Itinerant Church

Encouraging the church to move out, move on, and move over

Evolution Sunday: Words without Knowledge?

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Scriptures: Job 38:1-7 & Mark 4:1-12

On Sunday, February 12th of 1809, two of the most consequential men of history were born: one was born into poverty in a log cabin in Kentucky, and the other was born into wealth in a mansion in the English town of “Shrews-bree” (Shrewsbury). During the course of their lives they shared some things in common: both loved Shakespeare, both gained notoriety later in life–in their 40s, both of their mothers died when they were young–when they were 8 and 9, both suffered the death of their own child–one child age 10, the other age 4, both loved music but neither of them could sing, and both were abolitionists. I am talking about Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. [Read more…]

Why Are You Doing This?

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Scriptures: Mark 11:1-10 & Mark 14:1-15

The year is 1977. I am nine years old. I am waiting in line to see Star Wars on the massive screen of Woodfield 1 in Schaumburg. The Star Wars phenomenon is consistently depicted by TV coverage of long lines in places far, far away from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I am standing in line with hundreds of other people, young and old, shuffling slowly to the box office to get a ticket and to be one of 1075 people to sit in the massive theater and, finally, experience this cultural spectacle.

I am not disappointed. The story is full of impetuous youth, wise old shaman-like mentors, heroes (female and male), mysterious family backstories, rural and urban landscapes, lightsabers, tractor beams, a “Death” Star, annihilation of an entire planet, and, of course, good and evil … and, perhaps most important, religious themes that do not oversimplify the distinctions between good and evil.

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Dancing with a Star: Living a legacy to leave a legacy

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A couple months ago my son Tim asked me, “How many ‘Tim Walters’ are there in the world?” Good question, probably a lot. And then I thought, hmm, I bet there’s a website for this question … and, of course, there is: HowManyOfMe.com. According to this website, which uses statistics from the Census Bureau, there are 403 people in the U.S. named “Timothy Walters.” The website offers suggestions of “Famous people with the last name ‘Walters.’” The first name it listed was “Charles Walters.” We all know Barbara Walters, but I had no idea who is Charles Walters, so I looked him up in Wikipedia. It turns out the famous Charles Walters was born in Pasadena, California, as both my father and I were. He was also born with the last name of “Walter,” as was my father’s paternal grandfather. Two strange coincidences.

I wanted to learn more about Charles Walters, so I read his biography by former Joffrey Ballet soloist, Brent Phillips, Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance. Chuck was one of the most prolific directors during the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals. He started out as a naturally-gifted dancer, made it on Broadway as a dancer, quickly became a choreographer on stage and then for film, and just as quickly became a film director under a long-time contract with MGM. One of his closest friends was Judy Garland, whom he directed several times. Recall a big name from that era and he directed them in musicals and comedies: Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Esther Williams, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, and on and on. [Read more…]

Northern Illinois resources on mass incarceration

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The United States incarcerates 25% of the world’s incarcerated people yet is only 5% of the world’s population. Mass incarceration in the U.S. is clearly driven by systemic racism, as documented by Michelle Alexander in her book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness:

  • “The United States imprisons a larger percentage of its black population than South Africa did at the height of apartheid” (6).
  • “In some states, black men have been admitted to prison on drug charges at rates twenty to fifty times greater than those of white men” (6).
  • “One in three young African American men will serve time in prison if current trends continue, and in some cities more than half of all young adult black men are currently under correctional control—in prison or jail, on probation or parole” (8).

Turning the tide on mass incarnation is starting to happen, as evidenced by the collaboration of progressives and conservatives in the Coalition for Public Safety (www.coalitionforpublicsafety.org; partners include the ACLU, Center for American Progress, FreedomWorks, and Koch Industries). [Read more…]

United Methodist Church needs imagination to solve escape room?

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umc-escape-roomHave you ever heard of “escape rooms?” They are a global phenomenon and a growing segment of the gaming industry. Stuart Miller, writing for Newsweek, succinctly explained the game: “Room escape games lock players in a room where they must seek clues and solve puzzles tied to a story or theme to escape before time runs out, usually in one hour.”

Is the UMC trapped in a giant escape room?

Like many in the UMC, I am concerned about the escalating tension and anxiety in the UMC regarding a possible split. This is nothing new, however, as divisions and conflict within the UMC have been simmering since the very beginning of the denominational merger that created the UMC in 1968. [Read more…]