“When Enkidu heard these words he tore out the Bull’s right thigh and tossed it in her face saying, ‘If I could lay my hands on you, it is this I should do to you, and lash the entrails to your side.’” The Epic of Gilgamensh “And now I will show you the most excellent way.” St. Paul, private letter to the Christian community at Corinth Imagine what it’s like to live in Istanbul—a city so great they named it,... Read more
Whenever I engage in conversation with people I meet for the first time I try to avoid being asked the question, “What do you do for a living?” But if I am asked I say, “I am a minister.” Generally, the one who asks then inquires, “What denomination?” or “What kind of church?” Here is where I always have to clarify, depending on the most recent news headline involving Christian leaders: “I am a Baptist minister, but I am not... Read more
In my opinion, How Jesus Became God is the most important book I’ve written for non-scholars, since it deals with one of the truly vital issues not only for Christianity but also for Western civilization. One could easily argue that if Jesus had not been declared God, the history of the West would have been inconceivably and unalterably different. If Jesus’ followers had continued to think of him merely as a great Jewish teacher or as another failed prophet of God who... Read more
Thursday, June 19, 2014 This week, I’m gathering with Presbyterians from across the country for the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Whatever your faith-community or denomination, I invite you to join with me and with others in morning prayer each day this week, engaging the Pentecost text from Acts 2:1-21. Over the course of this week, I invite you to read and engage the full text of that Scripture in your life and in your prayer. For these... Read more
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him... Read more
[Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a series of reflections and prayer posts from the biennial General Assembly of the PC(USA) offered by the Rev. Scott Clark, Chaplain and Associate Dean of Student Life at the San Francisco Theological Seminary.] June 18, 2014 When it comes to LGBT issues in the PCUSA, I find that I am careful to hope. I have been here too many times. An amazing community has come before the denomination, and we’ve made our case for full... Read more
It’s 93 degrees in Texas today. And the Rev. Jeff Hood is walking 200 miles across the state. What would compel somebody to do that? He wants to end the death penalty… and he is not alone. Rev. Jeff Hood is a Southern Baptist pastor, deeply troubled by his denomination’s stance on capital punishment. And he is troubled because he lives in the most lethal state in the US. Texas has had 515 executions since the reinstatement of the death... Read more
[Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of reflections and prayer posts from the biannual General Assembly of the PC(USA), offered by the Rev. Scott Clark, Chaplain and Associate Dean of Student Life at the San Francisco Theological Seminary.] June 17, 2014 At the PCUSA General Assembly, the committee work is in progress. On Monday, the committees (each assigned various topics and motions — social justice issues, peacemaking, and so on) began their work. In the committee considering... Read more
Tuesday, June 17, 2014 This week, I’m gathering with Presbyterians from across the country for the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Whatever your faith-community or denomination, I invite you to join with me and with others in morning prayer each day this week, engaging the Pentecost text from Acts 2:1-21. Over the course of this week, I invite you to read and engage the full text of that Scripture in your life and in your prayer. This morning,... Read more
[Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of reflections from the biennial General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) offered by the Rev. Scott Clark, Chaplain and Associate Dean of Student Life at the San Francisco Theological Seminary.] Monday, June 16 The most significant action that the PCUSA General Assembly has taken so far is the election Saturday night of the Moderator of the denomination. For background: For the next two years, the Moderator will be the chief... Read more
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