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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…
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Turning the OK Sign Fascist
We usually believe symbols inject meaning into the conversation. For the white power movement, empty symbols are more powerful. We visited the National Archives when I was a teen. I was almost as nerdy then as I am now, so I was excited to see the Declaration of Independence. But I was easily distracted from…
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Debunking the Myth of the Lone Wolf
For decades the white power movement has tricked the U.S. into letting them organize without holding them responsible for their actions. One guy stockpiles a bunch of weapons. He makes a plan. Then he writes a manifesto. And then, when the time is right, he goes out to kill a bunch of people. We shouldn’t…
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Confused by Racism
For many, talking about racism and white supremacy is hard. Of course, that’s by design. The white power movement intends to confuse you. The terms always guide the debate. But sometimes we mistake our seeking clarity of the terms for doing the work. There are so many names for racists and their organizations. Are we…
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Interpretation
Jesus decries our reluctance to see what’s wrong with our world. Not because we can’t see it. But because we refuse to do what we need to do. Jesus and the gathering storm cloudsProper 15C | Luke 12:49-56 Jesus just opened up a can, didn’t he? And what is supposed to happen next goes one…
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