The Edge of the Inside
The first iteration of the blog was, Just Todd, written on the old Blogger platform. I moved from there to Typead. After reading a piece by Father Richard Rohr, I adopted the blog title, The Edge of the Inside and moved to WordPress. Fr. Roher describes the prophetic position as, the edge of the inside. The location in the analogy provides an opportunity to welcome those who are coming and to engage those who are leaving. One may also utter a call to those just outside to consider Jesus is Lord while at the same time calling out the seat of power at the center of whatever group with which one may identify or what category accompany existing relationships.
The new iteration of the website combines my interest in writing, though not as often as I like, with the opportunity to host a podcast. Here you will find newer and older posts. Over time we change. It is possible you may discover some of those changes if you care to read the older posts.
Thank you for stopping by.
Patience Practiced
Years ago my friend Danny, who played Division 1 College Baseball, described patience as the clean-up batter in Paul’s list of the fruits of the Spirit. If you played baseball the clear implications are that patience is both a virtue and difficult. Maybe that is why Paul lists it as an activity produced by the...
Not My Impersonation of Dave Wilkerson
Some may remember a comedian, a Christian, from the late 1970s and 1980s, Mike Warnke. If you missed that era here are two things to know: 1) he was a funny storyteller, and 2) we learned years later some of his stuff was made up. I had one of his early albums where he described...
What a Beard!
We knew that little boy that broke his leg when he was a toddler would grow up. Little did we know that a smooth-faced teenager would one day sport such a well-groomed beard! That’s what happens after sixteen years. The last time I saw Jordan was 2003. Kimberly graduated high school that year. Patty and...
No Longer Canceled!
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Luke 19:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12 Pastoral Prayer: Lord God, we gather today bringing our questions and our burdens, we gather today longing to be embraced in your love, we gather today to witness the Spirit increase our love for one another. We gather, here in Church the space beyond enemies. May...
Would You Recognize It?
Luke 18:9-14 Pastoral Prayer: Holy One, we gather to remember that you closed the gap between us and yourself in Jesus Christ. For some reason we think this increases the gap between us and our neighbors. The burden of proving we are closer to you than others is oppressive. Spirit of God, reveal the breadth...
More Than A Banner
Jeremiah 31:27-34 Pastoral Prayer: Lord God, we read the Scriptures and often feel a sense of de ja vu, like we are in a replay of Jeremiah’s day. Things we felt confident in are being uprooted, accomplishments we depend on for our self-esteem are being torn down, plans we have made for our future destroyed...
For the Birds?
Luke 17:11-19 Pastoral Prayer: Lord God maker of heaven and earth, just as you brought life out of the face of the deep, you create life out of death. We gather this morning to remember that your work of grace is an ongoing re-creation of life out of death over and over again . ....
Faith that Invalidates the Impossible and the Absurd
Luke 17:1-10 Jeremiah warned of thing to come. When the trouble came, he lamented. How lonely sits the city that once was full of people! How like a widow she has become, she that was great among the nations! She that was a princess among the provinces has become a vassal. She weeps bitterly in...
Real (Estate) Hope
Pastoral Prayer: Holy One, we gather this morning aware of hopelessness around us. Powers collude to threaten our future. Sometimes we conspire with these enemies unaware. The threat is real. Remind us today that in Christ we captives with nothing have been given everything by grace. Lord God let the words of my mouth and...
Killjoy Jesus?
Luke 21:5-19 & 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Pastoral Prayer: Lord God, we admit that when things are going good, we don’t want anyone, even you, to tell us we might have put our faith in the wrong place. Our world is so full of negativity that we would like time to take in the rare good...