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The Song of the Flesh
This Advent several of us gathered Sunday evenings to eat together, to talk, to explore the birth stories of Jesus, and to pray. We marked this season by focusing on the story of our savior rather than the clutter and noise of the world. It’s a fitting reminder that Jesus is born into a noisy…
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Money – evil or blessing?
As a Christian, I hate talking about money. I remember walking into a Roman Catholic church years ago. My girlfriend at the time was Catholic. And lucky us, the priest preached about giving to the congregation. We came back two weeks later and heard another sermon about giving money to the church. Not just a little.…
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Is Jesus the only way to God?
It’s funny that this one choice we make may be the single biggest divider of them all. Is Jesus the only way to God? Well, watch your step. Most of our questions about the nature of God, Jesus, and their relationship exist in multiple dimensions of analysis. Like in seminary, when I would sit in…
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Generous Mercy
I’m going to guess that nobody here was thinking about that parable from two weeks ago about the rich guy suffering in Hades, wanting a drink of water. Just a little something to wet his lips, they must’ve been so dry in that place of torment. He tries to get Abraham to send Lazarus over…
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Searching For the Organic Jesus is a Life-Giving Pursuit
For years, I’ve been trying to think of a way to help people find the essential Jesus of faith. To strip away all the extra, accumulated stuff of Christianity so that they can focus on the core of the faith. Asking questions, finding what is essential to the faith. And in the end, to decide on what’s…
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Clearly Jesus
From day one, we have struggled to name Jesus. Name the Messiah. Name what he came to do. Name his substance. Name his mission. How “the real Jesus” is never really JesusEaster 4C | John 10:22-30 For three straight weeks, we have had good resurrection gospel stories. We’ve been praising the risen Christ. We’ve said…
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Do This and Live
After working our way through the great symbols of Holy Week: the palms and the Triumphal Entry on Sunday; the shutting down of the Temple on Monday and Teaching there Tuesday; the anointing of Jesus and the betrayal plans of Judas on Wednesday; the Last Supper and the washing of feet on Thursday; the Cross…
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True Love
Love for the Lawless and Crucifying the Blameless Good Friday C | Luke 22:39-23:56 Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly. WHEN I FIRST DENIED JESUS When I first…