Whose Rights Are These, Anyway?
One strong trait of Americans is the extent to which we value our rights, our liberties. But what happens when my rights conflict with yours?
Sunday Sermon
Where Do We Go From Here?
We look at gains made: not biting our nails, COVID-19 Vaccines, economy surging, and it feels good. But what direction do we take next?
PTSD: A Nation Suffering From Continued Trauma
From the assassination of John F. Kennedy to two mass shootings in the past two weeks, the US has no shortage of trauma, leaving us with PTSD
What The Atlanta Murders Teach About Sex Work
The racist murder of eight people at Atlanta-area massage parlors demands that we reconsider our views on professional sex work.
The Art Of Doing Nothing
What may look like laziness to some may be the ultimate form of avoiding stress and keeping yourself creative and healthy.
This Isn’t Nam, There Are Rules
Not everyone plays fair. They step over the line. When cheating hurts the poor we have to speak out. This isn’t Nam, Dude. There are rules.
Don’t Go Climbing Mountains
Everyone has mountains they must cross. Unless there’s no mountain. Let’s consider that maybe our challenges aren’t as big as we think.
Losing A Little, Finding A Lot
When we give up one thing we can discover something much better. but do we dare to give up something we think is important?
Loving Better: Cancelling Stigmas
Stigmas of every kind stand in the way of us loving people who desperately need to be loved and we desperately need to love them.
Intentional Acts of Generosity
Companies are adjusting their spending on Super Bowl commercials prompting us to consider our moral imperative to give to those suffering
Yes, We Still Feel Anxious
A lot of people thought that with the changing of the president their anxiety would go away, but it’s still there. We still have anxiety.
Staying The Course For The Change We Still Need
The inauguration of a new administration does not mean we have time to relax. Long-needed change requires continued vigilance and passion.
Answering Our Call To Live
Disney/Pixar’s movie “Soul” raises the question of “What is my purpose in life?” We’ve asked that for centuries. The answer is simple.
Sunday Sermon: New Year, Old Problems
The actions and events of this week require a response if we are fulfilling our obligations to making this year a better one.
Advent: Believing In What’s Impossible
The message of the Fourth Sunday of Advent leads us to believe in the possible part of impossible.
Advent: Finding Joy In The Midst of Despair
How do we find joy in the midst of a pandemic that leaves many empty places at the table?
Redemption: Advent in a Time of Turmoil
May the Peace of Justice find us embracing repentance and redemption not only for ourselves but for those who we may not consider worthy.
Advent In A Pandemic
What in our future is worthy of anticipation? The following article was first published November 29 on Facebook Today is the first Sunday of Advent in the Christian tradition. Around the world, churches are lighting candles, hanging the green, and enduring bad versions of Magnificat. Secularly, it marks the beginning …
The Church Between Me And Music I Love
All I wanted to do was listen to a wonderful pipe organ. A church got in the way.
We’re Not Getting Enough Sleep And It’s Killing Us
[Annoying copy reminding people I need to eat at least once a week. Either buy something or drop us some cash.] An editorial reminder that links in this article appear bold and italicized. We don’t color or underline them. Please, click the links. Our personal health depends on learning how …
Five Things No One Needs To Fear
There is a lot of fear in our lives and many are unnecessary. We look at five fears you no longer need.
Name Calling Aside, Saving The Planet Requires Being Radical
Rhetoric is irrelevant; climate change now threatens everything, eliminating the opportunity for a measured response. Note: I realize that since we’ve spent 20 weeks with the novel there haven’t been a large number of links in what we’ve written. Our links are not underlined or colored, they’re bold italic. When …
Good Guys, Bad Guys, And The Ethical Problem Of Nationalism
We have fallen victim to the good guy/bad guy mythology of Nationalism and it is a large part of what fuels our intolerance and racism.
Replacing WWJD With WDJS
Asking What Would Jesus Do (WWJD) is the wrong question. Instead, one should ask What Did Jesus Say? (WDJS)
The White Guy’s Guide To NOT Being A Jackass
So many white guys are running around being a jackass apparently they need some help knowing how to behave. We’ve written this for them.
