Drew Downs
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They Entered the Cloud
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7 min read
Following Jesus can be really hard. But in the Transfiguration, we have a story about following the path, even when it forces us to face our fears. Transfiguration | Luke 9:28-36 Jesus chose three disciples to join him up a mountain, for prayer. It must be an honor to be chosen. How special they must…
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The original standard for corruption isn’t proof beyond a shadow of a doubt that he did it. It’s based entirely on opportunity. We’ve all been told to walk a mile in another person’s shoes. The reason, of course is that we can be selfish jerks and need to think about other people. No question. But…
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Love Poets
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8 min read
Like poets, Jesus invites his followers to observe in our world those places where God breaks through so that we might revel in that joy. Proper 12A | Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 The work of the poet is discovery. After ruthless editing of course. Discovery. It begins first with discovery in the world: observation. The poet watches…
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Compromise is an essential part of relating with other people. But what happens when it’s missing? And how effective are our demands for it? Compromise is one of the most essential skills for people to learn. To grow up, we need to work toward agreement with sacrifice and mutual concern. Even to get the things…
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Even Scarier Words
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2 min read
EVEN SCARIER WORDS The day the president insulted himself I was 8. I didn’t know anything about him except that he sold weapons to bad people and seemed OK with lying about it. But I’ve always wondered how he could say such terrible things about himself. That his being there speaking would terrify a person.…
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Revealed
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7 min read
In Matthew’s parables, we are offered different visions of God’s dream for humanity, but we struggle to hear what Jesus is revealing. Proper 11A | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 The first time I knew that God was real, I was in seminary. While some of you might think that’s crazy, I know some of you know…