Some find it easy to choose their candidate and make their vote.  I don’t. Maybe it’s because, as a Christian, I have unusually high expectations for leaders, and we aren’t always offered high quality candidates.  Maybe it’s because I’m disgusted with our two-party system, for I don’t identify completely with...

United States Senator John McCain passed away this weekend.  As a pastor who wants to focus on Jesus, I usually don’t say too much about politics and politicians.  Nevertheless, I was deeply moved when I heard the news.  I didn’t agree with him on all things, but I deeply respected...

Many celebrities, politicians, athletes, and social media users seem to be having trouble determining what is right or wrong.  (Or they just don’t care.)  As a result, we are seeing an abundance of racist tweets, name-calling on Facebook, and putdowns in speeches and interviews.  These remarks are widely condemned and...

The words of a prominent Southern Baptist leader (made several years ago but brought to public attention in the last few weeks) has caused a firestorm of anger, accusations, debate, and defense.  The leader essentially said that in the case of physical abuse, a woman should rely upon prayer and...

I believe in respect. Unfortunately, I don’t see much of it anymore.  American culture seems to run on disrespect.  Politicians show complete disrespect to other politicians.  Crowds at ballgames disrespect the players, the referees, the coaches, and fans of the other team. And disrespect aimed at teachers, police officers, retail...

I love Arizona. I’m not a native, but I’m close. My family moved here when I was 2.  I’ve lived in Arizona for 54 of my 59 years. And I’ve never really wanted to live anywhere else. But that doesn’t mean I love everything about Arizona. There are many things...

I follow politics rather closely, but, as a Pastor, I don’t endorse candidates from the pulpit or in my official position as Pastor.  Nevertheless, I think and pray about political and governmental issues a lot.  (And I’ve even been known to rant–regularly, actually–but only at home and with close friends.) ...

There is an interesting case before the Supreme Court right now that is of great interest to believers.  And despite what you may have heard from both sides, it’s not an easy decision for the court. The case is relatively straightforward.  A Colorado baker refused to design a cake for...

Several weeks ago, I shared on a Sunday morning that we are considering a name change. Nothing has yet been decided, but we want to answer some of the many questions we have received.  Why are we considering changing our name?  What else would change?  How does a church change...

This blog was inspired by a friend and church member–and a fine human being–who is a DACA recipient. You can call them “dreamers.”  I like that. Or you can call them “DACA recipients,” though that sounds overly bureaucratic. But let’s not call them aliens, which makes them sound weird and otherworldly. And...