Phil Gulley-Last Saturday morning, I woke up early to take my Mom to the airport and stopped by Hardees for biscuits and gravy on my way over to my parent's house.  Joan thinks that kind of food is bad for me, and doesn’t want me eating it.  Southern Baptists have to sneak to drink a beer.  I have to sneak to eat biscuits and gravy.  So I walked into Hardees and it was just packed with men, all of whom looked guilty, like they'd been caught doing something bad, and there were some Amish guys there.  Four of them—an older man, two younger men, and a boy.  They looked ill at ease, like they didn't belong, strangers in a strange land, Israelites in the land of Egypt.  

Phil Gulley-This has always been one of my favorite stories in the Bible, but as I was reading it again this week, I noticed a pair of brackets around it I had never noticed before, and a footnote directing me to a note at the bottom of the page which read, "The most ancient manuscripts omit this story." I did a little more digging and discovered some Biblical scholars believe this story didn't make its way into the Bible until around 900 A.D., and because of its dubious origins some newer translations of the Bible leave this story out altogether.

Jim Mulholland-When I was twelve years old, our family moved from a house in town to a farm in the country. It was the first move of my life and I was thrilled. I was especially excited because we were having a yard sale on the weekend before we moved. My family had never had a yard sale.

Phi Gulley-When I was eighteen and undecided what to do with my life, my mother urged me to become a lawyer. She said, "You love to argue. You might as well get paid for it." Many of our family friends were attorneys and I enjoyed their company, so for awhile I gave it serious thought. I even spoke with some attorneys, all of whom urged me to consider other vocations. The lawyer I knew best was John Vandivier, who owned a boat, drove a blue Lincoln Town Car, and loved nothing more than a spirited ethical or theological discussion. I'd met him when I became his paper boy at the age of twelve, and we clicked. When John died, I did his funeral and had the distinct impression he wanted to rise up out of his coffin and have one last conversation.

Phil Gulley- I was in Florida last weekend leading a retreat for a Southern Baptist Church at a conference center on the beach. I didn't want to go, but when one is in ministry, one has to be prepared to carry out difficult tasks without complaint, so off I went to the beach.

Jim Mulholland-Many years ago, Bill Gothard came to my inner city neighborhood. Bill Gothard is the president of the Institute For Basic Life Principles, a parachurch organization based in Chicago, Illinois. He was invited to Indianapolis by Mayor Goldsmith and sent to my neighborhood to start a program aimed at reforming inner city youth. The Mayor and Judge Payne, the juvenile judge at that time, pledged Gothard their full support.

Jim Mulholland-Over the past two years, there have been several New York Times best selling books written by atheists about religion. I’ve read most of them - Sam Harris' The End of Faith, Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion, and Christopher Hitchens' God Is Not Great. The subtitle of Hitchens' book summarizes the general consensus of all of these authors – "Religion poisons everything."

Philip Gulley- Our sons returned to school this week, to the toil of compulsory education, and not with great enthusiasm. I can't imagine being a teacher and having to teach children who are in no mood to learn. We have many educators here at Fairfield and you have my deepest admiration. Personally, I support child labor, letting those who have the energy for work do it, while we adults, who are weary of labor and eager to learn something, go to school. I would like to learn how to diagram sentences. I wasn’t paying attention the week Mrs. Conley taught it in the fourth grade. They tried making me learn it and I resisted, but now I would pay good money to know such things. That’s the problem with making people do things, we find ways to rebel even when it’s in our best interests to cooperate.

Philip Gulley- It is nice to be back at Fairfield Meeting with my friends. We've been on vacation, camping on the shores of the Great West Bog Lake near Loogootee, Indiana. Now we are home and for that we are grateful. A word of advice: Don't ever go on vacation anywhere with the word "bog" in the title. Bog: wet spongy ground; a poorly drained usually acid area rich in plant residues, frequently surrounding a body of open water. Bog: to become impeded or stuck.

Jim Mulholland-My daughter-in-law's sister is giving her children away. As horrible as that sounds, it may be an act of grace.

Jim Mulholland-When I was a little boy, I was deathly afraid of dogs. When I saw a dog, I'd freeze in terror. If the dog growled, I'd run. When the dog chased me, I'd scream. My mother and father tried to convince me that I didn't need to be afraid, but I didn't believe them.

