On one seemingly ordinary day over 2000 years ago, a seemingly ordinary girl had an extraordinary rebirth. Mary abruptly experienced the presence of an angel named Gabriel, who told her she would conceive and give birth to a son she was to name Jesus, who would be given the throne of David, king of Israel, forever. Mary was born again. One moment she was a peasant girl. The next, she was royalty. After all, if you are going to give... Read more
Traveling Advent to Epiphany: Roadside Assistance from Luke and Matthew A Meditation on the Gospel for Advent Two: Luke 3:1-6 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the... Read more
What’s a promise worth, any more? Surely one of the most peculiar phenomena in America’s peculiar politics has been Grover Norquist’s no-tax-increase pledge. It was signed solemnly by countless Republican politicians over the last couple of decades. But it was a scruple disconnected from any real consequence. It’s sort of like a public declaration that you won’t step on a crack so you won’t break grandmother’s back. Norquist’s pledge made no more sense than to declare that you’ll never pay... Read more
Popular theoblogger and pastor Tripp Fuller of the Homebrewed Christianity Podcast caught up with a few of our favorite progressive Christian thought-leaders at the American Academy of Religion convention last month, and invited them to reflect on the season of Advent. We’ll be posting one video response each week as the church waits and anticipates the coming of God. This week, we hear from Ted Jennings, Professor at Chicago Theological Seminary and Methodist Clergy, who poses the challenge and promise of Advent. Next week, Diana... Read more
“Keep Christ in Christmas!” “Jesus is the reason for the season!” “It’s OK to say Merry Christmas!” I don’t disagree with any of these statements. However, as a PR rep for Jesus, I cringe whenever I see them printed on a sign somewhere. I know we all lament the commercialization of a sacred day; I know that it’s frustrating to see something so meaningful reduced to plastic snowmen and frozen fruitcakes. That said, it’s not worth getting all offended by... Read more
A Meditation on the Gospel for Advent One: Luke 21:25-36 “You get to your destination twice as fast.” I overhear a man on a phone telling someone this. Speed is a good thing, I suppose, if you don’t want to be where you are. How can I forget—I can’t, I will never forget—the hurried, weary pastor I met at a Christmas Eve dinner. “It’s such a holy time,” she said of Advent. “I can’t wait ‘til it’s over.” She left the... Read more
By Jeff Fulmer Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we have to be grateful for, such as family, friends, and faith. This year, I’ll have to add the election to that list. I know better than to put too much hope in a man, much less a political party. At the same time, the people we elect can make a real difference in peoples’ lives. While we don’t know how the economy will fare over the next four... Read more
One day, several years ago, I took our dog Kai for a walk. Just outside our home in Mill Valley, California, next to our steep driveway, was a flume where water ran in the rainy season. Halfway down the driveway, Kai stopped, fascinated by a little waterfall in the flume. The water poured, steady, smooth, and shining, over a crack in the cement. Kai tried to grab it with his teeth and play with it. He could not accept that it was not a... Read more
Do not look for rest in any pleasure, because you were not created for pleasure: you were created for joy. And if you do not know the difference between pleasure and joy you have not yet begun to live. –Thomas Merton Merton’s is one of the many wonderful quotes that open each chapter in Matt Litton’s new book on the spiritual journey, The Holy Nomad: The Rugged Road to Joy. Offering a meditation of sorts on what real life, real joy... Read more
On the 75th Anniversary of the publishing of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved tale The Hobbit, we caught up with internationally-renowned Tolkien scholar and English professor Devin Brown to talk about his new book, The Christian World of The Hobbit. Listen in as we discuss how Tolkien, a devout Christian, wove his faith into his popular tale, without once mentioning God. Read more
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