preaching
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“Spotlight” Is the Epiphany On Film
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6 min read
They were Jesus to people who couldn’t find Jesus in the pulpit or the pew. This is Christ revealed to the world. This is the Epiphany in action today. Jesus is revealed through mercy The Epiphany | Matthew 2:1-12 Spotlight Monday, I was one of two people in the theater watching Spotlight. If you don’t know…
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Sermon as Teaching
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7 min read
My Dad’s a good preacher. He isn’t the lift the roof off the rafters type. Nor is he egg-heady with scattered references to German theologians. And he isn’t a daily living preacher, either. He doesn’t do genre. He does story and he tries to make sense of the gospel and what people are dealing with…
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How Do Other People Hear Our Gospel Message?
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7 min read
It seems that, right now, in the United States, in the midst of the Charleston shooting, two years of national conversations about race, and arguing over the confederate flag, we have long ignored the most crucial part of communication. A Should’ve Asked Question When Jesus tells us to proclaim the gospel to all nations,…
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Manifesting in Story
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3 min read
Monday’s celebration of The Epiphany was unique in that it took place in the midst of a once-in-a-generation snow storm. That arctic vortex gave us sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall as we haven’t seen in the Midwest in a long time. Feeling the cold on my face in the minutes I was out shoveling…
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I had trouble sleeping Saturday night. I was angry. Angry that George Zimmerman wouldn’t be punished, for the fear that has beset the African American community, for all the bullshit post-racism talk of my white neighbors. Mostly, I was angry that I was feeling powerless as a church leader to express myself. It frightened me…