power
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Hunger
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8 min read
In Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness, we get a picture of resistance bigger than willpower and faith. A resistance to becoming powerful at all. Resisting temptation and power with JesusLent 1C | Luke 4:1-13 He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. It was a traditional practice…
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She knows
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8 min read
Our pastoral image of the nativity blinds us to Mary’s power. In the Magnificat, we receive the rebellious, punk anthem at the heart of the Incarnation. The Magnificat reveals the rebellious power at the heart of Christmas Advent 4B | Luke 1:39-55 My favorite picture of the nativity is called “José y Maria,” by Everett…
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Welcome to Bizarro World
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10 min read
There’s a certain kind of bizarro argument we put up with. An intentional deception which claims we’re all responsible for our demise. They’re wrong. I honestly couldn’t believe what I was reading. It was like buying a copy of Superman and finding the issue is really about Bizarro. Women should leave the dirty world of…
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Jesus Keeps Walking
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9 min read
After Jesus makes his third passion prediction, his followers still don’t understand what it means to follow Jesus. And most of us don’t either. For Jesus, it isn’t just confronting power — it’s rejecting glory. Proper 24B | Mark 10:35-45 A few weeks ago, when we hosted our neighbors for our annual big blow-out communion…
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Out of Line
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9 min read
In Mark 9, we get a vision of the flipped script, the powerless raised up and the powerful brought low. And still, we struggle to see ourselves in it. Jesus warns that being a stumbling block deprives us all Proper 21B | Mark 9:38-50 Is the second time ever the charm? At this point in…
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Why It’s Dangerous To Laugh At a Space Force
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5 min read
The idea of a Space Force seems absolutely crazy. We should care less about how absurd it is and more about why anyone would want it. Space Force. Even the words make me laugh. It seems like a farce. Like the moonshot gamble of a desperate administration. Mocking it so tempting. And where did it…