Thoughts on the Sharing Economy Jun04

Thoughts on the Sharing Economy

I’m a bit ambivalent about what folks are calling the “sharing economy”. Not from a lack of desire to share. Goodness, but I think we need to share more, partner more, and cooperate more – as congregations, seminaries, community groups, etc. – than ever. It’s more that the sharing economy doesn’t always feel like sharing. Maybe it’s simply that I’ve used Uber and, sure, it’s great. But it doesn’t exactly feel like sharing when I pay at least as much as I would pay for a cab. It just feels a little more convenient, but otherwise pretty transactional. Which is where my ambivalence comes in. I actually love the way...

It’s Friday – Shake it Off! May29

It’s Friday – Shake it Off!

Hey – it’s Friday! And if you’ve had anything like the week that I’ve had – which doesn’t actually mean that it was bad, just crazy busy – you’re probably ready to draw this week to a close and head into the weekend. Or, to put it another way, you might just be ready to shake this week off. And speaking of shaking it off – and having a really good laugh on a Friday afternoon – if you haven’t seen this dashcamera video of a Dover policeman singing to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” Four minutes of unbelievable good humor. I’ll be honest: I’ve been...

Stephen Colbert’s Favorite Bible Verse Mar10

Stephen Colbert’s Favorite Bible Verse

I am a huge fan of Stephen Colbert. I think he’s incredibly smart and incredibly funny. Along with John Stewart, Colbert has elevated satirical humor to the level of art form that Mark Twain would have admired. Plus, you’ve got to admire – or, at least I marvel at – how he has maintained a three-dimensional media persona – and a completely different private (i.e., real) life – for years on end. I can’t wait to see what happens when he goes to the Late Show. In the meantime, it’s also interesting to know that he’s a faithful Christian. And – if you’ll watch the six-minute interview with Father James Martin below –...

Faith, Science, and the Wonder of the Universe Mar06

Faith, Science, and the Wonder of the Universe

I have next to nothing to say about the four-minute video clip below…except that IT IS SO COOL! Really. It comes from Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul Sunday program and, whatever you may think of Oprah’s theology or spirituality or whatever, you’ve got to admit she’s got style. 🙂 And resources. And so it’s a wonderfully made short film that raises questions about the relationship between faith and science. And here I’ll be frank: I’ve never quite understood those who see these two in stark opposition. And that includes combatants on both sides. Science is nothing to be afraid of, and faith is not...

Eye-Contact and Intimacy Feb19

Eye-Contact and Intimacy

Okay, so I don’t really know if this qualifies as “science” (the “studies show” is what got to me). But I’d invite you to take four and a half minutes and watch it anyway. It’s just really interesting…and kind of beautiful…and testifies, I think, to our deep desire to be connected to others. So take a look…and maybe even try it out. Notes: 1) If you receive this post by email, you may need to click on the title at the top of the post in order to watch the video. 2) Thanks to the great folks at Soul Pancake for another awesome video. 3) I also found a great article on the...

Why I Love The Walking Dead

If you’d told me even four months ago if I would be really looking forward to the return of AMC’s The Walking Dead for the second half of its fifth season, I would have thought you were crazy. I couldn’t, quite frankly, figure out the growing cultural fascination with zombies. Really? Slow moving, mindless creatures that eat whatever living thing they can find and can only be killed with a terminal shot to the brain? I just didn’t get it. But then one friend kept mentioning what a great show it was, and another told me that if I could get through the first episode with lots of shooting zombies in the head, I’d be hooked. And,...