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Holy — a tension of royalty and humility
In Palm Sunday, we get the bittersweet realization that we’re not going to get to kill our enemies and assume power.
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Fear
Leaning in, not overcoming “Do not be afraid.” Jesus says this constantly. Often when the proverbial horse has left the barn. Telling us to not be afraid when we already are seems a bit…harsh. And ridiculous. “Oh, OK! I’ll just switch this off… [ click ] There. Not afraid. Phew!” But Jesus isn’t asking us…
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Jesus is more than the resurrection
The one thing people know about Jesus is that he died and then came back. One minute he became dead. Then he wasn’t. Christians throughout history have made a big thing out of this. I mean, it is a pretty awesome story. But I think, in a sense, we’ve overstated it. We act like the…
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Relationship
We start with the question: What is the story so far? This week, we recognize that the story came to a sort of end in what we call the Old Testament (or Hebrew Scripture). It also marks a beginning in the New Testament (or Greek Scripture). Those of us who read genre fiction or watch…
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A Trick Question
Prayer God of Hope, be with me, with us today. Inspire us, encourage us, stir us up that we might know you better. That we might love you better. That we might see you, among these friends, today. Amen. Introduction The format is simple. Some teaching, some talking, some summarizing, some homework. Discussion When have…
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The Confrontational Jesus
When Jesus confronts the Temple authorities, many in the west struggle to understand that the image isn’t hypocritical: it’s about justice.
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Between: Jumping past the passion to the crucifixion
The way we talk about the passion and crucifixion of Jesus leaves out half of the story. The half of the story that has the most meaning.
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I’m having a good Christmas!
I walk into Starbucks. Set my bag on a chair and remove the lid from my refillable cup and set it on a tall table to save my spot. Then get in line. There, I fumble with my phone to bring up my membership app. I want to be ready to pay for my iced…