Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

  • He punishes the one who is faithful

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    4 min read

    The challenge of teaching the parable of the talents is not just about how we see it, but about how we can miss what is right in front of us.

  • The Cautionary Tale—for Proper 28A

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    2 min read

    This week we’re invited to reimagine the story we think we’re receiving—not as an invitation to do things, but to see what it begets.

  • Usury—the enemy of trust

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    1 min read

    The concept of usury—the lending of money immorally, to exploit another—is widely condemned by religions. And practiced everywhere.

  • Between Proper 27 + 28 (Year A)

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    1 min read

    Preparing for this week’s sermon begins, not with talk of talents, but of usury—and why Jesus seems to encourage us all to sin.

  • Out of Darkness

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    9 min read

    The odd nature of this parable invites us to dig deeper, not into what we think it says, but into what we already know about Jesus’s mission.

  • The Dark Parables

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    6 min read

    Late in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells several parables that are dark and deceptive. I’m sure he’s doing this on purpose. It’s a test.