment of glbt couples who wish to claim their own beautiful version of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".I know I am not alone in this. And

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-31864808116862067782008-11-08T07:55:00.010-06:002008-11-08T08:30:54.370-06:00

Sodom and Gomorrah by the English painter John Martin, 1789-1854David Weiss is a fellow member of the ELCA. He is also a professor, husband, father, Sunday School teacher, an amazing friend and a gifted poet, hymnist and theologian, in no particular order. From time to time he shares his thoughts with a few of us and generally, as is the case today, he writes something I think every single

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-5022142692714212242008-11-02T06:00:00.001-06:002008-11-02T06:00:00.363-06:00

One of the hardest songs I ever tried to learn to sing in high school choir was an anthem based upon the poem by Emma Lazarus entitled "The New Collosus". The words from Lazarus' poem are inscribed upon a tablet installed at the base of the Statue of Liberty. They are also the lyrics for a choral anthem based upon a song written by Irving Berlin as part of his musical "Miss Liberty". This was

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-54200451009257153652008-11-01T09:49:00.008-05:002008-11-01T12:04:59.316-05:00

Martin Luther King Jr. used the phrase in a speech he delivered urging an end to the Vietnam war in 1967. He called us, in that speech, to make a choice before it was too late between nonviolent coexistence or violent coannihilation. He said "We must move past indecision to action."Fast forward 41 years. What sort of world do we live in today? Peaceful? Cooperative? What lessons have we

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-58308666749159242192008-10-31T13:25:00.003-05:002008-10-31T13:34:46.850-05:00

Please Fight Proposition 8’s Assault On Same-Sex Marriage(ACLU's Executive Director, Anthony D. Romero, sent out a heartfelt letter to supporters yesterday. Below is an edited version. Originally posted on Huffington Post.)I’m angry and heartsick about what may happen in California on November 4th.In the most personal way possible, I’m asking you for a favor: help us ensure that gay couples all

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-42830948595030582752008-10-30T21:09:00.002-05:002008-10-30T21:13:11.430-05:00

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-27077138924541509072008-10-30T08:46:00.005-05:002008-10-30T08:58:08.011-05:00

There was a compelling story in the Austin American Statesman Monday about a woman in our area who recently voted for Obama.Why is this news? Because Amanda Jones, 109 years old, a woman whose father was a slave, just cast her first vote for a black man to be president of the Unites States of America.Photo: Larry Kolvoord, American-StatesmanAccording to Statesman staffer Joshunda Sanders, "

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-1681217728310227292008-10-26T16:55:00.008-05:002008-10-26T19:18:29.483-05:00

A very interesting challenge has gone out in certain Christian circles. Folks are being asked to put into words why they are voting the way they are and then to share that with their friends. While there are good Christians, real, thoughtful, sincere people of faith who will vote for either of the candidates in the current election, I know as a fellow Christian I am not allowed, much less

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-70278050244905804732008-10-10T18:36:00.002-05:002008-10-10T18:38:28.313-05:00

So...there is a lot of ink being spilled - a lot of statements being thrown around...but who is the real Barack Obama?  Watch and see for yourself:

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-8410977097826305372008-09-30T17:08:00.004-05:002008-09-30T17:13:27.642-05:00

"Hope Not Hate" Candlelight Vigil in Memory of the 10th Anniversary of the Deaths of James Byrd, Jr. and Matthew Shepard Central Texans Come Together in Support of Hope not HateFact: From 2001 through 2006, there have been 1,862 reported hate crimes, but only 9 prosecutions. WHAT: "Hope Not Hate" - Hate Crimes Candlelight VigilHOSTED BY: The African American Diversity Ministry of MCC Austin at

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-10622748129533138642008-09-24T12:18:00.011-05:002008-09-24T13:42:36.745-05:00

You have doubtless seen the sign somewhere..."if you are lucky enough to live in Austin, then you are lucky enough!". OK. I was born here, nobody loves Austin more than I do and yet I realize Austin isn't perfect as a place to live. We are lucky, though. We have beautiful natural features (no, I am not talking about the people but there are a lot of gorgeous folks here), we have amazing

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-80023657837580106052008-09-22T11:59:00.010-05:002008-09-22T13:16:19.558-05:00

