Category Archives: Uncategorized

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Christian Nationalism vs Patriotism

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What’s the difference between Christian Nationalism and Patriotism?

If you have ever been to Branson, Missouri, and enjoyed any of the musical shows or performances, there is a very good chance that at some point every veteran in the building will be asked to stand.  The emcee will share a word of thanks to the veterans for their service and then a patriotic song will be sung.  If you attend more than one show during a visit, this repetitive act of patriotism begins to feel forced and performative.  When this type of performance is done in a church worship setting, it crosses the line into Christian Nationalism.  

Patriotism is a love for one’s country, seeing what is good and bad, and calling for change within one’s nation.  Christian nationalism is the idea that claims the United States is a Christian nation and seeks to merge Christian and American identities. Patriotism is a sentiment of gratitude and pride. Nationalism asserts that our country was founded by Christian men with the intention that all laws and citizens practice this religion.  Often leaving those outside the preferred religious view to be excluded or demoted to second-class citizen status.  Patriotism focuses on love of country, while Christian nationalism seeks to impose a particular religious and national identity, believing the nation’s purpose is tied to God’s plan. 

Flag pins, like these, sold by Oriental Trading, are a great example of mixing our faith symbols with a patriotic one.  We are a nation that welcomes Christians and all religions, but we are not a Christian Nation to the exclusion of all religions.  My experience in Christian Nationalism reflects a very particular interpretation of Christianity, history and Biblical interpretation.  Generally, it is a narrow understanding of grace, forgiveness and who is considered righteous.   It may give prescribed roles to men and women.  It may decry anyone who is transgender, gay or lesbian as undesirable.  Brian Kaylor said,  in his recent appearance on the podcast of the Good God Podcast:  “Because what Christian nationalism is doing is it’s arguing that to be considered a real American, to be truly American, you have to be a Christian.” 

One of the tentpoles of our Constitution is the First Amendment, which holds that we are a nation with freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the right to petition the government to address our grievances. The ongoing power of the First Amendment is our collective right to petition for change and to assemble to express our hope for a better future.  

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What is Christian Nationalism?

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What is Christian Nationalism and why should I care about it?  

Christian Nationalism is the belief is  “a political ideology that seeks to merge Christian and American identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy.” It perpetuates the myth that the United States of America was founded as a Christian nation and that all of the founders of the USA were Christians.  Further, it is a belief system that holds that the symbols of our faith and our country are meant to serve the political and democratic ideals of Christianity.  Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry wrote The Flag and the Cross, explaining Christian Nationalism this way: “…it is a constellation of beliefs — that the founding of the United States was “divinely inspired” or that God is invested in the success of the U.S. — that manifest in political goals.”

My week began in Kearney, Nebraska, with an annual event that brings all the appointed clergy of the Great Plains Conference together for education and fellowship.  This week, we had the opportunity to learn from Brian Kaylor about the recent rise of Christian Nationalism and its effect on our public and political lives.  Brian’s recent book, The Bible According to Christian Nationalists–Exploring Scripture for Political Power, is a deep dive into how CNs have weaponized Scripture to distort the message of Jesus.  

Brian’s presentation put into perspective my own feelings of despair around how Christianity is portrayed by some of our elected officials and in the media.  Christianity is not monolithic in its theology or beliefs.  We see this in how some interpret the Scripture around hot-button issues like abortion,  marriage, and the role of women in the church. Groups will judge the “rightness” of one’s belief system or decide whether someone is a real Christian.  (Like a couple of weeks ago, when I was featured in the editorial section of the Kansas City Star about the trouble I was having getting a Covid-19 vaccine.  I received a few emails saying I was a product of the devil because a woman could not be a pastor.)  

The danger of Christian Nationalism is that it promotes a political system that rewards those with the correct beliefs and punishes those with different beliefs.  Christian Nationalism wants us to see every act of the government as an extension of God’s will, and that questioning or protesting our government is a punishable act.  There are good reasons that our nation’s founders wanted to separate the church from the state. No one can act as though they have the ear of God and the only right revelation from God.  The Hebrew and New Testaments are full of warnings about false prophets.  The bottom line for judging a false prophet is whether the speaker will personally gain financially, in political power, or in influence. 

In the coming weeks, I hope to write more about the dangers of Christian Nationalism.  Looking at why it is a vital issue for all Christians to know about, how to spot it in our daily lives, how liberal Christians have their own moments of blending politics and religion, and what we can do about it.   

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Game Over

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Board Games are not boring.  My adult children love to play a lot of Board games and collect them.  These games bear no resemblance to the ones I grew up playing — Life, Monopoly, Sorry, and Clue were staples in our home.  Something I have learned over the years is that there are official rules, printed and distributed with the game.  Then there are the house rules covering the way your family group plays the game.  It’s a subtle improvement that has evolved over the years to enhance the game’s excitement.  

