tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87274115840628212332024-09-13T16:44:43.644-05:00"Justice is what love looks like in public." -Cornel WestMark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-55348096595288476402022-09-09T17:42:00.003-05:002022-09-11T09:03:54.579-05:00

Being a Jesus-loving pastor ought to make me at least distrustful of unearned privileges, of which the Crown is a clear symbol. The British Monarchy has what it has because of some of the worst colonial behavior the world has ever seen. The very jewels in the crown, many of which were pillaged from colonies, are symbols of arrogance, unapologetically displaying how Europeans felt themselves

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-24391787918344433092022-01-20T17:47:00.005-06:002022-01-20T22:42:58.931-06:00

In the third year of this global pandemic, enough is long past enough. We know masks work. You know masks work.You are not brave. Your temporary discomfort is more important to you than facing the truth that you might a) be sick, and b) could pass that on to others. Brave people do not melt in the gentle breeze of communal reality. Brave people toughen up, show the world what they can do, accept

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-60054210565574544962018-09-28T11:17:00.006-05:002018-09-28T11:29:04.596-05:00

[The following may be inspired by recent events, but it's intended as a more general comment on survival. Please do not flood my comment thread with defenses for Judge Kavanaugh. I'm not interested.]  If someone's hurting, does it matter what others think about it? If you're hurting, you're the only one who knows what hurts, and how much. You are the one who knows what you can and can't do,

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-60402120256255457422017-09-15T16:24:00.001-05:002017-09-15T16:25:26.935-05:00

Between the hurricanes, the earthquake, the fires out west, the announcement of the end of DACA, and all of the programming we were starting at church, I felt like I had so many balls in the air on Sunday morning, that I really needed church. I needed the music, the prayer, and the company. Church happens when we get together to sing, to pray, to laugh, to catch up with each other, and to lift

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-51698296275115649992017-06-28T12:08:00.001-05:002017-06-28T12:08:55.417-05:00

On the afternoon of June 19th, I read a Facebook message from Schmaltz Deli, saying they’d been the victims of a hate crime. Someone had painted an antisemitic message on the restaurant in front of their store at Ogden and Naper Blvd. I was upset, and shared my love and support for them in the comment thread. I want Naperville to be a diverse community that affirms people of all faiths and no

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-79130649956652233442017-03-02T15:57:00.002-06:002017-03-02T16:10:36.984-06:00

I have never really figured out Ash Wednesday. As a west coast kid, the only people who did the ash-on-their-foreheads were Catholic, so it wasn't really much of a thing for me. We didn't even have church that day. Now that I'm serving a congregation in the midwest, we participate in an ecumenical evening service with our Methodist neighbors, where we do the traditional

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-44741265111532257002016-10-23T13:35:00.003-05:002016-10-23T13:35:53.428-05:00

It's October. The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians are about to face each other in the World Series. I'm surrounded by ecstatic Cub fans here in the Chicago suburbs, and have more than a few Cleveland fans in my Facebook feed. I'm a Mariners fan who worked at Fenway while in college, but it's a lot of fun to cheer on the Cubs and see them succeed after so many years of disappointment.

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-87888548116130493602016-10-08T10:03:00.001-05:002016-10-08T10:04:43.352-05:00

This one's for all the guys out there.  You know how everyone's losing their minds about the conversation between Donald Trump and Billy Bush? You know how Republicans are falling over themselves to un-endorse Trump, and the GOP is trying to figure out the best way to lose this election? You know how Hillary supporters are pointing and shouting, while also being really happy to see

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-32871198668126726142016-09-28T12:32:00.002-05:002016-10-08T21:53:03.841-05:00

Last week, I was at my fall Bethany Fellows retreat, with 30-odd other young clergy, and we got to meet Sr. Simone Campbell (the nun who started the “Nuns on the Bus” tour). Sr. Simone has been involved in social justice advocacy for nearly 40 years, fighting on behalf of the poor, lobbying in Washington, D.C.. She talked about Paul’s metaphor for the church being the Body of Christ, and how,

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-45714738875518883222016-09-09T11:08:00.008-05:002016-09-09T11:10:30.558-05:00

Since 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to take a seat for the National Anthem a few weeks ago, the internet has been losing its mind. This Sunday, my team, the Seattle Seahawks, are supposedly all sitting or kneeling, or something other than standing reverently, for the National Anthem.   Throughout our history, liberals and conservatives have occasionally

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-60595260286841329362014-08-12T08:33:00.000-05:002014-08-13T22:19:21.698-05:00

I don't usually cry that often. Rarely for people I've never met. Last night, and again this morning, I cried for Robin Williams.  Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Will Hunting, The Birdcage, Awakenings, even Happy Feet - his ability to tell stories is unmatched.  But his character in Dead Poets Society, John Keating, changed my life. He spoke to me in ways for which words are

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-36790127492369748032014-07-31T11:07:00.002-05:002014-08-03T07:21:18.055-05:00

When you were a child, did anyone tell you to, “treat others the way you want to be treated”? I heard it. Of course, I interpreted this by thinking that if someone is treating me the way they want to be treated and they’re being mean, they must want me to be mean back to them. Right? It took me a while to get over myself about that.  What is it about adulthood that we forget the most

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-91485545996907984802013-04-16T16:22:00.001-05:002014-07-31T11:21:11.938-05:00

