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In the Kingdom of Earth
In the Kingdom of Earth, selfishness rules and violence is justified. How far such things are from what Jesus offers: a kin-dom of heaven. Proper 22A | Matthew 21:33-46 Several years ago, Rose and I took a trip to northwestern Michigan. We stayed in a bed and breakfast near Traverse City and drove up the…
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Too Heavy – mercy and the spirit-crushing weight of debt
If the debt doesn’t kill you… Proper 19A | Matthew 18:21-35 Remember the stumbling blocks? It’s been Jesus’s main subject in the last several weeks of gospel readings. As they head north, Jesus warns of those things which get in our way, trip us up, and keep us from doing what needs to be done.…
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Revealed
In Matthew’s parables, we are offered different visions of God’s dream for humanity, but we struggle to hear what Jesus is revealing. Proper 11A | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 The first time I knew that God was real, I was in seminary. While some of you might think that’s crazy, I know some of you know…
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Persistent in Justice, Love
She got a ticket for driving through a yellow light. I’ll never forget how mad she was when she arrived. Livid. Eyes ready to explode. “It wasn’t red. It wasn’t stale yellow. The light just turned yellow. And you know what the officer said? ‘I have the right to cite you for running through a yellow light.’…
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Wicked Tenants
I despise this parable. I always have. Hate, violence, and murder. Images of incarceration and indentured servitude. These are indeed wicked tenants. But I’m not sure the vineyard owner isn’t a little bit wicked too. The fence, the watchtower, the going away and letting them fend for themselves. I find the parable deeply troubling. And this…
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If ISIS Were Christian
Imagine if a random dude one day declares that he is the pope. This man isn’t completely random, perhaps. He’s got friends. He’s connected. Of course those connections aren’t Roman Catholic. He’s a member of the Army of God. He’s an activist. He’s proudly helped shut down clinics. He claims credit for radicalizing a young man…
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The parable of the deceitful contractors
A family was huddled in their house. The power had gone out briefly. They hadn’t packed provisions. Unsure of what was really going on outside. Then, a knock at the door. On the porch, a group of men and women, water dripping from umbrellas begin to speak. “I know it is nasty outside, but we…
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Learning to Feast
The Wedding Banquet, the king’s demands, and a kingdom of opportunity a Homily for Proper 23 A | Text: Matthew 22:1-14 A Strange Wedding There’s a part of this story that Jesus tells the Pharisees that makes sense to us and a part that doesn’t at all. This is the story of a weird kind of…