Tag: Religion and Spirituality

  • A Ridiculously Basic Introduction to Emergence Christianity

    A Ridiculously Basic Introduction to Emergence Christianity

    Before I begin, I need to give a whole bunch of caveats. First, this is not only ridiculously basic, but inappropriately basic. The subject is too big to cast in just a few sentences. Second, you should probably just go out and buy Phyllis Tickle’s book of the same name and read it yourself. Third, I have…

  • The Three Wise Guys (Eating Scripture)

    Eating Scripture took a holiday to fast for a few weeks, but returns today with a serious hunger, eager to devour Epiphany! In Epiphany, we are challenged by the fact that what the holiday is intending to deal with is nothing like what people feel on that day. It began as a celebration of Jesus’s…

  • Winnowing Forks (Eating Scripture)

    Continuing our Advent and Apocalypse theme, we have more from John the Baptizer. Repent, change, because the big guy’s coming up behind me! Notice, too, the season, the demand for fairness. Just the kind of gospel for the “fiscal cliff” negotiations. Eating Scripture is a short video series in which we explore the juicy and…

  • The Love Apocalypse (Eating Scripture)

    Eating Mark 13:1-8 This week, we tackle a gospel we don’t know what to make of, a type of literature we don’t understand, and a meaning for 21st Century American Christians that is consistent with Jesus’s teaching in under 4 minutes. What a workout! This means there isn’t as much time to deal with what…

  • The Twofer (Eating Scripture)

    Eating a double helping of Mark 12:28-34 and  John 11:32-44 We get our choice this week between two texts. One is the lectionary text (Mark) and the other is the text from All Saints’ Day (John) which can be transferred. Most churches I’ve served observe All Saints’ on a Sunday, so I thought I’d do…

  • Blind Beggers (Eating Scripture)

    Eating Mark 10: 46-52 For the last three chapters, Jesus has been taking us to Jerusalem, preparing us for what is to come. And this is the last stop; Jericho. Here he meets a blind man and we learn the last piece of the discipleship arc. All from a story we normally mistake for just another…

  • The Thunder Blunder (Eating Scripture)

    Eating Mark 10: 35-45 This whole arc in Mark has been about discipleship; about following Jesus where He is going. Which is Jerusalem and death. And then resurrection. After Jesus foretells His death for the third time, we have this third epic fail. And it is a doozy. Unfortunately for us, even though we recognize half…

  • Heaven Insurance (Eating Scripture)

    Eating Mark 10:17-31 There is so much to feast on this week, and the main course is certainly the part where Jesus eats the rich. But something curious is offered up in the first course. Something about a man seeking assurance from a holy man that he can attain eternal life. and the holy man doesn’t…