Gayle Tabor

Category: Armchair Theology

When Did Execution Become Entertainment?

2026/10/09 Gayle 0

Yesterday evening, just as I was preparing to begin worship with SALT, I saw a breaking news alert that stopped me cold. The Pentagon reportedly plans to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter by firing squad. My first response was horror! And as I pondered it, my mind went to the cross. We Christians know something about public executions. Crucifixion wasn’t simply a means of killing someone. It was the Roman state’s way of making a spectacle of death, displaying its power, humiliating the condemned, and warning everyone watching what happens when you challenge authority. BE CEAR – I’m certainly NOT equating the Fort Hood shooter with Jesus. But I am asking us to consider what happens when the state turns killing into The rest of the story

Feast of Mary Magdalene

2026/07/22 Gayle 0

Every July 22, the Church remembers Mary Magdalene. In 2016, Pope Francis did something remarkable. He elevated her liturgical memorial to a Feast—the same rank given to the male apostles—and formally recognized what the Church had known from its earliest centuries: Mary Magdalene is apostola apostolorum—the Apostle to the Apostles. That wasn’t creating something new. It was recovering something ancient. Mary Magdalene appears in all four Gospels. That alone should make us pause. She is present at the cross when many others have fled. She watches where Jesus is buried. She returns before dawn to the tomb. And in John’s Gospel, she becomes the first person to encounter the risen Christ. Jesus entrusts her with the first Easter sermon: “Go to my brothers and say The rest of the story

red square with teh words 'Busy' is the new 'fine' in white

Busy with Purpose and Clarity: A Lenten Invitation

2026/02/19 Gayle 0

Lent, at its best, is a reset. Not a vacation. Not an escape. But a reorientation. Forty days of asking what is essential and what is excess. Forty days of noticing what drains and what gives life. Forty days of remembering

Can You Hear Silence?

What Is Silence Costing? And Is It Faithful?

2026/02/07 Gayle 0

Yesterday I found myself in a conversation that has been echoing in my heart ever since. A friend—someone who doesn’t attend my church—reached out with a question that was honest, curious, and a little heavy. They wrote: “Hi Gayle, Since you are a Pastor, I know you speak out against what’s going on in DC. My question is why aren’t more pastors speaking out? Are they afraid of offending members, do they sign some kind of contract to not to get involved, politics? I’d love to hear your opinion. Thanks.” It’s not the first time I’ve been asked some version of this, but it felt especially urgent this time. People are paying attention. And they’re noticing not just who is speaking—but who isn’t. My honest The rest of the story

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