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Deliver us from the presumption of pardon and not renewal
a Homily for Proper 11B Text: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 [Sunday I preached without a script. This is an approximation of what I preached.] Sabbath Coming back from vacation, it is appropriate to get this gospel pericope about rest. Or lack there of it. It was just two weeks ago when we covered the story of…
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Scattering Bad Seeds
What if the seeds we scatter and grow into grain for the harvest aren’t merely the good things we’ve done, but also the bad? What are we left with? a homily for Proper 6B, Mark 4: 26-34 A reflection on ideas put forth in this previous post: Not the Root of Conflict; the Stalk.
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It’s All About Winning
a Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent, B Text: Mark 8:31-38 This is Winning? “Jesus saves.” A pithy and precise statement if ever there were one. Jesus Saves. He does. But how? From what? It is a statement too simple to be accurate. Jesus is Messiah and Liberator, Conqueror and King. But every image…
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When GOD Gives Conflicting Instructions
On her blog yesterday, the Rev. Susan Russell announced a Celebration of Equality. It is a really special event in the life of her Pasadena congregation and I’m sure is going to be an awesome sight. In the midst of this celebration is a “sneak preview” of a new documentary about the Rt. Rev. V.…
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A Humble Beginning
My Christmas Message Christmas isn’t just some story about family. It isn’t about shopping or gift-giving. It isn’t about all the hoopla. And even “putting Christ back into Christmas” is to make Christmas something it isn’t. It is way more than that. Have a very Merry Christmas!
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(Dis)order and Witness
Since the Occupy protests began, I’ve been struggling with what is so objectionable to so many people about protest. Perhaps I am as pinko as my former rector, Matt+ says I am, but I’ve never found protest in itself to be ugly. Between my own limited experience and the research I’ve done, criticisms of protests of…
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Please Don’t Wish Me a Merry Christmas
If you’re out there waging your insurgent campaign to defend Christmas from those that have invaded your holiday and claimed it for their own, apparently throwing Christ in lock-up and using enhanced interrogations against him, I’ve got one simple message to you: Don’t wish me a “Merry Christmas!” Please, for the love of all things…