That nice, warm—maybe almost happy?—feeling that you have today is not just about candy and cute kids in costumes. I’ve always loved Halloween. As a kid, as a parent, and the seasons in between. Costumes, candy, and an excuse to binge watch scary movies or read Dracula again … what’s not to love? Not to mention, there’s something spiritual about letting ourselves believe in things we can’t see. It’s a magical night, all around. But I’m here to tell you, it was... Read more
“If there was an armed guard inside the temple, they would have been able to stop him.” This was Trump’s response to the horrific synagogue shooting in Pittsburg on Saturday. If possible, this predictable sound bite is even worse than the hollow “thoughts and prayers” business that we usually hear in the wake of tragedy. This is not just an empty trope: it is victim-blaming. It’s gaslighting. And it utterly misses the point of worship. In the Abrahamic traditions (Judaism,... Read more
This sermon is part of a series, Resist: Justice Heroes from the Bible to the Big Screen. Today’s text comes from Matthew 5. In this series, we’ve focused on a phrase from each movie that is meant to be a mission-statement takeaway. Some are self-explanatory, like, “We boldly go.” Or “The force is with us.” The one for today might take a little bit of context. It’s a little bit longer than all of the other ones. It’s the one phrase we... Read more
Guest post by Benjamin J. Dueholm Do Christians resent their own morality? I’ve been asking myself this since I saw video of the president of the United States engage in a rollicking, vicious parody of Christine Blasey Ford, who had recently testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her alleged assault by now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. He did this in Mississippi, in front of one of the rapturous crowds he seeks out with such desperate regularity. It was a... Read more
By the Rev. Chris Furr On the surreal day after Donald Trump was elected, I remember looking at everyone I encountered a bit differently—the guys behind the counter in the sandwich shop, the cashier at the grocery store, my neighbor checking his mail. I wondered who they’d voted for, and why. I was studying the ones who looked like me in particular. We had so much in common, but they felt like aliens. Later, I sat down with my wife... Read more
Guest post by Dr. Lisa R. Hale Things moved fast for Brett Kavanaugh in that final week. Given the scope and gravity of a lifetime appointment, some would argue too quickly. But from others, there was angry lament of “unfair delay.” As we all know by now, that news cycle ended with a 50 to 48 Saturday vote, a prompt swearing-in via private ceremony, and much lauding by the White House in a public one (accompanied by the President’s strangely... Read more
This sermon is part of a series, Resist: Justice Heroes from the Bible to the Big Screen. Preaching text: Matthew 16:21-28 I volunteer as tribute. These powerful words launch heroine Katniss Everdeen into a terrifying “game” that is really a fight to the death. In a future dystopian world, the population has been divided into 12 Districts, each subservient to an evil dictatorship. The “Hunger Games” are for the entertainment of the elite population that lives in the opulent “Capitol.” The... Read more
My friend Phil Snider compiled a sermon collection that speaks to our current political climate. I was happy to contribute a sermon for the cause; I’m also happy to share this guest post from Phil about why he thought such a book was needed, right about now. Read on. By Phil Snider In the midst of the nationalism, nihilism and alt-right fear-mongering that has accompanied the Trump presidency, many pastors find themselves drawn toward acts of resistance—sometimes even from the... Read more
Yesterday, October 1, my husband called me on his lunch break to tell me Happy October. He sooooo gets me. Because October 1, in my mind, ranks right up there with Thanksgiving and Christmas as days to anticipate and celebrate. I know lots of us love fall. And I do, truly. That’s 90 percent of why I left Arizona. As much as I loved the warm winters and the gorgeous springs, I could. Not. Cope with the lack of autumn... Read more
This sermon is part of a series, Resist: Justice Heroes from the Bible to the Big Screen. In worship, we started with a rousing game of “Yoda or Proverbs?” Which sort of loses something in translation to print … but do check it out for your next youth group function! Preaching text: Acts 5:12-16. Like some of the other movies we’ve featured in this series, the Star Wars franchise has been around for decades and can be a little overwhelming.... Read more
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