Every once in a while, I get the wild idea that insisting we all keep working to secure equal rights for every single American - including those in the glbt community - is overblown, if not misguided."Relax", I tell myself. "this is all going to fix itself once all the folks older than I am have relinquished their grip on the political system. Give it a rest - once all the people younger than I

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-53685289411185280612008-09-15T10:47:00.010-05:002008-09-17T16:11:05.031-05:00

For the record, I am providing this mellow James Taylor track as an ironic aside. As laid back as this song is, it serves as the precise and exact opposite of the vibe around my house today. Read more to discover why.After weeks (and weeks) of waiting - it has finally begun. We are getting our new roof.The saga began with a hail bearing thunderstorm, one that devastated much of the Central

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-27695663916817980012008-09-09T08:41:00.003-05:002008-09-09T09:36:05.078-05:00

Maybe John McCain used to be a "maverick". Lately he seems to be just another steer. The Obama campaign, which is wisely not spending a lot of money in Red Texas, has this ad out where there are more voters to be found. Take a look:I keep reading that if Barack Obama does what I thought I wanted him to do, which is to avoid negative campaigning and sticking to the issues, etc, keeping what I

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-24625644484302384572008-09-08T17:00:00.002-05:002008-09-08T17:01:17.388-05:00

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-61229511772232110542008-09-06T09:11:00.007-05:002008-09-06T15:04:00.822-05:00

I didn't watch either convention "live" this year.It is not that I think conventions or presidential politics are unimportant, I know they are very important indeed.It is because I get despondent when I witness the degree to which our political conventions have been diminished by their transformation into a tightly scripted 3-4 day commercial. I am discouraged by the complicity of the network

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-59650568075513772542008-09-01T13:50:00.010-05:002008-09-01T14:35:42.429-05:00

I love love love three day weekends. There is something wickedly delicious about an extra day off. Be it a break from school or work, I always felt like I was playing hooky on those "extra" days off, even though I was playing along with everybody else for the most part.And that "for the most part" is the itch I want to scratch today.My husband is a semi-retired neurosurgeon who previously ran

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-52616071293943517352008-08-29T08:39:00.011-05:002008-08-29T10:18:48.665-05:00

It is amusing bordering on amazing to me to consider how quickly we adapt to the use of new technology. When my daughter and I drove from Texas to Michigan for her to relocate for law school there (and yes I am completely aware of how many times I have mentioned that but I am incredibly proud of her and bragging about her is not likely to stop any time soon) the first step in planning the trip

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-62443215674750773962008-08-27T08:03:00.008-05:002008-08-27T09:03:51.485-05:00

Just when some of us got to feeling a little cocky that the Decider's days were numbered, the ACLU has sent out an alert that perhaps it is our own freedom that will fall to a number.George W. Bush has quietly launched a new assault on birth control and reproductive freedom.The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently proposed regulations that can seriously undermine access to basic

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-24187009866391471862008-08-25T13:57:00.015-05:002008-08-26T09:52:17.043-05:00

On a return trip from Michigan to Texas recently, my husband and I had a bit of an adventure.Our flight from Detroit to Dallas-Fort Worth got a late start, but with good tailwinds we had made up the delay despite flying around some suspect weather en route. However, when we got close to DFW, arriving right on time, rather than landing we began to fly in circles.Again and again we banked, turned,

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-46530743016264465062008-08-17T08:25:00.012-05:002008-08-17T10:33:50.885-05:00

During the month of August, both my grown children are moving from one home to another. My eldest is moving across town from older to newer digs, closer to the center of the city. My youngest is moving several states away, across the country really, to begin law school up north.I am moving slowly today, after dozens of trips across town with boxes of stuff, and a couple of hundred trips up and

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-73364070555107663102008-08-06T10:20:00.008-05:002008-08-08T08:27:04.274-05:00

Note: Occasionally worlds collide. I am posting this on two different blogs because the topic of blogging in general and the furor occasioned by activity in the food blogging world recently has this applying equally to both./TDDo you remember that show on TV? The one where at some point somebody was ushered off to the scolding tones of the host "You are the weakest link. Goodbye!".In the online

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-28390836037190690372008-07-26T10:38:00.009-05:002008-12-10T14:17:29.928-06:00

