Perhaps one of the most difficult fruits of the Spirit for me to receive is patience. Like most people I am perhaps most impatient with myself. I expect too much of my life, my vocation, and my development. My compromised discipleship, my petty concerns, my hesitancy to have my day’s… Continue reading
All her life she had heard that homosexuals could not be saved and were destined for hell unless they repented and allowed God to change them. She had heard such a message from preachers, tv evangelists, friends, and other Christians. And it broke her heart to think that the grandson she so loved was burning in hell because he was gay. Continue reading
In several places on this blog, I point out that our word “evangelism” comes from the Greek word used in the New Testament for “good news.” The church did not invent the word euaggelion. Roman propaganda used the term to refer to the “good news” brought by the emperor as… Continue reading
“All sufferers can find comfort in the solidarity of the Crucified; but only those who struggle against evil by following the example of the Crucified will discover him at their side. To claim the comfort of the Crucified while rejecting his way is to advocate not only cheap grace but… Continue reading
(This sermon was preached 39 years ago. I was a college professor teaching religion in a Baptist college. Fundamentalists had chosen me as their target in that college with the intention of having me fired. Susan and I decided that we were no longer Baptists. The straw that broke the… Continue reading
Read the Scripture Perhaps no verse has been quoted by those outside the church to those inside the church more than our passage today: “Judge not lest you be judged.” Do Jesus’ words mean that we are never to make judgements in this life? Do we have no right or… Continue reading
(12 minutes) Read the Scripture The Italian poet Dante is well known for his descriptions of the afterlife. His writings are of course metaphorical. They were never meant to be taken literally. But through his symbolism Dante often exposed his readers to profound truth. For example, he made ice and… Continue reading
(15 minutes) Charity is a word which historically has had many meanings and uses. At one point in history, it defined the kind of self-giving love revealed in Jesus Christ (see the KJV translation of I Corinthians 13:13). Today it can refer to the actions of generous people and worthy… Continue reading
June is Pride Month for the lgbtq community. As part of my observance of that month, I watched a 2014 movie entitled Pride. Although the film is about the miners’ strike in 1984 during the ruthless Thatcher years, it is not a documentary. Among its stars are Bill Nighy, Imelda… Continue reading
Of all the biblical scholars I’ve ever read, Professor Walter Brueggemann has had the greatest influence on my understanding and application of the Scriptures. He is that rare genius who knows how to plumb the depths of the biblical witness and at the same time make that witness shockingly relevant… Continue reading
