Dear Mr. President; One of the things I teach as a pastor, a father, a grandfather, and a volunteer basketball coach is that we need to respect our national leaders.  I believe that this is Biblical, moral, and a necessary ingredient of a healthy democracy.  As a result, I teach...

I have been besieged with requests to boycott the NFL.  And to buy burgers at In-N-Out.  (Except that other people have asked me to stop buying burgers there.)  I’ve been told that I need to support Chick-Fil-A, while others are offended if I do.  I’ve been told that I need...

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...

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...

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...