Houston Ordination of Lesbian Pastor May Test ELCA’s policyHOUSTON – An extraordinary ordination took place today, July 26, 2008, at Grace Lutheran Church in Houston. Lura Groen, an openly gay woman, was ordained as pastor to this historic congregation. Groen’s extraordinary ordination was the first local test and the third overall since the ELCA’s policy of “refrain and restraint” was passed at

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-86429439358931718542008-07-18T08:13:00.009-05:002008-12-10T14:17:30.696-06:00

Today is Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday.After spending over 27 years in a jail cell for sometimes violently resisting apartheid, he was released and become a leader for reconciliation and peaceful negotiation that is leading to the saving of a nation's soul.On days when I begin to despair that we will ever find ways to understand and recognize each other as equal fully beloved children of God, I

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-2214012599793886862008-07-15T08:27:00.014-05:002008-12-10T14:17:34.943-06:00

I have had a series of experiences recently that leave me asking the question, "Who has the right to our rites?".This question began to crop up again persistently for me in response to a wedding I recently attended, a Roman Catholic wedding mass in which anybody who self-identified as a Roman Catholic was welcomed into full communion and the rest of us, no matter how faithful our various

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-28923231024541743372008-07-01T18:51:00.007-05:002008-12-10T14:17:37.264-06:00

Most of my family and I spent a recent weekend in North Carolina taking part in a very traditional wedding. We are talking multiple bridesmaids, groomsmen, rehearsal dinners, bridesmaid's luncheons, Roman Catholic wedding mass, reception afterwards in an art museum, the whole nine yards. Taken all together it was beautiful. The sights, the sounds, the events, all working together to re-present

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-17634907885657906722008-06-19T13:49:00.006-05:002008-06-19T13:59:44.223-05:00

Should it really make any difference? Do your part. Sign on now.

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-91734969979311786122008-06-13T08:46:00.019-05:002008-12-10T14:17:40.295-06:00

The 7th Annual Austin Multifaith PRIDE Worship Service took place last night, at 7 PM, in the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church in downtown Austin. After having to cancel our service last year, holding the service at all was a victory in and of itself. All the same, holding the service at First United Methodist Church was, for me at least, somewhat bittersweet. FUMC is housed in a

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-84023153974389337242008-06-03T12:33:00.018-05:002008-12-10T14:17:42.529-06:00

Previously I was sharing about the Bible studies we participated in at our recent Synod Assembly held at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas. Dr. Barbara Rossing led our group in study. She emphasized the End Times as described in the Book of Revelation are not about destruction and death, but are rather about the healing of the world. She maintains that the "Rapture" as popularized in

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-10096510144811965522008-06-02T14:58:00.027-05:002008-12-10T14:17:44.934-06:00

I attended my ELCA Southwest Texas Synod Assembly this past weekend. One of the regular features of Assembly is a Bible study, typically led by a nationally recognized scholar.This year we heard from Dr. Barbara Rossing, ordained pastor, professor of New Testament at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, author of multiple books and articles. Dr. Rossing has been featured on the National

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-84814963556210787122008-05-26T11:28:00.009-05:002008-12-10T14:17:46.866-06:00

Last weekend musicians and fans in Austin gathered to celebrate and raise money for Tina Marsh to help offset high expenses she has incurred battling recurrent breast cancer.This coming Thursday, farmers, chefs and fans in Austin will gather to celebrate the community and raise money for Sarah Rowland, of Hairston Creek Farms, to help offset high expenses she and her family have incurred battling

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-69288673272391021982008-05-23T11:51:00.008-05:002008-12-10T14:17:47.395-06:00

While I do not intend to provide free advertising, I do want to throw some positive attention the way of a company I used when I was heading into downtown Chicago for the ELCA Churchwide Assembly last August.Airport Express not only provided discounted transportation to hundreds of Lutherans who all arrived at one of Chicago's two airports within a two day span, but they took many of us back to

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-58304443916790050182008-05-22T10:13:00.008-05:002008-12-10T14:17:48.129-06:00