Philip Gulley-8.23.07-I was talking with a friend last Sunday afternoon about decision-making. I noticed he seemed to make very difficult decisions with apparent ease and I wanted to know his secret. I’m not a very good decider. I tend to vacillate, decide to do one thing, then the next day change my mind and do something else. It drives Joan nuts. Joan is a fantastic decider. She makes up her mind to do something, then does it. Never looks back. Just decides and goes. It's amazing! Every morning, I'm sitting at the kitchen table trying to decide whether to eat Grape Nuts or Cocoa Krispies and she’s already eaten, has a load of laundry in the washer, and is dressed for the day.

Philip Gulley-July 19, 2007-I've been talking with a wide variety of Quakers these past few months, discussing with them what it means to be a Quaker. It's been an interesting experience. When I tell evangelical Quakers what progressive Quakers believe, they often say, "Tha'’s not Quakerly!" When I tell progressive Quakers what evangelical Quakers believe, they say the same thing. It seems the only things Quakers agree upon is that other Quakers aren't real Quakers.

Jim Mulholland-7.8.07-When I was in college, I took a class in child development. It must have been a good class because I still remember some of its lessons. For instance, I learned that fear is a highly effective human defense mechanism. Without it, most children wouldn't survive. Fear protects us from dangerous situations. It energizes our bodies and focuses our minds. Fear can be a very healthy response.

Jim Mulholland-7.7.07-I liked my t-shirt before this week. Angie bought it for me a couple of years ago and I wear it often. It says "Quakers are way cooler than you think" and then lists the four testimonies - equality, peace, integrity and simplicity. When I wear this t-shirt in public, I often get comments.

Jim Mulholland-7.1.07-Angie and I spent last weekend in Peoria, Illinois. We were visiting my brother, Paul, and his family. When we came home, someone asked me what we did in Peoria. I replied, "Nothing," Of course, that isn't true. It's impossible to do nothing. If we'd really done nothing, we'd still be in Peoria. Getting in the car and driving home is something.

Jim Mulholland- 6.28.07-My brother has been bringing his two daughters - a four year old and a two year old - to worship this past month. This is a new and intriguing experience for the girls. They love the singing. They've enjoyed our children's program. They're full of questions.

Philip Gulley-6.7.07- When I was growing up, our family traveled to Vincennes to visit our extended family every few months. My Grandpa Quinett, who�d never had sons, was overwhelmed by four boys bearing down on him and would escape to his woodworking shop behind his house. I was his only grandchild who showed an interest in woodworking, so he would permit me to join him. In his earlier years, he'd made some beautiful pieces of furniture�cabinets and tables and a stunning room addition which he'd joined seamlessly to their 1832 home. But in his advancing years, he�d grown more timid and limited himself to birdhouses and benches and the occasional porch swing for a neighbor or family member.

Philip Gulley-5.27.07-When Joan was a little girl she was diagnosed with extreme near-sightedness and fitted with eyeglasses.  This past month, she went to Dan Whipple, our resident ophthalmologist, who did something to the surface of her eyes involving a hammer and chisel and now she can see for the first time in forty years and boy, is she mad.  All these years I've been telling her I was handsome, and now the truth is out.  The medicine wore off, the fuzziness went away, she looked at me and said, "You’ve got to be kidding."

Jim Mulholland-5.19.07-Imagine that you're deep in conversation with a minister, a doctor, and an artist whose work you greatly admire. You’re really enjoying this opportunity to speak with intelligent, creative, spiritually grounded people. People just like you. Suddenly, you look around and realize you're surrounded by an axe murderer, a suicide bomber, and a member of the Hell's Angels. What do you do?

Philip Gulley-5.19.07-I am honored to be with you this evening, building bridges here in Bloomington, Indiana.  I appreciate the kind words of introduction and the gracious remarks some of you have shared with me.  I haven't heard so many nice things said about me since last month when I was speaking at a church and the pastor was sick and I had to introduce myself.

Jim Mulholland-4.21.07-In the 1970's, when I was a teenager, Hal Lindsey published a book called The Late Great Planet Earth. You may not have heard of it, but if you grew up in the conservative churches of my childhood, it was required reading. Essentially, Lindsey argued that - with the return of the Jewish people to Palestine in 1948 - the doomsday clock had begun to tick. He predicted we were in the last days and Jesus would soon return. Though he didn't announce an exact date, he thought the Bible promised only one more generation, or about 40 years.

