Drew Downs

Make a New Normal

Jesus

  • Reading Genesis again for our Bible study, I have found this nuance with regards to how the writers use the concept of marriage quite interesting: having sex with someone makes you married. To unpack what this means, we ought to step back from our 21st Century “culture war” arguments about what marriage means or who…

  • Eating Luke 3:1-6 Back in the recesses of my mind I recall a lyric: Second verse same as the first! A little bit louder and a little bit worse! We ended Year B talking apocalyptic and we begin the new year, Year C, by…talking apocalyptic. Personally, I love it. We just aren’t that used to…

  • Stand Up!

    a Sermon for Advent 1C Text: Luke 21:25-36 Perpetual Crisis Each of us has come across someone who thinks the world is going to end soon. We had Harold Camping predict the world would end, twice. He was wrong. Many believe we have 19 more days thanks to one interpretation of the Mayan Calendar. And…

  • a Sermon for Proper 29B Text: John 18:33-38a Here Jesus stands. It is Friday morning. This is what condemning the Temple and the order of things gets you. Face to face with Rome’s appointed commander for the region: Pontius Pilate. Jesus is quizzed like a commoner. Those that attend our Good Friday worship get the…

  • Priorities

    a Homily for Thanksgiving Text: Matthew 6:25-33  An Unthankul Story Tonight we’ve gathered to give thanks. More specifically, to give thanks to GOD for all of our blessings and all that we have to be thankful for. To give thanks to a GOD for so much wonderful stuff. But we know not everyone feels that…

  • Eating Mark 13:1-8 This week, we tackle a gospel we don’t know what to make of, a type of literature we don’t understand, and a meaning for 21st Century American Christians that is consistent with Jesus’s teaching in under 4 minutes. What a workout! This means there isn’t as much time to deal with what…