Religion
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Holy City (Eating Scripture)
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2 min read
Last week, we had the temptation in the desert, the quintessential Lenten text. This time, we get Angry Jesus. I have a soft spot for Angry Jesus. What Jesus is angry about is the stuff we already know, but rarely give attention to. It falls into two parts: the hypocrisy of leaders and their support…
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Our Quarantine
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6 min read
a Sermon for Lent 1C Text: Luke 4:1-13 Quarantine In the ancient Middle East, there was a traditional custom of a Sabbath Quarantine. One would go out into the desert for an extended time. Imagine. The sand swirling about you, sneaks into your clothes, your hair, your teeth. You would soon feel dirty and uncomfortable.…
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The Scandal of Lent
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3 min read
Every year I struggle with Lent. I struggle with what we are really called to do. Certain things are different, and yet we don’t really live all that differently. We fast or we take on new things or we mark our worship differently. But something doesn’t ring true about it for me. As I wrote…
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Bible app doesn’t get the season
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1 min read
A real push notification on my phone right now: As the Easter season begins, start a Reading Plan today Two gut responses: The “Bible” app, YouVersion doesn’t actually know that Lent begins today, not Easter? Who doesn’t get that Lent isn’t Easter? The Advent/Christmas problem is invading Lent! The world mischaracterizes Advent as the Christmas…
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GOD is here
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6 min read
a Sermon for Epiphany 4C Text: Luke 4:21-30 The teacher is kicked out of school Jesus approaches the front of the synagogue, is given one of the scrolls of Isaiah and Jesus reads out: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He…
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Saul or Paul?
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5 min read
a Sermon for the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle Text: Acts 26:9-21 From Saul to Paul In the story of the Conversion of Paul, we have perhaps the ultimate Christian example. Paul speaks of his old self, a conversion, and a transformation. Before he became Paul, he was Saul: a self-proclaimed zealot. He was…