Pisteuomen - πιστευομεν - T. Michael W. Halcomb

It's not uncommon these days in North America to find some Christian somewhere who makes it their agenda to moderate and critique holidays. Currently, this can be illustrated by a simple perusing of Godtube.com, where a ridiculous debate is going on between those who call themselves believers. Some think it is okay to celebrate Halloween and others do not. Those who do not, as you might expect, label those who do as "un-Christian", "satanic", "worldly", "secular", etc. I can't help but laugh on the one hand and be heart-broken on the other. Clearly, too many people who act as though they are holier-than-thou, are over-zealous and under-informed. Their logic isn't even clear most of the time! So, how does one who calls themselves a Christian counter people who act too pious? Well, the place to begin is to rethink Halloween. In fact, it might not even be "re" thinking as much as "thinking in the first place". For exa...

Dear Scripture, I want you to know that I appreciate you. Some scoff at you and judge you by your cover and some remain perplexed. I know you've been beat down and used up but I also know how beautifully you read. I know you intimately. I know your history, you've told me a thousands times. You have your highs and lows and still, I have your name written on me. We go well together most of the time. You are well-traveled, well-spoken and your whispher has rippled and echoed through the earth. Your storied soul is a picturesque geography of integrity and your narrative world ebbs and flows, rises and falls and has its own accent and inflection. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were from the hills of Kentucky. Do you realize how much people talk about you? At schools, churches, on bridges, in prisons, on cardboard...And do you realize the power you wield? It's not just God's hands that you rest. And its not just your friends that stake a claim...

( NOTE: Due to a certain someone attempting to misuse my lecture, I have since removed it. Sorry! ) Here is an audio copy of the lecture I delivered at the conference yesterday. It is titled "Was Mark Framed? Killing the Messenger in Mark's Greek Tragedy". Give it a listen and let me know what you think, I'm hoping to publish this soon in an updated and modified format. (Note: It may take a moment to load. Also, please forgive the poor, lisp-creating quality of audio.) Citation Info: T. Michael W. Halcomb, “Was Mark Framed? : Killing the Messenger in Mark’s Tragedy,” 5th Annual Western Fellowship of Professors and Scholars, Manhattan, KS, October 8-9, 2010.

From the start, I want folks to know that I write this post as a person who has had close family members and friends who have been and/or are gay. I know the pains and struggles that many of them have faced and still deal with, and I am more than familiar with the sense of rejection that they have experienced, especially from religious folks. I also write this post as a Christian and even more, as a Christian who lives in the midst of the tensions between two groups who often seem to be at loggerheads with one another: the gay community and the evangelical church. In the wake of the recent suicides carried out by a number of gay teenagers, I have seen several things said or done that I would like to address here. First of all, however, because the phrase "gay bullying" is being used in many headlines, I feel like I need to clarify what "bullying" is (or, at least how I understand and use the term) so that the things I say below are not ripped out of context. Fo...

Here is an audio copy of the sermon I delivered at church yesterday morning. It covers Nehemiah 3 and is titled "Putting God in His Place". Give it a listen and let me know what you think. (Note: It may take a moment to load.)