The Republicans and Democrats are playing out of two different rule books.  The Dems are working off the old one, the one that allowed our government to function over the last 50 years. The Republicans, at this point, seem to be operating out of a different owner’s manual than the Constitution. The alarm bells of democracy are peeling, and we need to pay attention now.  We need Democrats to develop an aggressive plan to begin righting the course.  

The list of issues we are facing due to the actions of the Trump administration is mounting.  Our cities are becoming military installations, due process for all people is being trampled by ICE, and state legislatures are enacting changes in congressional districts to enhance the chances of another Republican Congress in 2026. Thanks to Governor Newsom for his presence, power, and leadership in getting things right.  

Time for a new game plan, Dems.  Stop rolling the dice on our democracy with comprise and indecision.  The Constitution is our rule book.  Start to flex the power of it in visible and actionable ways.  The game has changed, and we need your leadership.  If you are unable to do the job, step aside and let others take the lead.  We do not want GAME OVER for our freedoms and our democracy.  

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Pressure Points

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The church I serve is a member of the Good Faith Network in Johnson County, Kansas, which uses the DART model to organize social change in our community. Our community has identified three pressing needs for change and revolution: affordable housing, mental health access, and homelessness. The thirty faith communities that are a part of our Network have been working for three years to bring about change in a county that likes to believe it does not have problems. The work that has been accomplished is quite remarkable.

Through the Good Faith Network’s efforts, the county owns and is ready to operate a year-round homeless shelter. Our efforts have also led to the development of a Crisis Stabilization Center for those who voluntarily admit themselves for psychiatric assessment, which will open later this year. Partnering with Habitat for Humanity we have launched the Pathway Housing Development, right down the street from Aldersgate United Methodist Church.

On Tuesday evening, over 1500 people attended the Nehemiah Action Event, the culmination of a year’s work to pressure county officials to change their actions in our three identified areas of impact. Amazingly, most of the public officials who were invited to this event agreed to follow through on the action items the Network brought up for attention. One of the officials was not willing to commit to the requests of the Network leaders. There were some uncomfortable moments when the public officials said that he could not promise to deliver on the timeline for the changes the Network was requesting. I felt the tension of those moments, and I wanted to yell, “It’s okay; we know you are doing your best.” (I’m a recovering people pleaser.) But our presenter held steady and leaned into the tension with hopes of an agreement. There was no change in the official’s stance, but there were promises to continue working for solutions to our community problems.

Pressure points are uncomfortable. Historically, I have not liked to feel the tension of a board meeting or tense conversation. However, my life experience has taught me that change can happen at pressure points. What the Good Faith Network has accomplished in only three years is nothing short of miraculous. So, even when I feel uncomfortable, I am going to lean into the tension and hope for the positive changes that the community needs and deserves.

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What the QR code?

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What the QR Code?

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NRSV (Oremus)

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Like many churches, we are using new technologies to reach our congregation and our community.  We recently introduced a QR code into our weekly bulletin for further information about church events and to sign up for our activities.  We have several older members of our congregation who I thought might balk at this innovation away from paper announcements.  On a recent Sunday morning at worship, I walked everyone in worship through how to open the camera on their smartphone and how to access a QR code.  It was the most fun to watch the faces of our congregation as they were able to use the code and get access to all of our information.  There was a look of absolute delight on so many faces.  We were able to track that over 75% of the in-person congregation could open the Linktree we had created for using the QR code. My fear that everyone would resist the QR code was utterly unfounded.

Similarly, the young person who created this innovation confessed that they did not know how to write a check.  Some of the older timers around the church are planning a day on how to write a check with them.  Each generation has something to teach and to learn from each other.  Unfortunately, we often need to look over our biases to get to a new lesson from another generation outside our own. 

The church is in a season of unrest, retooling, and reset. A time for keeping necessary things and letting go of habits that no longer serve us in the future. These seasons can be painful as we lose some things and gain others. We hold each other in the hope of what we can become as we trust in God and each other for the future.

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A Different Kind of Fasting

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I’ve been an Amazon user since the mid-1990’s. I was an early adopter in the online shopping game and I loved the fun of looking at the books and other gadgets that appeared. So twenty plus years into buying on Amazon I have become a bit of an addict with the products and services available there.

The recent prime days had me looking at Amazon even more than usual to find the perfect deal on any item I thought was unique or interesting. I found a couple of cool items and I ordered in the frenzy that can be Amazon Prime Day.