Jim Mulholland-4.08.07-Years ago, in a church newsletter, I abbreviated the announcement of the annual Christmas party with the word "Xmas." The next day, Shirley – a woman in the church - called to ask if I was trying to “X� Jesus out of Christmas. I explained I had no such intention, that the little box on the calendar hadn't left room for the longer word. I also explained "X" actually represented the first letter in the Greek work "Christos" and had long been shorthand for Christ. I thought she’d be impressed with my knowledge of ancient Greek and church history. Instead, Shirley suggested I print a larger calendar.

Phil Gulley-4.8.07- I have a friend who’s moving to Danville. He lives down in Seymour and can't get up here that often, so I promised I'd keep an eye peeled for houses for sale. Last Sunday, I was driving through town and passed a house that had a big sign taped to one of its porch columns. The sign read, Lost Cat! Three legs. Yellow With Green Eyes. I was grateful they'd mentioned the cat’s eye color. One sees so many three-legged cats, it’s good to have more specifics.

Jim Mulholland-4.6.07-Growing up, I always liked Palm Sunday.  Every year, the children would be lined up in the church vestibule and handed a large palm branch.  As the congregation sang the first hymn, we were told to march to the front of the sanctuary while waving our palm branches in the air.

Philip Gulley-4.1.07-As many of you are aware, our home was struck by lightning this past week.  It struck the highest point on our roof, right over where I was sleeping.  Joan is a morning person and was already up.  It blasted a hole in the roof, scattering wood and shingles in a fifty-yard radius.  After the firefighters left, I phoned the man, Brad, who’s been working on the interior of our home to tell him we now had some exterior work needing done.  Brad stopped by the house later that day, went up to the attic and noting the proximity of the lightning strike to where I’d been sleeping, asked me if I’d missed church the Sunday before.

Phil Gulley-3.27.06-We've been talking about the two Christianities.  The first is the revivalism Christianity which believes every word in the Bible is literally true, whose leaders often claim divine authority, and insist it is the only path to God.  More and more thoughtful people are rejecting those assumptions.  A tenet of that old Christianity had to do with apocalyptic theology, which asserts that God will end the world with cataclysmic violence, after rapturing the evangelical Christians to heaven.

Philip Gulley-3.24.07-We've been talking about the two types of Christianity. The first Christianity was the one many of us grew up with. It was based on the belief that we are born into sin and deserving of hell. It often relegated women and minorities to the back pews. It customarily rejected the advances and insights of science, and gave the Bible, the church hierarchy, the priest or preacher, divine authority, tolerating no dissent. It aligned itself with those holding political power, usually the wealthy, which meant it seldom had a good word to say to the poor. It was the religion of empires, theocracies, and kingdoms, the religion of the status quo. Though I speak of it in the past tense, it is still very much alive, still very much with us, still continues to exert much power.

Jim Mulholland-3.11.07-Years ago, when Nicole and Zachary were young, they came rushing into the house on a sunny Saturday afternoon to announce they'd washed our car.  Ordinarily, like any parent, I would have been pleased that my children had done a chore without being asked.  That is a rare event.  Unfortunately, on this occasion, I was immediately worried.  They hadn't asked me for a hose, or a bucket, or a rag, or soap.  So, instead of thanking them, I rushed outside to check on the car.

Philip Gulley-3.4.07-    Have you ever met someone who sees sin in every thing and every one? I was in Columbus last week giving a talk, and was speaking with a friend who'd grown up in the Nazarene tradition.  His grandparents and parents are religiously rigid, which has been somewhat awkward, because he's become more open as he's aged.  But he's a very amiable man and can laugh about it.  He told me about growing up never being able to do anything or go anywhere because his parents thought everything was a sin, that Satan was lurking just outside their door ready to lead them away from Jesus and send them to hell.  When he was a teenager, the movie theater in his little town showed an R-rated movie, which he wanted to go see with his friends.  He asked his parents if he could go, and they said certainly not.  Then he told them R stood for "religious" and they let him go.

Jim Mulholland-2.25.07-When I was a teenager, I loved the scriptures where Jesus demanded all or nothing. "Come and follow me."  "Let the dead bury the dead." "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."  "No one who puts their hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God."

