The Straw Man and the Arrogant Modernist

Last updated on: April 22, 2012 at 7:50 am By Sam Alexander

God save me from smug, ill informed, modernists who spend their time deconstructing faith thinking that they know what is true. The latest, and conceivably the worst, contribution to this genre being Divinity of Doubt by Vincent Bugliosi. It makes me angry because, while they legitimately dismiss the mythic constructs of faith formed in pre-modern times, they fail, utterly and completely fail, to recognize the validity of the experience those ancient constructs sought to illumine. They described those experiences, and... Read more

In Our Backyard, a Christian Perspective on Human Trafficking

Last updated on: April 22, 2012 at 7:38 am By Sam Alexander

You’ve seen them, the storefronts, or 2nd floor windows that say, “Massage – ‘Vaguely Asian Sounding Name’ Spa, the neon sign says Open, the hours are 10 AM to 2 AM with no appointment is necessary.” Of course some of them dress it up a bit with a reflexology chart in the window, but really now . . . These things dot the American landscape; and not only in the “red light” districts in our big cities. Before I go... Read more

A Little Hope and . . .

Last updated on: April 22, 2012 at 7:38 am By Sam Alexander

There have been some moments of hope this week. I published an op-ed piece in response to the mono-dimensional response our politicians offered up when we killed Osama bin Laden. The piece appeared in both in the Commuter Times and in the Marin IJ. I posted it on gracecomesfirst.net and patheos.com. Then I used much of the content in a sermon I preached to about 175 people. I’ve received a fair amount of response. One e-mail kindly said, “I fear... Read more

Justice is Served?

Last updated on: April 22, 2012 at 7:37 am By Sam Alexander

Don’t get me wrong, I get it. I get the horror, the shock, and the grief. I get the humiliation, the fear, the anger and I certainly get the desire to eradicate evil – or at least the person in whom evil takes root. I understand the elation and the pride that follows a job – a hard job, a dangerous job – well done. But I’m hoping for a more nuanced view from our country’s leaders. Last night President... Read more

What if There Were No Religions?

Last updated on: February 7, 2011 at 5:29 pm By Sam Alexander

What if there were no religions? I like John Lennon as much as the next guy, but this line had to be his low point. Nevertheless, it’s still alive. I saw it on a bumper sticker: What if there were no religions? I can understand wanting a world without the Santa Claus god – the one who’s making his list and checking it twice. That view of God, a view so many haven’t yet replaced, has done enough damage. I’m... Read more

Why Isn’t It Cool to Be a Christian?

Last updated on: January 5, 2011 at 10:57 pm By Sam Alexander

It’s just not cool to be a Christian. I went to Integral Spiritual Experience, (ISE) over the New Year – 500 people from about 30 countries, representing dozens of religious traditions. Studying, practicing, talking with these people, deepened my decidedly Christian faith. Still, I was knocked off balance by the following, recurring conversation. “What do you do, Sam?” “I’m a Presbyterian minister.” (awkward silence) “Really?” God help me; why didn’t I say, “I teach meditation at a Vedanta center.” I... Read more

Wake Up Saba

Last updated on: December 7, 2010 at 12:08 am By Sam Alexander

Jesus touched Peter’s mother-in-law and she was healed. The text goes on to say that this was done to fulfill what the prophet Isaiah said, "He took our diseases and carried our infirmities. As we said last week, Matthew doesn’t bring this up to prove that Jesus was the Messiah, he brings it up to describe the character of the Messiah. In this case, we hear about the expectation that Messiah will carry their infirmities from exile in Babylon, all... Read more

We’ve Seen a Great Light

Last updated on: December 2, 2010 at 11:27 pm By Sam Alexander

We’ve Seen a Great Light (Audio approximately 10 MB, right-click to download.) The sermon, the first in a long series on Matthew’s gospel, talks about one of the 8 "prophesy fulfillment" passages in Matthew. They are not there to prove that Jesus is the Messiah. The readers are already convinced of that. They are there to describe the nature of the Messiah’s work. In this case, for all those who find themselves in a dark place, they have encountered the... Read more

New Jerusalem

Last updated on: November 15, 2010 at 8:16 pm By Sam Alexander

New Jerusalem Sixteen chapters of unrelenting horror and judgment and 2 chapters of hope. Sounds about right. I don’t like false hope religion and this passage is not false hope religion. We recognize the horror of our world throughout the Revelation and at the end of it the question is, "Can any beauty come of this?" That is the question that John wrote to answer. Read more

Please, let’s not confuse forgiveness and reconciliation

Last updated on: November 15, 2010 at 5:58 pm By Sam Alexander

I’ve mentioned the Pastor’s occupational hazard – more often than not, when I mention my vocation, people either get uncomfortable and change the subject, or launch into a diatribe about the ways in which Christianity is all wet. (I usually end up agreeing with them because I think the common public conception of Christianity is all wet.) Anyway a woman I met must have heard that Christians are supposed to forgive, so she told me a story: “Completely by accident... Read more