I am a third level student at Eden Theological Seminary and a Student Licensed Pastor in a three-point charge in deep rural southern Illinois. I am the husband of one wonderful wife and the father of three awesome children. I am also a guitarist and songwriter.
Why do you blog?
It's a spiritual discipline akin to journaling. More than anything it allows me to work out my thoughts and opinions in the context of a community that doesn't always agree with me.
What has been your best blogging experience?
Receiving feedback in the hallway from fellow students when they tell me they have been reading the blog is always rewarding. Truth be known, I haven't been at it long enough to have a wealth of experiences to discuss.
What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
I am a novice blogger. My main advice from a novice blogger would be “update more often than I do,” and “add comments to other blogs.”
If you only had time to read three blogs a day, what would they be?
1. Altercation by Eric Alterman is always at the top of my list, though I like Olbermann better and he would be at the top if he updated more frequently.
2. Dylan's Lectionary Blog – Her insights are usually excellent and she has great taste in music.
3. Locusts and Honey, especially the weekly roundup.
4. Runner-up: Boing Boing because I love technology. (not always worksafe)
Who are your spiritual heroes?
Thomas Merton, Thich Nhat Hanh, John Wesley, Susanna Wesley, Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Reinhold Niebuhr, Alice Walker, Clark Williamson, Schubert Ogden, and a bunch of others. I also have to give a shout-out to the “Mashed Potato Committee” at my home church – the wonderful Methodist ladies who raised and nurtured me in the faith.
What are you reading at the moment?
Of all the things I'm currently reading, these are a few of my favorites:
1. The Nature and Destiny of Man – Reinhold Niebuhr
2. Go Preach: Mark's Kingdom Message and the Black Church Today by Brian Blount
3. United Methodist Doctrine: The Extreme Center by Scott Jones
What is your favorite hymn and why?
“Leaning On The Everlasting Arms,” because of its powerful affirmation that God is always there whether we are able to discern God's presence or not.
Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind?
Yes. As I've grown older and more experienced, I have come to realize that race is a bigger deal than I previously understood. The sea of faces on the screen on the Friday morning after Katrina laid “white privilege” bare
What philosophical thesis do you think is most important to combat?
In the church we need a more robust theology of stewardship. We need to understand that we are stewards not just of the church but of God's creation and God's children. Within the UMC there needs to be a richer understanding of the local church as stewards of the connection but also of the connection as stewards of the small, struggling local church. We need to take seriously the interrelatedness inherent in the connectional system, understanding that when one celebrates we all celebrate and when one suffers we all suffer.
If you could effect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
It's about time we took seriously our dependence on oil and petroleum products. We need to take a better look at renewable resources as sources of energy. As the grandson of a corn farmer, I am a strong believer in ethanol research and the development of “flexible fuel” vehicles.
If you could effect one major policy change in the United Methodist Church, what would it be?
I would reconsider the candidacy process for ordination of Elders, which was clearly designed for young persons who discerned a call to ministry early in life. The reality is that the average age of seminarians now is about 35 and the ordination process is relatively inflexible regarding older folks who are completing MDiv degrees.
What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
God loves you whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not.
What, if anything, do you worry about?
Anything and everything. My psychological profile for candidacy revealed that I am a big time worry wart (like I didn't know that!) and that I worry sometimes to the point of paralysis.
If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you'd do differently?
“Well, I'd have taken better care of my teeth.” - Peggy Sue's Grandfather, Peggy Sue Got Married
I would have worried less and enjoyed more.
Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
In a house with more than one bathroom. Seriously, I would like to live near the mountains or the ocean. Maybe on a mountain by the ocean.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
Playing stringed instruments (guitar, bass, ukulele), writing songs, watching the St. Louis Cardinals,
What is your most treasured possession?
Probably the 1969 Fender Telecaster profiled on my blog. I treasure it because I refinished and rebuilt it myself.
What talent would you most like to have?
Honestly, I wish I could preach more like an African-American man.
If you could have any three guests, past or present, to dinner, who would they be?
Bob Dylan, Hildegard of Bingen, and John Cobb, Jr. would make for an interesting party!
3 comments:
John,
You changed the word! Yes, I did notice!
Like an icon? One of my kids shot that pic, so the upward angle may contribute to that look - it definitely contributed to the smile. I removed my kitchen from the background and added a rather generic one. I'm no icon, thats for certain.
I urge readers not to stare directly into the picture. Something about it gives me headaches, and I don't want anyone else to get them either.
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