Nothing I Say Is Inspiring
A lot of my morning time is spent reading. The first 60-90 minutes of every day are spent perusing countless articles while consuming infinite cups of coffee. Fortunately, I read quickly so I am able to consume a significant amount of material within that period of time. Since the majority …
What Shutdown? 10 Things You Can Still Do
While avoiding the politics of a partial government shutdown, the day-to-day for the majority of us is unaffected. Here we are, the United States government is in partial shutdown mode. Not a full and complete shutdown, mind you. Social Security checks still go out. Medicaid still gets paid. FBI, Secret …
Surviving The Holidays Without Hurting Anyone
Just as a puppy can be more of a challenge than a gift, so too can the holidays. —John Clayton I strongly dislike Black Friday and holiday sales in general. I find the greed sickening and the false notion that one is helping the economy is grossly ignorant. The economy …
How To Survive Being Single Without Starving
Americans will eat garbage provided you sprinkle it liberally with ketchup. -Henry James My mother started early teaching me how to cook. She was convinced, even when I was a child, that I would likely grow up to be single and alone. Fortunately, at least for the larger portion of …
Finding Focus In A Blurred World
How strongly are we influenced by what we hear, what we see, and what we experience without ever actually giving the matter direct thought? Is there such a thing as an original thought any more or is everything merely a re-interpretation of what someone else created? [ed. note: The Old …
5 Films Someone Needs To Make Right Now
Everyone loves a good movie. In fact, the whole concept of Dudeism centers around The Big Lebowski and the character of The Dude. There’s just one problem with all these movies we’ve been watching our entire lives: they’re male-dominated. Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with the guys, there are …
AI Could Be What Makes All Lives More Chill — Or Not
Tesla CEO Elon Musk explained on Twitter that his self-driving cars will be able to predict your destination without you having to say a word, thanks to AI. Source: Elon Musk: Tesla’s Cars Will be Able to Predict Your Destination Everyone I know, at least the ones that still talk …
Raising Children With Skills To Succeed
There may not be anything more important to ensure future success than to adopt world-class habits and perfect them daily. Source: 4 Habits the Highly Successful Have Mastered hildren. Raise your hand if you have some. Yes, the one with the drink in it is fine. I probably have mentioned …
Pizza Toppings, Neanderthals, And The Ability To Chill
Gravity is the root of lightness; stillness, the ruler of movement. Tao te Ching, 26 eanderthals would probably have not liked pineapple on their pizza and that’s why they’re extinct. Sort of. Not exactly, mind you. Although Neanderthals did presumptively occupy parts of what is now Italy so I guess …
Finding Solutions To The Problems We Create
If we want to cut down on disease and achieve meaningful health care reform, we should make it a top nonpartisan priority to address our nation’s nutrition crisis. –Dariush Mozaffarian, Professor of Nutrition, Tufts University There are so many hot-button issues on which I want to voice my opinion that I …
Is All This Suffering Really Necessary?
Hey, dudes! We’re glad you could join us again. I’ve been worried about some of you down in Florida and want to make sure those of you in Georgia and Alabama stay safe as well. Let’s get things started with an appropriately named playlist while you read. Let it get …
There Is No Chill When You Worry
Dude! Thanks for stopping by! Let’s start this thing by clicking on this week’s playlist. Let it run for a few songs, get yourself into the groove ’cause there’s a definite groove. Maybe burn some green if you’re so inclined. Let’s chill together for a while. Early one morning this …
Positive Thinking Won’t Lead You To Happiness
Good morning, dudes! If this were a traditional church, we would probably begin by singing some hymns or maybe having a live band guide us through some of our favorite songs. This is not a traditional church, though. I mean, you can hum something if you want, we won’t fault …
The Chillatitudes: A basic guide for learning to abide
While reading, the Old Man suggests playing this in the background: grew up in an extremely religious family. My late father was a Southern Baptist pastor and Mom was the quintessential pastor’s wife. Everything we did revolved around the church. We said grace before every meal regardless of how public …