Bil Aulenbach I saw the documentary series Gordon Behind Bars, which stars Gordon Ramsay, the famous British chef. In it he convinced the prison ministry in England to allow him to work with a group of inmates. He taught them professional cooking skills as well as life skills so that when they got out of prison, they … Read more
Ninety years ago, most of the world believed that the only sexual orientation was between a man and a woman. No one spoke about any other options, even though they existed. In college, I learned about those who were queer (the Q in LGBTQIA+), then a pejorative. My vocabulary also included fairy, fag, and homo … Read more
Every time I read or hear something about Christian nationalism, I shudder. This movement has nothing to do with Jesus, Christianity, or the US Constitution, which demands the separation of church and state. Christian nationalism is an attempt to establish a militaristic theocracy. For most of my life, the word Christian has been positive despite … Read more
In my sixty-three years of ministry, I have encountered dozens of different Jesuses. In my own life, the Sunday School Jesus was white with well-coiffed brown hair and a brilliant white flowing gown, looking like he just got off the boat from Sweden. My young adult Jesus appeared human but was really God. Seminary’s Jesus … Read more
Mark (14:7), Matthew (26:11), and John (12:8) all claim that Jesus said, “The poor will always be around.” I have never liked that statement. It’s defeatist, and I want to prove it wrong. In the 1960s, when Lyndon Johnson was president, he led a war on poverty and was about 40 percent successful. Then Nixon … Read more
About six months ago, my editor and some friends suggested that I write more positive, inspiring blog posts. I thought that was a good idea and gave it a try. However, a few weeks ago, I realized I was back to my old ways. I’m going to try again. My first idea was to do … Read more
When I was a history major in college, I was intrigued by World War II. I always wondered how Adolf Hitler convinced the Lutheran Church that he was a good guy. Fast-forward to February 2022, when the Russians started a massive buildup on the Ukrainian border. I was surprised that the free world just watched … Read more
If you want your baptisms to be invalid in the Roman Catholic Church, say, “we” instead of “I” during the rite. This nitpicking fact made international news when an American Roman Catholic priest, between 2005 to 2022, said “we,” meaning the body of believers, as he baptized folks. Canon law lawyers have ruled that a … Read more
Is the historical Jesus real? The short answer: yes and no. Jesus left no autobiography. None of the Gospels portray a biography about Jesus. Rather, they are interpretations by the authors of who they wanted Jesus to be. This resulted in the many versions of Jesus. He is God, his Son, part of the Trinity: … Read more
In 2022, Lent started on Ash Wednesday, March 2, and terminates with the celebration of Easter, April 17. During this time, there will be a great deal of talk about Jesus, a cross, and his crucifixion. The Holy Week story is filled with lots of myths but little reality. The first time one sees a … Read more