Philip Gulley, 02.18.07-The boys had two days off from school this week because of the snow and were beside themselves with joy. They spent Tuesday sledding and Wednesday digging out a snow fort in the mound of snow the snowplow driver had piled in Libby Eddy’s side yard. If you're a kid and you have a snow day, your life opens up to all sorts of delicious possibilities. I was rather envious of them.

Jim Mulholland-2.11.07-In the movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, there is a scene in which Sir Bedivere, one of King Arthur's knights, demonstrates his great wisdom by helping the townspeople determine if a woman is a witch. The woman they've dragged before him insists she isn't a witch.

Philip Gulley-February 4,2007-I was watching ESPN this week.  I don’t want you to get the idea I just sit around and watch TV, now that we have one.  It was strictly for research purposes.  I was seeing how long I could watch TV before Joan said, “When are you going to get up off that couch and do something?â€?  The answer to that question, by the way, is 8 minutes and 23 seconds.  But the sports commentators were talking about Payton Manning and all the pressure he’s under, what with being in the Super Bowl and having to secure his legacy.  Apparently, his skill as a quarterback is still in question.

Jim Mulholland- January 25, 2007-My brother, Matthew, is a scientist and a teacher.  He believes you should answer your children's questions about life as honestly and completely as possible. Of course, what sounds good in theory often fails when applied to the real world.

Philip Gulley- January 21, 2007-After meeting a few weeks ago, we stopped by the Shoe Carnival to buy Sam a new pair of shoes.  Buying a pair of shoes is pretty much a self-service endeavor.  Gone are the days when someone welcomed you at the door, steered you to a chair, measured your foot, then brought out shoes from the back room.  These days, you walk through the door, they look at you like you're going to steal something, and when you ask if they have a certain type of shoe, they point in some vague direction and mumble, then go back to talking with their co-worker.

Jim Mulholland-January 14, 2007-Years ago, I dreamed of preaching to hundreds of people every week. I thought I had important things to say and wanted thousands to hear my words. When I discovered I was most comfortable in a small congregation, I thought that dream was lost. There would be no great crowds listening to me.

Philip Gulley-January 7, 2007-I was at the doctor’s office last week, reading a magazine article while waiting for my appointment.  The article talked about making resolutions for the new year.  In case the reader was running out of ideas for self-improvement, the article included a list of goals from which folks could choose—exercising, organizing their garage, reading noteworthy books, tithing to their church.    Just a few little suggestions to enhance our lives and secure our place in heaven.

Jim Mulholland - December 24, 2006 - I have struggled with that question for several years. I find many of the prayers I hear harder and harder to tolerate. I have a growing appreciation for Jesus's suggestion that people should pray in their closets. I worry about how many Christians think the solution to our nation's problems lies in restoring prayer to school and the statehouse. Many prayers sound like lip service.

Philip Gulley - December 18, 2006 - When Joan and I were first married, we lived in a three room apartment next door to the Hampton-Gentry Funeral Home.  It was a very small apartment so each of the rooms had several different functions.  Our living room was also our guest bedroom for when Joan's mother came to visit.  Joan's sewing room was in our bedroom, and our kitchen was my office.

Jim Mulholland - December 10, 2006 - There was a time in my life when I searched the Bible for answers.  I weighed all the scriptures on a specific issue and then decided what I believed to be the truth.  Once I’d figured out that truth, I didn’t have to seek or question any more.  My task was to enlighten and convince others of this truth.  My opinion was God’s opinion.

Philip Gulley - Are you truthful and honest in your business transactions, punctual in fulfilling your promises, and prompt in the payment of your debts?

August 27, 2006 - Jim Mulholland - Most of what Angie and I thought about parenting turned out to be nonsense once we actually had kids. We thought since adults are wiser than children that any command that was spoken calmly and firmly would be heard and obeyed.  Nicole proved that some two-year olds are born with the ability to litigate like a crusty old lawyer.  No was her first word and negotiation was her second. 

August 20, 2006 - Jim Mulholland - I'm in the middle of my annual battle to keep the grass from overwhelming the walkway between our house and the garage.  A few years ago, Zach and I pulled up those marble flagstones, laid down plastic, spread sand, and tightly arranged the stone squares.  When we were finished, that pathway was straight, clean and beautiful.  My hope was that the grass wouldn't be able to grow up between the stones and mar the perfection of that path.  It was a false hope.

