There has been much ado about a recent issue of Newsweek which pronounced the decline of American Christianity.  Conservative Christian media outlets and bloggers have taken to chastising editor Jon Meacham, dismissing the Episcopalian’s editorial treatment of a study by the American Religious Identification Survey, which cited a 10 percent drop in Americans who claim to be Christians.  Rather than damning Mr. Meacham to that old Christian woodshed somewhere below the earth’s crust, why not consider the subject of the study?  Though lopping off the ear of the messenger is temporarily enjoyable it is rarely fruitful.  If a man has one hundred sheep and ten of them go missing, the good shepherd asks why.

Now I’d rather crank up my iPod listening to a band that sounds like Modest Mouse with positive lyrics and pretend that someone just found the LORD through a Christian t-shirt I was wearing.  Avoidance is a helpful tool.  please continue reading

Flash Fiction: short stories under a thousand words.  I woke up grumpy and pounded this out before I had to do some real work.  I don’t have a title.  You can give it one in the comment section, if you’d like.  Its not really spiritual, but then again it kind of is, I don’t know.  So, here’s the story.  I hope you laugh at it… click to laugh

Give me History Channel documentaries, baseball, football and Hell’s Kitchen, (and this thermos – name that movie) and that’s all I need.  At least as far as TV goes.  My wife has been DVR-ing the Biggest Loser this season, and by-and-by, I am getting sucked into the show like back-fat into a lypo wand.  Not completely, I usually am asleep by the time they measure the contestants’ progress.

Sleepiness aside, there is something important that happens on this show keep losing

(or, What I’ve learned while blogging for daily bread.)

What was it Little Orphan Annie said, “It’s a hard-knock life?”  Or was that Jay-Z?  Whomever gets the credit: they were right.  I didn’t even know that they blogged.  Here was my erroneous thought process as I launched ReamofPaper: 1) I’m a pretty decent writer.  2) I have some friends who will form an automatic audience.  3) I have read a bunch of blogs about blogging, even a book (though it was not a book labeled specifically “for dummies,” which may be my problem). reading on is educational

Easter blooms each morning.

A day does not pass, when it does not try to force its way up.

Up through yesterday’s soot.

Up, just taller than expected.

A medicine to salve the wounds.

“I’ll take one of these

and I’ll call you in the morning.”

Springing up without permission,

Without so much as a query toward my needs.

It recesses in the men given charge

to make sure it doesn’t happen.

It happens and it happens.

Night lights are set as reminders

that Easter blooms each morning.

click image to order

I was talking to some friends about this great book.   It’s a bit of a heavy read, but well worth the time.  Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright is one of the most important books I have ever read.

Let’s not forget that Holy Week – from the passion, to the death, to the glorious resurrection – is what we’re all about. The twin mysteries of the incarnation and the pasch define the transcending meaning of Christianity. We’re so used to this message that it is easy for us to forget just how incredibly radical this idea is.

The Holy Cross itself is a sign of contradiction. A horrible means continue reading