Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

  • For All the Saints

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    2 min read

    We often refer to two different strains of Christian faith: Catholic and Protestant. These two traditions have very different understandings of saints. To Catholicism (such as Roman Catholics), saints are our intermediaries. They have been elevated by humanity for their godly and miraculous works. Protestantism (such as Presbyterians, Lutherans Baptists, etc.) has downplayed the role…

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  • The Twofer (Eating Scripture)

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    1 min read

    Eating a double helping of Mark 12:28-34 and  John 11:32-44 We get our choice this week between two texts. One is the lectionary text (Mark) and the other is the text from All Saints’ Day (John) which can be transferred. Most churches I’ve served observe All Saints’ on a Sunday, so I thought I’d do…

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  • New Look in the New Year

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    2 min read

    Followers of this blog know that I like to tweak the look, feel, and nature of this site on a pretty regular basis. Part of it is that I’m a tinkerer. Part of it is that I am always on the lookout for something a little closer to perfect. Occasionally, I’ve changed the site dramatically.…

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  • What’s In a Name?

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    5 min read

    a Homily for Proper 25B Text: Mark 10:46-52 A Healing Story Jesus heals people. At this point this seems like old news. Remember several chapters ago when Jesus healed the man of leprosy? Jesus urges the man to tell no one and instead, the blabbermouth runs into town and tells everybody about Jesus. It seems so…

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  • Blind Beggers (Eating Scripture)

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    1 min read

    Eating Mark 10: 46-52 For the last three chapters, Jesus has been taking us to Jerusalem, preparing us for what is to come. And this is the last stop; Jericho. Here he meets a blind man and we learn the last piece of the discipleship arc. All from a story we normally mistake for just another…

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  • No Apologies: the Danger of Bravado

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    3 min read

    Despite the fact that there was little substantive division between the two candidates allowed into last night’s debate, we might make the false assumption that the only difference was actually cosmetic. That and Governor Romney’s continued radical change in policy from week to week, embracing the very things he condemned in last week’s debate. But…

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