Blessed are the Peace Makers

This would be one of the more offensive Bumper Stickers I've ever seen It was on a truck I passed right down the street from our house.

"It's Not a Competition"

Longtime readers may recall that one of my favorite theologians is N. T. Wright. I mentioned hearing him address the annual SBL meeting in San Diego last November.

Oddly enough, he turned up a few nights ago on the Colbert Report. The thought of Steve Colbert interviewing Bishop N.T. Wright seems about as likely as Woody Allen interviewing Billy Graham!! But it made for a interesting conversation nonetheless. Although you do have to wade through a heavy layer of Colbertian snark, it’s still worth it. The topic is heaven and the New Heavens and the New Earth.

Enjoy!





(What?! You mean you didn’t know that Woody Allen DID interview Billy Graham?)

Too Close to Home...

Texas Monthly is a great magazine about the Lone Star state. Two recent cover stories hit a little close to home, however.

In July of last year they had a cover story on a nurse who (allegedly) killed several patients in a small Texas hospital.

Last week, the March issue of 2008 arrived and the cover story? An article on a Baptist minister (who spent some time in Waco?!) who (allegedly) killed his wife.

Kadie (a nurse) and I (an alleged Baptist Minister) might each be sleeping with one open eye tonight.

(I have no idea how to tag this entry by the way.)

A New One

I was approached this morning after church by an older (early sixties) couple. The gentleman asked me if I would marry him and his girlfriend, but not register their marriage with the courthouse. She is in her early sixties and is drawing social security due to the death of her husband a few years ago. If she marries, those checks stop.

He wants to get married so he can “be with her” (their words) and she wants to marry, but can’t live without her husband’s social security. For some reason their combined incomes won’t offset the loss of the government’s check.

They want to get married “in the Lord’s eyes” but not in Uncle Sam’s.

I told them that I wouldn’t marry them without registering the marriage at the courthouse. I suggested to her that she needed to prioritize her decisions and ultimately decide whether she loves him more than her Social Security check. If not, they shouldn’t get married.

Have any of you heard of this “Married in the Lord’s eyes” line?