Bil Aulenbach I was in a Sunday morning adult education class about the book of Revelation (I call it the book of Revolting) when someone suggested that this book was a study of good versus evil. I asked the class who gets to decide who or what is good or evil. Dictionary.com defines evil as “morally wrong … Read more
I recently read a magazine article about an acclaimed Jamaican author, Marlon James, and his award-winning book, A Brief History of Seven Killings. My interest was piqued when he shared his “deep secret.” Before his writing career took off, Marlon became a fundamentalist Christian to deal with the fact that he was gay in a … Read more
I have a friend who reads the obituaries every morning, and if his name isn’t in there, he gets dressed. I also read the obits every day out of curiosity. With tongue in cheek, I present my future obituary. William Hamilton Aulenbach, Jr.: October 28, 1932–February 29, 2042 Bil died surrounded by no one while … Read more
The contrast between the church I grew up in and the church of today is like black and white. The church of my youth was alive and vital. Today’s church has rigor mortis. What happened? I think I know. Change happened. The church was strong and growing when I was ordained in 1960. Then came … Read more
The apostle born as Simeon or Simon was later in life called Cephas or Peter, both of which mean “rock.” To me, Peter is an enigma. Most of the time, I see him as weak, dense, unfaithful, and confused, more of a pebble than a rock. Most believe Peter was one of Jesus’s closest confidants … Read more
About a dozen years ago, a young woman with outlandish attire appeared on the entertainment scene. At first, I thought Lady Gaga was a Madonna copycat, but as I watched her over the years, I found her to be a bright, articulate woman who has a social conscience as well as outstanding singing, acting, and … Read more
This old nursery rhyme plays in my head whenever I read about the women who were at the cross when Jesus died, most of whom were named Mary (Matthew 27:55–56, Mark 15:40, and John 19:25). To me, the most important one, and the only one named in all three accounts, was Mary Magdalene from the … Read more
The definition of monotheism is “the doctrine or belief that there is only one god.” Christians and Jews claim that their religions are monotheistic. I was baptized (at three weeks old) and raised in the Episcopal church, which I loved until I went to college. There, I learned to think, ask questions, and doubt many … Read more
I was on my way to my spin class when I saw a pamphlet entitled “One Minute after You Die” on the ground. I picked it up and read it. Yikes! It promised that one minute after I die, I’ll “either be enjoying a personal welcome from Christ or catching [my] first glimpse of gloom … Read more