The whole experience caused me to pause as I considered my shopping habits on Amazon. I do not go to amazon looking for a specific item as I mostly scroll through their recommendations and see what catches my interest. It’s obvious I need to change my spending and shopping habits.

So I am going on an Amazon fast for the next 30 days. I’m already one week into the fast it’s been a bit of a struggle to step away from shopping when I have a few minutes. I’ve deleted Amazon from my phone. I am a user of Amazon Video, unlimited kindle reads and amazon music so I will continue to use these services as they are already paid for and do not require any additional purchases. I’m not going to order anything for 30 days to see if I can break this habit and to become more mindful about my spending habits.

I originally thought I would ask others to order work related items for me off of Amazon, but I am too independent and impatient for that. Consequently I have ordered a set of books for the church and a HDMI cable. But that’s all so far. My husband has appreciated the reduction in amazon deliveries and the amount of boxes he has to cut down foe the recycling bin.

I’ll keep you posted on the fast. Do you have any habits which may be interfering with your spiritual life? I am realizing through this fast that I look to shopping to entertain my mind when I am a little bored. So I am trying to fill that space in my mind with reading and meditation. I use the CALM app to help with centering my mind on God and racing thoughts into a more peaceful place.

Prayer Prompt: What practices or habits do I have that may need to change to offer more space for holy moments in my life?

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Update….Inverness…..Ears and opening

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What a journey this has been. After my last post I enjoyed two days of good enough hearing. My. Tour mates were surprised I could speak in complete sentences and make conversation. They mostly seemed to appreciate my humorous observations about our sightseeing. Day three rolled around and I was completely closed down again. I could hear muffled sounds and the never ending humming in my ears. Honestly, I was so disheartened.

One of the dear men on our trip bought me an ice cream and likely regretted it after I accepted the cone with tears rolling down my face. I mumbled a thank you and sat at a picnic table and enjoyed my pity party with ice cream. He reminded me of Dad, who really thought ice cream could solve lots of the world’s problem. (I think Dad might have been on to something.) My ice cream friend patted me on the back and said, “You really are a tough one.”

So here’s the update. On Wednesday, I walked into the A and E, Accident and Emergency, and had another consult with an emergency medical person. We made the decision that I needed to see an ENT for additional consultation. So I made the difficult choice to stay behind from the tour group as they moved on to Aberdeen from Inverness.

You see, dear reader, I’ve put on my very bravest front throughout this trip. I did not want sympathy or to be a burden to anyone. Our tour guide Malcolm has been great at finding me hospitals and care all along the way. I think he’s surprised that I am still on the tour. When he was talking to the head office about my predicament they wondered if they would need to have someone help me get to the train station or the hospital. Malcolm said, “She’s a brave sort and will be fine. She figures stuff out.” (We were on speaker phone, so I could hear the conversation.).

A Nurse Practitioner specializing in Ear, Nose and Throat issues, checked out my ears. I heard another, “Oh my, that’s not good,” and she was determined to get these ear canals flushed and sorted out. After 20 minutes of suction and water Alyssa had thoroughly cleaned out my ear canals. She said it was meticulous work and felt sure that now we have a chance of treating this infection. My ear canals and ear drums were so crusted with the remnants of the infection that the medicine could not reach the original of the infection. I appreciated her vigor and determination with the suctioning. It was a bit painful but at this point I was willing to deal with it.

I have a new ear drop prescription on board and I will receive the results of the swab that was taken yesterday. I can hear so much and the Scottish brogue is music to my ears at this point. So far I have not been charged anything for the car I have received. I did fill out some paperwork which may result in a bill for the services, but I’m really not worried about that at all. This is why I bought the travel insurance.

Now I am on the train from Inverness to Aberdeen plugged into the charger and writing away on my iPad as I enjoy the beautiful scenery. The weather is beautiful today and it is the Queen Jubilee so the country is in the midst of a very large celebration. Even the Scots, who are not always big fans of the royals, seem to be caught up in the excitement.

I’ll sign off for now. I’ve tried to edit this one with a better eye toward clarity but without running every paragraph through my Grammarly app this is as good as it gets. Blessings friends. I have so many other experiences I will write about as time allows as I hopefully enjoy some days of good health, great weather and an eagerness to see it all in my last week here. Shelly

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Suburban Glasgow

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One of the unique offerings he of the company I used for my trip is that they offer a night out with a local family for dinner and fellowship. The family I had dinner with was a young couple with three kids.

Tom, Ang and Ila

The oldest son, Tom, is a student at the local university studying international law. A great young man who shared with us his love of Glasgow and football. I spent time talking to Ila who is 18 years old and just finished secondary school. She is a member of the British Junior Olympic Ski Team. She’s now taking a year to train and prepare for her sport. We did not meet the youngest daughter who is preparing to play football (our soccer) for a Division 1 school in the US.