The ELCA has unveiled a new look to their website today.This newly designed space is welcoming, inviting, engaging. Kudos to all the motivating force and talent behind the revamp. Kelly Fryer in her Reclaiming the F Word post today "A Great New Front Porch" wonders if our houses of worship will be as inviting and engaging as the front porch now is? Fryer charges us with the admonition to "get

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-59368879826329668852008-05-19T14:44:00.009-05:002008-12-10T14:17:48.948-06:00

I am, if not hopelessly, then deeply, significantly competitive. This is related to, and may grow out of, a recurrent pitfall I experience of envying others. Indeed, in various lists of the Seven Deadly Sins, "Envy" comes in second only to the very worst of all sin, "Pride". I have a heaping measure of that as well. Keep in mind that appropriate pride is not what we are talking about here,

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-18261249042049402762008-05-09T14:49:00.015-05:002008-12-10T14:17:51.413-06:00

A friend of mine was recently assigned “homework” as a part of the interview process for a potential call to a congregation.The homework was, in the context of offering a full welcome to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, to answer the question, “But what about Romans 1?”, (specifically referring to Romans 1:22-26). The answer was to be 300 words, addressed to the folks in the seats,

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-67156299336508134712008-05-03T13:36:00.015-05:002008-12-10T14:17:52.204-06:00

A dear friend of mine, David Weiss, has a new book coming out called "To the Tune of a Welcoming God: Lyrical Reflections on Sexuality, Spirituality, and the Wideness of God's Welcome".David's book will be published this June by Wingspan Ministries, a group offering "pastoral care, education, advocacy and support" for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. David is on their steering

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-55137479895226538202008-04-28T18:05:00.004-05:002008-12-10T14:17:52.560-06:00

Austin in June is a warm but lovely place. Come, join us as we celebrate!

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-64978893427053174182008-04-23T10:29:00.004-05:002008-12-10T14:17:52.735-06:00

In light of recent evidence that a certain ubiquitous hard plastic is potentially harmful to us, I am sharing an Earth Day poem from the Panhala group, a traditional song from Senegal. ( I mostly took a break from the internet yesterday, trying to spend as much time as I could out of doors without totally undermining my battle against seasonal allergies.) A comedian recently remarked about how

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-8701624477300408012008-04-19T09:26:00.008-05:002008-12-10T14:17:53.125-06:00

Perhaps you have been following the ongoing debate about a young army officer, slain in the line of duty, recognized as a hero, and now buried in Arlington National Cemetary.Major Alan Rogers was an intelligence officer who trained Iraqi soldiers and died protecting the lives of two other soldiers as an IED exploded while they were out on patrol. Alan Rogers had been adopted at the age of 5.

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-10208193451399617802008-04-11T09:00:00.008-05:002008-12-10T14:17:54.085-06:00

As a Lutheran, I subscribe to the ELCA's email news releases.  I scan the headlines and read some of the stories, while I typically delete others without a second glance.Today I idly began to read a story that quickly grabbed my attention. The headline read: "Lutherans Prepare for First Anniversary of Virginia Tech Shooting".Let me provide a little background. I grew up in Austin, Texas and

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-53717190286389491522008-04-04T07:11:00.010-05:002008-12-10T14:17:54.565-06:00

Imagine for a moment that you have gone out to the curb one afternoon to get your mail, and you notice one of your neighbors has posted a sign in their yard stating "Cable TV will destroy society!".You ask your neighbor (who is standing by her sign) what she means by that and she explains to you "Cables are an affront to the god Thoth. They radiate theta waves which make people sterile.". You

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-55467724446613345202008-03-31T13:59:00.005-05:002008-12-10T14:17:54.952-06:00

April is National Poetry Month. Knopf Publishers has a "poem a day" service for subscribers for April. If you'd like to participate - no cost and all sorts of extras involved - simply go here and sign up.That's it. Life can be harsh some days, even in sweet green April, and poetry may not make the troubles of the world go away, but it can certainly help.Sonnets to Orpheus, Part Two, XXIX Quiet

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-90173702151068821932008-03-18T13:11:00.008-05:002008-12-10T14:17:55.151-06:00

We in the ELCA have been pretty busy this past week. Yes, it IS Holy Week (and was just St. Patrick's Day) but what has had a lot of folks extra-busy has been reading the long awaited draft of the Social Statement on Sexuality, a policy paper that will be commented upon nationally, and then voted upon in some finalized form at the next national gathering of the ELCA in the summer of 2009.At least

