Even in progressive Christian circles, I frequently find myself applauding a position a writer takes while I cringe at the path they take to get there. To use an example from not-progressive circles, I’m glad that more evangelicals are opening their churches to queer people. However, I often hear phrases like, “We’re all sinners.” Or, “Jesus died for all of …
Creation Care for Christians: What Happened?
When I began seminary, one of the first things I was asked to read was an essay by Simone Weil. It advised that, in our studies, we should always go slow and pay attention. It’s somewhat of a cruel joke, given that the next four years involved being so overwhelmed with assignments that such a thing was impossible. Still, the …
Creation Care for Christians: Who Are We?
In seminary, my Hebrew professor gave us a simple hermeneutic, a method of interpreting Scripture. Take any verse or passage and, if this was all you knew, ask these questions: 1) Who am I? 2) Who is God? 3) What am I to do? Our study of Patricia K. Tull’s Inhabiting Eden began in earnest this week with our guest …
This Is Not a Metaphor – Sermon from Sunday, November 13, 2016
Readings: Isaiah 65.17-25; Luke 21.5-19 Before I begin, I want to clarify some labels that I will employ throughout. When I say “we” or “us,” I am primarily referring to those who regularly attend this church. However, because I know these people well, I know that most, perhaps all, voted for her, so it is not at all unfair to …
Finding Life in a Place of Death
This was the sermon from Easter Sunday: When the women go to the tomb on that Sunday morning, they are expecting to find a corpse. Because Jesus died after noon on a Friday, it was not possible to properly prepare his body for burial. The women who had followed him all the way from Galilee returned on Sunday morning to …
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Apocalypse!
Tomorrow is the last Sunday in the liturgical year, which means that it is our annual imagining of the Apocalypse. It is “Christ the King” Sunday, the day that Jesus returns to earth to sit in judgment of the world. It is the end. Then the strangest thing happens: Advent. We immediately begin to celebrate the birth of God into …
St. Fred Rogers
I haven’t really watched Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood since I was a kid. I don’t remember much about it except what has been parodied: the song, the sweater, the tennis shoes, vaguely the puppets. So I decided to refresh my memory and watch a little. It all comes rushing back, mostly this character: Mr. Rogers. Although, by all accounts, it is …
St. Samuel Mockbee
I am so thankful to Fred Pena for bringing Samuel Mockbee to our attention. When the saints series was originally conceived, I had in mind people who had some direct impact on who we are as a church. My thinking has since changed for the better. There are so many who labor out there in the world, who are doing …
St. Johnny Cash
Perhaps more than any other person we have canonized, Johnny Cash exemplifies what we mean by saint. Not that he was a pure, moral, and good person; he was not. But integral to sainthood is the hagiography, the story of the saint that we tell. We know they are not entirely true, but we tell them because we are really …
St. Rachel Carson
This week we continue our canonization of the saints. Don’t be distracted by that Pope guy trying to steal our thunder. We totally came up with this idea first! One of the joys this year has been the engagement of the community. Several of our saints are on the list because of the passion of people other than me. That …