In the spring of 1996, I was finishing up my freshman year at Boston College. It was also the 100th running of the Boston Marathon that year. I made my way down to the finish to see it, and I can tell you, it was quite an event.  Usually someone has to qualify to participate in the Boston Marathon, but for the 100th running, they let more runners in, if they raised a certain amount of

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-41351829893567712842013-03-26T15:05:00.002-05:002013-03-26T15:05:17.819-05:00

My nearly six year old daughter asked me yesterday, “Why is Good Friday called that?” Despite the fact that I’m an ordained Christian minister, trained and supposedly able to answer questions such as this, my reaction was probably very similar to how anyone might react when asked such a deep question, with significant theological ramifications. I panicked. I mean, this is the religious

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-92001213400288034092012-12-14T21:03:00.000-06:002012-12-14T22:16:35.682-06:00

"A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more." -Matthew 2:18 Every night, when I tuck my five year old into bed, she wraps her arms around my neck and gives me kisses. Every night, she doesn't want to let go, and I have to pull away, as it's really a bit of a stall tactic. Tonight, I held on

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-73384921189881625432012-08-10T11:05:00.000-05:002012-08-10T15:22:18.209-05:00

I'm getting increasingly tired of people claiming to be Christian, and at the same time, claiming that ignorance, discrimination, sexism, hatred, and intolerance are an inherent part of their religion. This is not the Christianity that I believe, nor is it consistent with my reading of Jesus.  So here are 10 arguments I'm tired of having - in no particular order.  1. Neither women's

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-27369639985476626452012-06-24T22:38:00.001-05:002012-06-24T22:39:36.588-05:00

I have a deep and abiding respect for the rich tradition and faith of my Roman Catholic sisters and brothers. I also hold a degree from a Jesuit institution. But the current project of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the so-called “Fortnight for Freedom”, is just plain hypocrisy.  The genesis of this project is the Health and Human Services Administration’s policy, ensuring

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-98806339631834502012-03-24T11:07:00.001-05:002012-04-04T11:29:51.256-05:00

Over the past several days, I have been deeply touched by the death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin outside Orlando, Florida. I wasn’t there. I don’t know exactly what happened. I do know that the shooter, George Zimmerman, was told by the 911 operator not to follow Trayvon, but Zimmerman followed him anyway, and Trayvon ended up dead.  President Obama reminded the nation last week that if he

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-72222260000650186672012-02-03T13:03:00.000-06:002012-02-03T13:03:37.759-06:00

I played a game once with a young men’s group when I was in Northern Ireland. There were about a dozen of us, and as we stood in a circle, we tossed a small rubber ball around, across the circle, making sure that each of us had a turn.  Once we established the order in which the ball made it to every person, we repeated the pattern, increasing our speed, until we were comfortable with it. We

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-6637752391983172432012-01-11T14:15:00.000-06:002012-01-11T14:15:03.812-06:00

I just read an article about a man who loved the marshmallows in Lucky Charms so much, that he bought 1,000 pounds of just the marshmallows, a semi-truck load, so that he wouldn’t have to fish for them in a conventional box of the breakfast cereal. In the same article, two women collaborated to invent a tool that would scoop out the inside of a bagel. One of them had worked at a bagel shop in

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-27973217482474086922011-07-23T16:45:00.000-05:002011-07-23T16:45:56.045-05:00

Exodus 20:12, the fifth of the Ten Commandments, reads, "Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." (NRSV) Scholars tell us the honoring of one's father and mother is not actually about young children cleaning their rooms when their parents tell them to, the point is rather for adult children to take care of

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-79011429118420849682011-04-19T16:10:00.001-05:002011-04-19T16:11:51.421-05:00

“In the temple precincts [Jesus] came upon people selling oxen and sheep and doves, and bankers were doing business there too. He made a whip out of rope and drove them all out of the temple area, sheep, oxen, and all; then he knocked over the bankers; tables, and set their coins flying. And to the dove merchants he said, ‘Get these birds out of here! How dare you use my Father’s house as a

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-9622503324465925672011-03-10T13:31:00.001-06:002011-03-10T13:33:05.763-06:00

Last night, the Wisconsin Senate spat in the face of every working family in their state. I'm angry, and terribly disappointed in their sinful act. Governor Scott Walker was quoted by the BBC as saying, "'This is about protecting the middle class and doing it in a way that avoids massive tax increases and massive lay-offs.'" First of all, the middle class only exists in this country because

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-1129700051640426692010-12-23T14:32:00.000-06:002010-12-23T14:32:56.133-06:00

When the song of the angels is stilled,  When the star in the sky is gone,  When the kings and princes are home,  When the shepherds are back with their flock,  The Work of Christmas begins:  To find the lost,  To heal the broken,  To feed the hungry,  To release the prisoner,  To rebuild the nations,  To bring peace among brothers and sisters,&

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8727411584062821233.post-72121794613558012192010-11-29T11:54:00.001-06:002012-01-11T14:18:58.703-06:00

A young man recently tried to explode a bomb at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, OR. North and South Korea seem to be at very high tension. Violence continues in Afghanistan and Iraq. Israelis and Palestinians seem as far from peace as ever. And now we enter the season of Advent, which is when we’re supposed to talk about peace and love, but end up having arguments about

Mark Wintershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12212855566877301323noreply@blogger.com1