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-37002768733189920602008-03-13T16:53:00.006-05:002008-12-10T14:17:55.860-06:00

Preface: I begin the body of this post with a sincere apology to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I am going to borrow some of his very powerful words, but I do so meaning no disrespect. His words are the ones needed to adequately express what must be said. So, Dr. King? I am sorry if you would have found this offensive in any way. The ELCA has released the draft of their long anticipated Social

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-12664016037725428542008-03-08T07:44:00.004-06:002008-12-10T14:17:56.267-06:00

When you wake up to a beautifully clear, crisp, chilly morning sky as I did today, it would be easy to discount warnings about climate disruption. It is near the last typical freeze date for our area, and it was just above the freezing mark this morning, so all would seem to be well.Right?Not exactly. Despite mounting evidence that temperature fluctuations are building momentum towards more

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-31492299841417159702008-03-07T11:04:00.005-06:002008-12-10T14:17:56.916-06:00

A couple of things have me thinking about the story of the Good Samaritan lately. That wonderful tale told in the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 10 verses 25-37) about a man who stops to help a beaten victim he finds in the road. The twist in this story comes of course when we learn that the man who stops and helps after two others have passed the victim by, is the one least expected to help. The man

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-7484243847189832812008-02-27T10:22:00.007-06:002008-12-10T14:17:57.526-06:00

PLEASE!!So here we Texans sit, in the Democratic Primary catbird seat (OK - along with Ohio) and it looks like those rascally Republicans are at least failing to hog the national spotlight for a couple of weeks. At last, at last, thank the Lord Almighty, we Blue Dot Democratic Texans swimming in the Red Sea are free at last! Or so I thought.Imagine my chagrin to hear that our current Governor -

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-57638976622809057892008-02-12T09:54:00.001-06:002008-12-10T14:17:58.544-06:00

We in the ELCA are yet at the front end of our Lenten journeys for 2008. One of the themes developed for us to use on Wednesdays and Sundays looks at the theme, "Who is our neighbor?". When I noted this resource, I was reminded of my own question, spurred by a sermon given at the January '08 extraordinary ordination of Jen Nagel in Minneapolis, in conjunction with a statement released by our

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-39005185583361126862008-02-11T08:14:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:17:59.567-06:00

Everybody is having their say about the political candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. There are women asking each other how they can live with being "traitors to the cause" for saying they'd vote for a man rather than a woman. Some old guard feminists have responded with a question of their own - ?What was the feminist revolution about if not for the opportunity to vote for ANY

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-50986430102095696022008-02-08T10:56:00.001-06:002008-12-10T14:18:00.326-06:00

Anybody who tries to do any sort of reformation work knows - burnout is nearly inescapable. Working to heal the world, to return it to the vision God is described holding in Genesis, is often simply overwhelming. As we read in Genesis chapter 1 (the Message) God created human beings; he created them godlike,Reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female.God blessed them: "

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-20877543532504588732008-02-01T07:17:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:01.407-06:00

Because, unfortunately, so far we do not...Years ago I volunteered to help staff a Lutheran Concerned/North America's "Reconciling in Christ" Leadership training session held in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area at Salem English Lutheran Church.The training was memorable for me in many ways, not the least of which was experiencing firsthand the remarkable ministry setting of the amazing people

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-86636925517840745082008-01-31T10:43:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:01.742-06:00

As you reach a "certain age", there are times when the news all around seems to read more like a casualty list than, say, a Christmas letter. You know what kind of Christmas letters I mean. Those compilations of accomplishments ranging from merely above average to staggering genius, glowingly reported by some justifiably proud parent or spouse. I get a couple of them each year that are so

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-7808746773433336342008-01-22T07:48:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:02.286-06:00

My father had a poster up in his study. It showed a small figure, scowling, sitting with hands around knees in a box with the lid shut. The caption read "I love humankind, it's people I can't stand!". I thought of that poster while reading about a fascinating show that aired recently purporting to show what would happen to the earth if all the people were gone. "Life After People" on the

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-86336316657728170702008-01-18T08:54:00.001-06:002008-12-10T14:18:02.555-06:00

According to some, I am not really a Lutheran, not truly a Christian, because I entertain doubts. Doubts which I freely admit to. Doubts which mean that some of what I "confess" in my congregation every Sunday is not for me a certainty I can prove or fully understand, but rather a statement which I will give room in my thinking, and more importantly, in my living, to be true. Proven or not.

