Inappropriate Conversations

The fear that dearest friends would not be close to us anymore is real. So is the burden. Different Drummer: Alan Parker

Odds and ends include: * How to interpret the role of Congress with Mueller Report. * Whether Missouri leaders are conspiring to commit sexual assault. * If Fred Rogers isn't my all-time favorite "Fred" ... who is? * "Third Person" from Manifestos Of Neosurrealism. Different Drummer: Vincent Kompany  

Whether understanding the meaning of words in their time is key to seeking the mind of God?   Christianity 201: Time for Solid Food  

The concept of parental control, even censorship, was clearly a part of my upbringing. I could cite numerous examples of inconsistencies, though: Three's Company, Soap, American Graffiti, National Lampoon's Animal House, Queen, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Harold Robbins (The Betsy), Xaviera Hollander (The Happy Hooker), Hermann Hesse (Siddhartha), Alex Comfort (The Joy of Sex, More Joy of Sex), Bari Wood & Jack Geasland (Twins). Different Drummer: Dolly Parton George In Atlanta #52

Whether progressive emphasis on affirming churches is even sufficient? Welcoming, Accepting, Affirming - Don't Get Stuck  

Concluding a long TalkBack series to start the year, I'm giving the last word to the Sermon On The Mount. Intentionally, I've done this in the most common English translations I can find, preferring an easily understood paraphrase to any version that makes it sound like Jesus was speaking to some gathering of experts rather than a crowd.  Next month, Walk The Earth will resume with new episodes and Inappropriate Conversations after that.

It is not possible for me to look back to February 2012 and Inappropriate Conversations #81 and not think of community. It's particularly true this year. This recording would not have been possible without a strong, supportive online community, one that now seems to be gone. At the same time, another online community, Pride48, is providing deeply meaningful support for its participants at the news that one of our podcasters has died, too young and suddenly. This is the right time for the voices of old friends to be ringing in my ears. RIP, Matthew Ulmen

The TalkBack series in January focused on scripture, theology, and religion with slices of Inappropriate Conversations #150. February will finish this set of callbacks with episodes that function as an Appendix of sorts, supporting material consistent with Opening The Scriptures and taking the Bible seriously. Inappropriate Conversations #131 has a New Testament focus, primarily the story of Peter in the Acts of the Apostles.  That, and a strangely controversial Different Drummer.  

When Inappropriate Conversations #150 was first posted in September 2014, the best solution I had for liner notes was simply a list of all the quoted texts, which alone was quite extensive. Now, wrapping up this look-back to that long podcast, I'll use the last of these 6 parts with a link to the original post. It has the full set of scriptures and the name of the Different Drummer, and that segment closes out the episode.  #IC #150

Few figures in this history of Christianity are as controversial as Paul. Really, it's important to look at the story of the Apostle Paul as both a history of Saul and Paul. That is true whether you view "history" here as historical fact or the internal back-story of a fictional narrative. Either way, Paul's influence is quite real, and I wouldn't call him the hero of his own story. 

Having passed the half-way point in sharing Inappropriate Conversations #150 with the 3rd part, the excerpts will be shorter from this point on. Part 4 starts with the question of whether everyone the circles of family and friend were on board with Jesus and his ministry. Far from it.

Following up more quickly with Part 3 of the TalkBack to Inappropriate Conversations #150, in part because the way this portion of that long podcast ties into the section before.  Did Jesus ever address sexual orientation during his ministry? No. Or, maybe, by saying nothing at all.

Following the introduction in the first part of this look-back to Inappropriate Conversations #150, it's time to dive in to both the Word and the past episode, at length. As planned, much shorter introductions now that the next TalkBack posts are, essentially, mid-episode.