I wish that I had simply asked the question on Sunday that, it seems to me, must be answered at the beginning of the Poor People’s Campaign’s National Call to Moral Revival: Why is it hard to talk about money? As our friend Wanda pointed out to me, a productive dialog on poverty must include both those who have …
The Bible Says…
I suspect that all Christians would affirm that the broad theme of the Bible is “the Gospel.” I also suspect that, once we drill down into the details, things will fragment substantially. Even so, I suspect that most Christians will affirm, as I would have thirty years ago, that the Gospel is about sin and salvation, heaven and hell, who’s …
The Feast Day of St. Francis
I’m not sure there is a more beloved saint than St. Francis in all of Christendom. Even Protestants revere him. What’s not to like? He preaches to birds, for Christ’s sake. So every year, churches all over the world honor St. Francis by having a “Blessing of the Animals” service. It’s the one day a year that most churches allow …
Creation Care for Christians: Fairness
This week we talked about environmental fairness, but we discovered that this is not a simple calculation. In theory, according to Scripture, there are the bad people that covet everything and the good people who are impoverished and oppressed. This is certainly the broad scope of the problem. There are certainly the rich and the powerful who think they have …
The Cause of the Poor
Plus: Saints 2016 Y’all may have noticed that I’m not great at details or schedules. That makes following the lectionary a danger zone for me, so I keep telling you we’re going to talk about things that, it turns out, we are not. I am truly thankful for your grace. This is all said to preface the news that we …
Sheep and Goats
Our series on the Rapture culminates this Sunday in what is traditionally known as “Christ the King” Sunday. This is not language we typically use at Church in the Cliff. It is hierarchical and patriarchal and we prefer more expansive and inclusive images of God. However, this highlights some of the things we’ve been talking about with Rapture theology. As …
St. Francis: To Walk in Jesus’ Footsteps
Let me start by admitting that I know little about our selection for this week’s saint: St. Francis of Assisi. I have an image of him, but I think I get him confused with Snow White. But as I read the Wikipedia article on him, I found some bits of information tucked away in the recesses of my shabby memory. …
Bread for the World Sunday (Program and Homily)
Program Homily If it’s alright with you, I’m going to preach a little today. There’s a lot on the program today, so I just wanted to share some things I have on my mind, things that came up while working on this service. I’d also like, instead of having the immediate feedback of a conversation, to have folks go home …
Empty Bellies, Open Hearts
This Sunday, we celebrate Bread for the World Sunday. According to their website, “Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.” They lobby politicians to do the right thing, to live into the faith that the overwhelming majority claim as their own. To do so, they leverage …