Philip Gulley -
Do you faithfully maintain our testimony that war and the preparation of war are inconsistent with the spirit of Christ

Philip Gulley -
Do you cherish your friendships, so that they grow in depth and understanding and mutual respect�

Philip Gulley -
Do you strive to create a community life that will promote our children's mental and physical well-being?

Philip Gulley -
Do you make your home a place of hospitality, friendliness, peace, and Christian fellowship?

Philip Gulley -
When differences arise, do you make earnest effort to end them speedily?

Philip Gulley -
Do you consider difficult questions with an informed mind as well as a generous and loving spirit?

Philip Gulley -
Are you open to new light, from whatever source it may come?

Philip Gulley -
Are you open to the healing power of God's love?

Philip Gulley -
Do you strive for the constant realization of God's presence in your life?

Quaker Queries 1 - Philip Gulley - That's when I first learned about the Queries, and their purposes that they were a series of questions we asked ourselves which helped us cut through all the stuff, so we could center on what is key.  It's our way of bringing us back to the heart of God, of helping us remember what we were all about.

November 19, 2006 - Jim Mulholland - Two weeks ago, Angie and I traveled to New York City.  I'd been invited by the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship to speak at their annual conference.  I spoke to about sixty Unitarian Universalist pastors and leaders from across the USA about living the gracious life.  I also learned some valuable lessons about the importance of balancing a respect for doctrine and tradition with an openness to new insights and perspectives.

October 28, 2006 - Jim Mulholland - A couple of weeks ago, we were talking about community at the Spiritual Refreshment group that meets on Wednesday nights. Derek  - who was leading that night - asked us to remember an instance when we'd been warmly welcomed into a community.  I immediately thought about the Warren Township Lion's Club.

October 15, 2006 - Jim Mulholland - My brother, Matt, told me an interesting story.  It's even more interesting because Matt told it. You need to understand that Matt, my youngest brother, is the most materialistic of my siblings something he admits readily.  He's quick to buy the latest status symbol, a monster SUV, a big screen television, and a stainless steel gas grill.  He's unapologetic about his drive for economic success and security.  Matt has one goal to live the American dream.  All of which makes his story more interesting.

October 8, 2006 - Jim Mulholland - Isn't that a pretty song?  It has a nice melody and wonderful words.  This can be a rough world.  It can get lonely, even when you live in a city of a million people.  We all seek places where everybody knows our name�  But, sadly, this song isn't about the church.  It's about a bar.  It's the theme song from Cheers a comedy about a bar, its staff, and customers.  The song and the series suggest bars are wonderful communities of love and support.

Though I suspect bars aren't quite as perfect as television portrays them, I've also learned they're not as awful as I was taught.  Growing up, I had the impression that bars were evil, dark, smoky places where people drank a lot and then beat each other up.  We had a bar in Fountain Square called The Woodcutter that probably fit that description, but in my experience most bars offer community as well as alcohol.  After all, people can drink alone.  They come to bars looking for companionship.

September 10, 2006 - Jim Mulholland - Fred was a hard living, cigarette smoking, beer drinking, God cursing truck driver who lived down the street from us in Fountain Square.  He was our neighbor and I liked him.

Not immediately.  We were initially suspicious of each other.  He probably thought me another one of those pious preachers, certain he was headed for hell.  And I'd been taught people that smoked, drank and cursed were heathens.  I was trying to be less judgmental, but I still had prejudices.  For the first few months, we nodded to each other on the street, but that was about it.

September 3, 2006 - Jim Mulholland - Did you know that magicians take an oath to never reveal the secrets of magic to non-magicians?  When I heard that, I was intrigued and did a little research.  Fortunately, the magician's oath isn't a secret.  It reads:
"As a magician I promise to never reveal the secret of any illusion to a non-magician, without first swearing them to the Magician's Oath. I promise never to perform any illusion for any non-magician, without first practicing the effect until I can perform it well enough to maintain the illusion of magic".
Once sworn to this oath, one is considered a magician, and is expected to live up to this promise. A magician who reveals a secret, either purposely or through insufficient practice, is often shunned by other magicians. For example, the magicians Penn and Teller, though quite successful, are widely disliked by their peers for revealing the secrets of magic during their shows.