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Between: Luke 14:15-24
The conclusion of Jesus’s attending a dinner party in Luke explores God’s vision for humanity: an expanded guest list and a spirit of gratitude.
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Referring to a Marketplace of Ideas outsources responsibility
You’ve heard people refer to appealing to “the marketplace of ideas.” It’s a pretty clumsy way to refer to a negotiation.
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Revising the Guest List
Jesus is a terrible guest at your dinner party. While you’re worrying about who’s going to show up, he’s inviting everyone in. Jesus and the art of the dinner partyProper 17C | Luke 14:1,7-14 When I was young, I loved sleepovers. This was the real political currency of junior high school. Whose house you went…
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Between: Luke 13:18-14:6
A look at the gaps in the lectionary. This week: the gap between Proper 16C and Proper 17C. The text: Luke 13:18-14:6 Jesus’s trip to the synagogue last week introduces an interesting power dynamic. Jesus heals a woman, knowing he’s not supposed to. Today, if Jesus were a priest in The Episcopal Church, he’d be…
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The Amazon is on fire
A rainforest which took 55 million years to create is on fire. And those who set the fires are just trying to avoid the blame. The Amazon is on fire. That’s the story. A rainforest which took 55 million years to create is on fire. A rainforest which absorbs a huge portion of the world’s…
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The devil doesn’t need another advocate
We don’t need another devil’s advocate offering “the other side.” What we need are more people looking for the good we can do together. The Devil’s Advocate In the 16th Century, the Vatican established a position called advocatus diaboli, the devil’s advocate. The job would be to advocate on the devil’s behalf. Wait. Why would…
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A Convincing Argument
We sometimes get stuck in a convincing argument because it sounds right. In the case of Sabbath law, we’re seduced by only half of the point. Sabbath remains a revolutionary conceptProper 16C | Luke 13:10-17 When we remember the creation story, we recall more than an origin. We receive our purpose. Light and dark. Day…
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In-Between: Luke 12:57-13:9
A look at the gaps in the lectionary. This week: the gap between Proper 15C and Proper 16C. After several troubling passages and challenging preaching opportunities, Proper 16C will give us something positive to preach on. That is, as always, if we’re avoiding our context. Or dwelling on what it means for Jesus to be…