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-3521533047660258852008-01-17T12:15:00.001-06:002008-12-10T14:18:02.761-06:00

Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has demonstrated something of a cavalier disregard for current events and public opinion outside the group(s) he is courting as witnessed by his seemingly being unaware of the situation in Iran recently or domestically, the details of the writer's strike affecting television programming. Whether or not such lapses bother you matters less perhaps than whether

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-44094273869710506872008-01-11T10:00:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:04.441-06:00

I really like the internet. The way one thing leads to another simply fascinates me. It is as close to having an external mind as I can imagine, this ability to follow one thought to an internet source, which can lead me to another, and another... After several hops it is not unusual to find myself in an entirely new place I'd never heard of or imagined existed, and yet there it is, just what

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-24117165777251288972008-01-09T11:39:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:04.630-06:00

In my own way, I am an extremist. I have a tendency to over-do, rather than do.I have just begun not one but two different Bible Studies held at my congregation.Each of them meets for one to two hours, once a week. Each of them requires around 45 minutes of reading my Bible, along with answering questions for one and doing all sorts of other exercises such as journaling for the other. Why have

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-24786021543922694292008-01-01T10:37:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:04.971-06:00

Epiphany.  This is the time we Lutherans, among others, stop to consider questions of light and dark.  A time when we thoughtfully discuss where the Light is shining in our lives and where we might yet wish for more illumination. What do we see?  What do we refuse to see?  Where do we look?  When do we look away and why?In a typically dualistic world, many of us are well acquainted with Either/Or

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-33042016569080444612007-12-18T07:51:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:05.568-06:00

It is interesting what happens whenever I get over the idea I know just about everything I need to know, and open my mind to find out what the facts might be around some "truth" or another.After a weekend spent relaxing with dear friends out of town, including a lively discussion around the Mormon belief that Satan and Jesus were "spirit brothers", which, if you read the document the belief is

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-77303720092596998422007-12-13T09:05:00.001-06:002008-12-10T14:18:05.821-06:00

There is a lot going on in the blogosphere lately.Politics aside, people are wondering about the role of church, the purpose of worship.  People are fretting over whether or not a movie based upon a popular book will further advance the notion that God is dead.  Or absent.Others are wondering whether God's absence is something that we wish for rather than something we truly regret, considering

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-22969741156713541402007-12-07T07:59:00.001-06:002008-12-10T14:18:06.212-06:00

King Solomon had nothing on my Mom. She was very human, don't get me wrong. But wise in ways that I freely admit drove me crazy.She brought that archetypal Mom evenness to her nurturing in ways that neatly thwarted my brother and I in our ongoing attempts to determine and prove to each other who she "loved best". This evenness was expressed with frustrating regularity every year at Christmas.

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-13873193724706921122007-12-03T12:37:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:07.481-06:00

This past Saturday I was honored to be invited to participate as an usher at the 10th annual local observation of World AIDS Day, ("A service of remembrance and hope") held at Gethsemane Lutheran Church.It was particularly meaningful for me as Gethsemane Lutheran Church was the site of our Austin/Central Texas chapter of Lutherans Concerned/North America Reconciling in Christ Leadership Training

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-5782821873799261572007-11-30T10:39:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:07.985-06:00

December 1st is World AIDS day. The AIDS pandemic is overwhelming, but far from being helpless- there is much you can do.1) Pray2) Donate to a local Aids Service Organization. In Austin we have several - AIDS Services of AustinFriends of the David Powell Clinic, Inc.Hill Country Ride for AIDS The Care Communities3) Find your local observance and make plans to participate.I also recommend this

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-83572513659073206672007-11-24T16:11:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:10.479-06:00

I was not personally present to witness the following story. But, I know not only the main players, but the teller of the tale. I know the players to be capable of what is attributed to them and I know the teller to be trustworthy as an observer. So I share this here with you as my Thanksgiving offering. Isn't that how we approach the Gospel? We certainly weren't there to see the events in

