Welcome to Hallelujah UMC in Hallelujah, Texas

Sometime this morning, maybe even as I write this, the “Leaning Tower of Dallas” will finally come down. (Note: Obviously, the timeline is much longer now…EF) I’ve been captivated by our fascination with this wreck of a wreck ever since it happened a week ago. I always love metaphor, and tend to believe everything can be a metaphor if you let it. So, I asked my Facebook friend the other day: “What is the metaphor of the ‘Leaning Tower.’” The answers were predictably brilliant. (Because I [...] Read More »

“Jesus is Lord, and Caesar is not…” This phrase is one of the key insights I’ve ever learned from Dr. John Dominic Crossan. And, honestly, one of the key insights I’ve ever learned in life. Crossan suggests that when the early Christian Church popularized the phrase “Jesus is Lord,” there was an understood second-clause: “Ceasar is not.” Crossan deftly reminds his readers how the Romans worshipped their Emperors like gods. In fact, he cites authorities which actually call Ceasar “lord.” It was likely [...] Read More »