Bruce Maples

Values, Faith, and Church

Hubris, Thy Name Is "Conservative Bible Project"

I'm not sure I even know how to write about this. It is so far beyond the pale that all I can do, I think, is tell the story. There is a web site called Conservapedia [http://conservapedia.com/Main_Page]. Apparently Wikipedia is too liberal for them, so they have their own online wiki-based encyclo

Values, Faith, and Church

The Agape Meal of Broadway Baptist, Fort Worth

A friend sent me a link to this through email, and said he thought I might appreciate it. It's a video of the Agape Meal for the poor and homeless that Broadway Baptist does each Thursday night. It is a simple but moving video, one worth watching, and a ministry worth supporting. Make the jump and y

Writing and the Arts

In Remembrance: Molly Ivins

(If you do not subscribe to the Writer's Almanac [http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/], you should. It comes each day and includes a poem for the day and various biographical tidbits about writers. Today's Writer's Almanac brings this entry for August 30:)

Values, Faith, and Church

Brothers and Sisters: Teddy Kennedy's Religion

("Brothers and Sisters" is the weekly prayer-and-share diary on Daily Kos where community members share their burdens and needs, and support one another. I am the host for tonight's edition, and have posted it here first. If you want to read the comments in the Daily Kos version, check it out here [

Life in General

Brothers and Sisters: The Vertical and the Horizontal

("Brothers and Sisters" is the weekly prayer-and-share diary on Daily Kos where community members share their burdens and needs, and support one another. I was the host for tonight's edition, and worked for some hours on it once I got home from church. Unfortunately, somehow my draft version got los

Values, Faith, and Church

Baptist Group Stands AGAINST Theocrats and their Lying Billboards

From an op-ed in the Tampa Tribune [http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/aug/02/co-billboards-a-blow-to-us-history/news-opinion-commentary/]: > For the next six months, people on the roads of Pinellas and Hillsborough > counties will rumble past billboard ads making false claims and misleading > assert

Life in General

Live Like A Cat

(reflections on a cat on concrete outside a shop in Swansboro, NC) I think there are many life lessons to be gained by observing cats.

Values, Faith, and Church

Toxic Faith and the Tiller Murder

The murder of George Tiller [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090531/ap_on_re_us/us_tiller_shooting] in his church this past Sunday has sparked horror and grief across the political and religious spectrum, as persons on both sides of the abortion debate have condemned the killing as senseless and wrong.

Life in General

Changing

For most of my life, I have been seen as an extrovert, by myself and by others. A big "E" on the Myers-Briggs. A Sanguine on the personality types. Comfortable on stage, anxious to be in front, wanting to lead, with a strong need for attention and, I hoped, approval. Loud, boisterous, story-telling,

Values, Faith, and Church

Stupid Bumper Sticker of the Week

Saw this in Knoxville while visiting my mom: If it's not King James, it's not Bible. I grunted in disgust, and my mom asked what was wrong. I pointed out the bumper sticker in front of us, and she (daughter of a Baptist preacher and faithful

Life in General

A Comment on Lost Friendships

Have you ever had a friendship come to an end, and no matter what you do, you can't find out why? I have, and it's frustrating.

Values, Faith, and Church

One-Sentence Guideline for Christians

From Connie Schultz, panelist on last night's Bill Maher show: I was raised by a born-again Christian who taught us that being a good Christian meant fixing yourself and helping others, not the other way around. Okay, folks, there's your sermon for today; no need

Values, Faith, and Church

Irony Is Lost on Some People

I wrote a big, long introduction to this, trying to find some way to explain it -- but I just can't explain it. Perhaps their good intentions can be their excuse. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/30/145245/63/817/647006

Life in General

Life As Gift, Live As Gift

Sometimes, when you least expect it, grace breaks in. Sunday night was the Four Churches concert that our church participates in each fall. Having finished my small handbell contribution (we accompanied the first hymn), I sat down to enjoy the rest of the concert. As I looked around the beautiful

Writing and the Arts

The Daily Grind

(or, Writing Ain't Beanbag) I've been trying to get back into the blogging mode, doing something every day, for about a month. And it ain't easy. The job seems to take more and more time; I'm often in the office by 6:

Life in General

My Dad versus Liz Trotta

My dad was a journalist. He was a number of other things as well: son of a preacher, high-school boxer, WWII volunteer, medic during the war, concentration camp liberator. Journalism student at U of Missouri. Reporter, columnist, editor. But above all, he was a journalist -- a "newspaperman," as he

Values, Faith, and Church

The Incarnation -- A Fake-Out?

We're working through Brian McClaren's book Everything Must Change at church on Sunday nights, and it's been a good study of a challenging book. (There are still some weeks to go -- come join us.) Today's section contained a point that really helped crystalize a thought for me, and challenged me as

Values, Faith, and Church

Faith Versus Belief

I've started re-reading the book Stages of Faith (Amazon link [http://www.amazon.com/Stages-Faith-Psychology-Human-Development/dp/0060628669/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204508162&sr=8-1]) by Fowler. It's an important book, and I'm sure I'll post some more on it as I work my way through it.

Values, Faith, and Church

The Question of Utility

I've been reading an interesting book (if you're a policy wonk like me) called The Utility of Force [http://www.amazon.com/Utility-Force-Rupert-Smith/dp/0713998369]. It's by a British general and military historian who explores the changing ability of military force to be useful politically, or as t

Values, Faith, and Church

I'm Getting Tired of ... Religion

You know, I'm really getting tired of religion. I don't mean spirituality, necessarily, and I certainly don't mean the practice of Christlikeness. But I surely do mean the earthly-focused, useless, institutional, powerless, unexamined fabric of delusions and rituals that pass for Christianity in man

Life in General

Two Sunday Morning Blessings

Some of my friends and readers know that one of my lives is that of a musician. It's interesting how compartmentalized our lives are; many of my co-workers have no idea of this part of me, or of my long history in making and directing music. (And

Life in General

My Tribute to Molly Ivins

(Posted at the Texas Observer, her "home" paper) I envy all you people in Texas. No, really, I do. You got to know Molly for many years, while I only discovered her when I read "Shrub" for the first time in 2000. It's funny

Life in General

Have a Very Merry, Horribly Conflicted Christmas

(Cross-posted at DailyKos and at Street Prophets) I have always loved Christmas: the decorations, the special services at church, the parties, the time off. When I was young, the gifts were part of the attraction, but over time getting gifts has become much less important than giving them. One

Life in General

Pastor Speaks Out on Walmart

(cross-posted at Daily Kos) Our church, and our pastor, are serious about two things: inviting people into the love and acceptance of God, and confronting injustice as the opportunity presents itself. So when Dr. Joseph Phelps of Highland Baptist in Louisville was contacted by the WakeUpWalmart folks and asked

Values, Faith, and Church

Who Would Jesus Torture?

Our pastor, Joe Phelps, passed along an essay he did for Ethics Daily (link at the right). I cross-posted it on dailyKos here. Please go give it a read -- it's very good. Labels: Christianity, Jesus, non-violence, torture