Taxidermists and God

While in Seattle, Estee and I attended worship at FUMC Seattle. Which is a fantastic church. For instance, this church is the center for the entire state of Washington for a political movement to require background checks on all people who buy guns anywhere in the state. Regardless of your thoughts on guns, I think we all agree that we do not want guns in the wrong hands. (As a side note, I think that just as some criminals loose the right to vote so too should some people lose the right to own a gun if they commit certain acts. Cough *Aaron Hernandez* Cough.

Anyway, while we were there the preacher, Sandy, told an old joke that I had not heard before. So I share it with you.

Two taxidermists are looking at this stuffed owl in the window of another taxidermist shop. They each notice that the wings are a bit off balance and the eyes are not even. They even notice the talons were posed in a not-natural posture and there must be some rod that is holding the owl up, because owls cannot stand like this owl was posed. The two taxidermists each spoke about what they would do to correct the poorly stuffed owl, when the owl jumped of the branch it was on and landed on the branch below it.  

In the context of worship, replace the "owl" with God and the taxidermists with people, and you have a sermon right there. 

Stuff you should know any why - pt. 7 (final)

The Doubt Essential to Faith - TED Talk by Lesley Hazelton

You should know this not only because this Jewish woman writes a bio about Muhammad but because her overall point on why being without doubt is being a fundamentalist. 

I also wonder if there is much rage in the Muslim world toward this Hazelton in the same way there was in the Christian world toward Reza Aslan and his book Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth? Even though it is clear that what Hazelton expresses is that Muhammad had A LOT of doubt about his experience - which is counter to the dominate narrative about Muhammad and the faith of Islam on the whole, no? 

Enjoy! 

Stuff you should know any why - pt. 6

What Non-Christians want Christians to Hear - By John Shore

Here is why you should know this - We in the church often think we know what the non-church person is thinking and believing. The fact of the matter is - we don't have a clue.