HSF Conversations: Reflection on the Election
In this episode of HSF Conversations, Matthew Steven Bracey and Phillip T. Morgan reflect on the 2024 presidential...
Reflections on the Purposes of Marriage
I was privileged this past May to officiate a wedding, my third such occasion. I am so grateful to the happy couple who asked me, who I consider dear friends. After introducing the service and singing some great hymns of the faith, I preached a homily that was meant to instruct, encourage, and inspire, before leading them in the exchanging of vows and rings. In this post, I share an adaptation of my homily, which reflected on four...
The Path to Human Happiness: Fear God and Keep His Commandments
Life can be incredibly fun and meaningful, and it can be incredibly hard and frustrating. Sometimes we feel great, and sometimes we feel deeply discouraged. Sometimes we believe we make a difference, and sometimes we wonder whether we matter at all. In many ways, such conflicting feelings describe the human condition. In this article, I reflect on the interplay of these ideas in the book of Ecclesiastes. On one hand, the Teacher, the...
Church-State Religious Accommodation: Reflections on Groff v. DeJoy
The coming months will bring attention to the biggest cases the Supreme Court is hearing this term, including issues like abortion, Chevron deference, consumer protection, Donald Trump, gerrymandering, guns (bump stock), social media, and more. As we prepare for the holdings on these cases, I thought it would be good to reflect on an important decision from last summer: Groff v. DeJoy. Groff did not receive as much attention as the...
Reflections on Pixar: Monsters, Up, and Brave
The animation studio Pixar produced its first movie, Toy Story (1995), when I was a boy. I liked it well enough but did not love it as much as others did. The first Pixar movie to capture my imagination was unquestionably Monsters, Inc. (2001). I found it incredibly creative and infectiously funny. Through the years and decades, Pixar has gained the reputation of producing stories that are qualitatively superior to other animated...
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