What's Tony Thinking

My Church and The Civil Rights Movement

January 16, 2022 — At dinner last night my 9-year-old grandson, Levi, said, “Grandpa, tell me about some events in your life.” I told him about being an usher at the Presidential Inauguration of John F. Kennedy when I was twelve years old. “It snowed the night before. We had to be at our post at 7:00 a.m. It... Read More

The Lord Delights in You

January 15, 2022 — Several of you expressed appreciation for my reflection last Sunday on the lesson from the prophet Isaiah. So I thought I would do another, as again the Old Testament reading for this Sunday, January 16, comes from the prophet Isaiah. Today it is Isaiah, chapter 62, verse 1 to 5. Here’s a bit, from verses... Read More

Woke Me When It’s Over

January 13, 2022 — In 2021 journalist Bari Weiss resigned in protest from the NYT because of the paper’s embrace of an ideological approach to the news. Weiss now writes “Common Sense” at Substack, where a number of independent journalists are finding a home. In yesterday’s issue of “Common Sense” Weiss highlights a similar move made by the distinguished... Read More

Awesome

January 12, 2022 — First off, a reminder of the earlier announcement. Coming soon to a computer near you: our webinar based on the Francis Spufford book Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything Christianity can still make Surprising Emotional Sense. It begins on Monday, February 7. For those of us on the west coast (PST) it will be 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.... Read More

Will 2024 Be the Real “Flight 93” Election?

January 12, 2022 — Amid our divisions there seems to be a point of unity. Everyone agrees that America is at a point of existential crisis. Survival is at stake. Make or break. However odious the messenger, that was the premise of MAGA. That America was in decline and at risk. Remember the Trump supporters argument that 2016 is... Read More

From White Salmon

January 11, 2022 — We are in White Salmon, Washington, helping our daughter Laura and her fiance Noah pack up her household prior to her move to Atlanta. White Salmon is in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, just north across the Columbia from Hood River, Oregon. I’d never quite gotten the name “White Salmon.” The only salmon I’ve seen... Read More

When You Pass Through Deep Waters

January 9, 2022 — The Old Testament reading for this day, “Baptism of Christ” Sunday, comes from the prophet Isaiah, specifically Isaiah 43: 1 – 7. Here’s a bit of it, from verses 1 – 3: “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I... Read More

Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense

January 7, 2022 — Dear Friends, I’m excited to share this news: working with my friends at the “Crackers and Grape Juice” podcast, I will be hosting a webinar based on Francis Spufford’s wonderful book, Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense. Spufford is a prize-winning British novelist, the author of Golden Hill and most recently, Light Perpetual. He is... Read More

Unexpected Epiphany

January 6, 2022 — Today, January 6, is for Christians the Feast of Epiphany. It’s also been a year since the riot/ attack on the U.S. Capitol and Congress as the latter was trying to certify the results of the last Presidential election. Do those two go together at all? Well, yes. Here’s how. For a long time we... Read More

Entitlement De-Tox

January 5, 2022 — As the old joke goes . . . “Want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” Maybe 2022 isn’t the year for it? Plans, resolutions, big goals, that is. Many of you liked the “New Year Blessing” from Nadia Bolz-Weber which took a set-the-expectations-bar low approach. Less expectation, more gratitude. At the Atlantic, Faith... Read More

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