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-16870960450094126862007-11-21T14:42:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:11.020-06:00

Yesterday evening I attended my local observance of the national Transgender Day of Remembrance. There was music, there were speakers, we had glow sticks (no candles allowed outside City Hall) and a program listing the many organizations who were co-sponsoring the event.As I scanned the list of co-sponsors I was proud to be a member and volunteer working with three of them. (In alphabetical

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-33996704423768159732007-11-19T08:07:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:11.747-06:00

You can't always get what you want.  But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need. Or in my case, you stop trying so hard.  For me, a recent Sunday had become a day filled with dread.  I had too many things to do. Way too many things.  It didn't help that I had volunteered to be part of all this busy-ness. This particular Sunday had already been set aside to some extent

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-53620590335879670912007-11-15T17:43:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:12.320-06:00

This past Tuesday we watched on PBS an episode of the always excellent Nova entitled "Judgement Day:Intelligent Design on Trial ", about the Dover, Pennsylvania school board's attempt to require intelligent design information to be presented on equal footing with Darwin's Theory of Evolution in high school biology classes.The resulting lawsuit, which opponents of including intelligent design won,

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-61747244535198383472007-11-12T17:54:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:13.021-06:00

As I was saying previously, seminaries are powerful places, the attitudes fostered there will shape the future of the church for generations to come.Interestingly, the 2006-2007 Annual Report cover for Luther Seminary is a photo mosaic of faces representing the millions of lives impacted by leaders trained at Luther. On the front cover alone, some 64 smiling faces appear, with more featured

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-27859419953913576072007-11-10T10:32:00.001-06:002008-12-10T14:18:13.953-06:00

Message from Luther Seminary's President Richard H. Bliese taken from the 2006-7 Annual Report:"Statistics show that the U.S. has become the fourth largest mission field in the world. That means that in most neighborhoods, for example the neighborhood where you live or the neighborhoods around your church, at least 50% of your neighbors do not go to church. They do not know the Biblical stories

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-88039502873515346852007-11-08T12:34:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:14.816-06:00

I realize the perils of snobbery and complacency are not as directly addressed in Scripture as, say, coveting, or lying.But my own snobbery was both exposed and challenged today while reading an article about contemporary church musicians playing in rock bands for worship services. "Plugging In to Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord", by Ben Ratliff, really rattled my cage. [NYTimes, November 7,

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-57212313936728598222007-11-07T10:04:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:15.010-06:00

Amnesty International needs around $22,000 more dollars to place this eye catching information in the New York Times, where, they are convinced, it will be noticed by people who are high level "deciders". (for a larger version of this, in case you have old eyes like I do, go HERE..)If you would like to help AI in this effort, go HERE.Something to think about, and hopefully take action on if you

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-42772146374318006502007-11-06T09:58:00.001-06:002008-12-10T14:18:15.751-06:00

A group in my congregation is reading from an anthology, "The Best Christian Short Stories", edited by Bret Lott, featuring the works of an array of authors. Homer Hickam, Mary Kenagy, Erin McGraw.We read a short story a week then gather early, 7 AM, in a classroom. We shake out the cobwebs, share coffee and various breakfast delicacies (we are Lutheran) share prayer concerns, then settle in to

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-37139871587162156622007-11-04T17:31:00.000-06:002008-12-10T14:18:16.592-06:00

Today the worship service I attended was very "sensical".Our first lesson, taken from a letter attributed to Paul, going not only to the church at Ephesus, but also to early Christians at large, has the most beautiful phrase where the author is praying "that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you know the hope to which he has called you,". What amazing imagery...the eyes of

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6048748911888343211.post-31363046369395676752007-11-02T15:28:00.000-05:002008-12-10T14:18:17.520-06:00

I am a sucker for tests.Not medical tests, I dislike those as much as the next person. Not tests in school. I still have the occasional nightmare about walking into a room where they are preparing for a final exam and as far as I knew it was the first day of class.Nope, I am a sucker for those quizzes you find in certain popular magazines. "Find out your true [fill in the blank]" tests to me are

TexasDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11214888876514137890noreply@blogger.com0