The Mom, Ang, is a PE teacher at the local high school. The Dad was not with us last night. He was in Budapest on a long delayed business trip.

We had a great evening with discussions about Covid-19, education and family. Ila and I were discussing youth issues for each country. She asked me what I do for a living, I said I was a minister. She asked me, “Like a prime minister?” We had a great chuckle and explained that I was a minister or pastor at a church.

Me and Ila

A big thank you to our host family for their hospitality. A home cooked meal was just what I needed at the halfway point of my trip.

I have written this blog on my iPhone so mistakes are likely. Be kind. Shelly

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Hear ye!! Hear ye!!

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I’ll start with the best news of the day. My hearing has been restored by a very competent Mr. McKenzie, a physician specializing in Ear Nose and Throat issue at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

He found buried in my ear a great deal of wax, dried puss and other things which he quickly suctioned out of my both of my ear canals. It was not painful but it was loud. When he was done I could hear everything just as I had two weeks ago.

Inside the Glasgow Cathedral right before I caught a cab to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. I see the stress and pain in this picture.

Many of you have inquired about my experience so I am going to go into ghastly detail about my impressions and experience. I also took some pictures along the way to illustrate my day. I hope you find this informative.

It was a 20 minute taxi ride from the Cathedral to the the Hospital. My cab driver had been told I could not hear so he kept turning around at me in the back seat yelling out the attractions along the way. I put my seatbelt on and enjoyed the ride, though I had no idea what he was saying. He dropped me off at the hospital, which was massive. It was bigger than the KU Medical Center but it’s exterior reminded me of it.

I walked in the front doors, put on my mask and stood inside trying to figure out my next steps. A volunteer, called a red coat, asked me if I needed help and I showed him my instructions on my phone. I did not receive any paperwork after my Emergency Room visit from the day before, only a note the nurse typed in to my phone. He walked me to the elevator and showed me the way to go. I was surprised by the elevator. I had to go to the 11th floor. Here’s the panel I saw as I approached the lift.

Elevator button

I figured out I need enter in the number of floor I needed to access and inputted the number eleven. Once inside the elevator there was not another panel to push my floor request. Every lift in Scotland gives verbal notification of which floor you are approaching and the opening and closing of the doors. So I just walked onto the elevator, hoped for the best and that I would end up on the eleventh floor. The elevator went directly to the floor and off I went.

I was to find to Ward B. Great signage too. I found my way to the restroom and every bathroom in the hospital is equipped with a UV light for additional sanitation. I have felt quite safe here from Covid-19 issues as there are sanitation stations all over the place with constant reminders to please use the gel to help stop the spread of germs.

UV Light in the restroom or the blue light special at K-Mart.

I found my way to the ward, notified the staff that I was here and was asked to take a seat. The first three rooms on the ward were consultation and treatment rooms, so there were three of us waiting with an appointment. The rest of the rooms on the floor were patient rooms. Honestly, I was getting nervous at this point.

Nervously waiting.

I arrived at 10;50 for my 11:00 appointment. When Mr. McKenzie called me back he apologized profusely for making me wait ten minutes. I laughed and asked him if he had ever been in an American clinic because 10 minutes was an unheard of wait time. He looked in both of my ears and said the familiar, “Oh my.” Then he added, “I think we can get you fixed up.” He used tubing and suction to remove a bunch of yucky stuff from my ear. I could hear again immediately. I had tears in my eyes and he asked if it hurt. I said that it did not hurt but I can hear and I am so happy.

I was prescribed ear drops to be applied three times a day. Here’s the amazing part. He handed me the box and told me how to get additional help for the rest of my trip. No prescription. No waiting. Just here’s your medicine and go have a lovely day. You might also notice the bumps on the box. Every prescription in the UK has the braille instructions and name of the medicine on it. Amazing inclusion for the handicapped here. There was no cost for any of the treatments I received at the emergency room or at the clinic. My tour guide, Malcolm, said that “I’m welcome,” as his taxes paid for my care and get was glad to do it.

My antibiotics

I caught a taxi over to Glasgow University and rejoined my group. Front to back the entire visit took 20 minutes and the rides to and from the hospital was 40 minutes.

Over at the University we walked through a place called the Cloisters on campus and I took a picture in the rain.

I can see the difference in my expression. Can you?

So my overall experience with Universal Health Care in the UK was amazing. I spoke with a local pastor later in the day and he said that there are problems with the systems but overall most Scots are quite pleased with their care. I’ll have a blog my meeting with him later.

That’s enough from me for now. I’m writing on my phone so there may be some typos I have missed. Shelly