“Power is a gift” says Andy Crouch in his excellent new book Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power. Our use of power can either create or destroy, and power that leads to flourishing, Crouch notes, is grounded in our relationship with God. Crouch believes that the use of power is inevitable and can be good, and that it can be redeemed to serve the greater purposes of God and humanity; power, rightly used, can deepen rather than weaken our relationships and... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for October 20, 2013 Jeremiah 31:27-34 Psalm 119:97-104 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 Luke 18:1-8 Today’s lectionary readings could easily inspire three different sermon trajectories. The insightful preacher may choose to reflect on themes such as: 1) the meaning of divine law and its relationship to our well-being, 2) the inspiration of scripture and its role in sharing God’s news, and 3) persistence in prayer and the question of unanswered prayer. These themes are woven together by a vision that God... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for October 13, 2013 Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7; Psalm 66:1-12; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19 Today’s readings require much interpretation. They point to the energetic movements of God in all things. They also suggest that God may be using pain and suffering as a tool of growth. On the positive side, God is not confined by space or time, or ethnicity. God’s resurrection life gives us courage to face the challenges of life. But, do these challenges come from the hand of... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for October 6, 2013 Lamentations 1:1-6; Psalm 137; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10 This week’s lectionary is filled with challenging passages. The Hebraic scriptures speak of national desolation and its impact on the faithful. They challenge our belief in a God who is exclusively on our side. The New Testament passages challenge us to expect great things of ourselves and God. We are to aspire toward living “the sacrament of the present moment,” investing ordinary things with extraordinary care... Read more
Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer once spoke of the phenomenon of “cheap grace” and contrasted it with costly discipleship. Cheap grace refers to those who claim to be Christian, but make no significant life changes as a result of their faith. They reap all the benefits of society and see faith as going along with the prevailing social order. Costly discipleship involves our willingness to take a stand for our faith even if we suffer for it. Bob Fu’s God’s Double Agent,... Read more
I wonder if I will have the courage to trust God, believing, with the Apostle Paul, that as my body diminishes, I can continue to soar spiritually. Read more
Lectionary Reflections for September 29, 2013 Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 I Timothy 6:6-19 Luke 16:19-31 Today’s scriptures present both challenge and hope. They root our hope in our relationship with God. Those who commit themselves to God’s cause can imagine futures and act on their imagination, even if the arc of imagination goes beyond their lifetimes. They can face illness, external threat, and death knowing that God’s providence encompasses them. Life apart from a relationship with God eventually leads... Read more
Adam Bucko, who, along with Matthew Fox, is author of Occupy Spirituality, asserts: “All social movements, across generations, need spirituality. A solid spirituality is one that enables people to energize their moral imagination, to make their motives conscious, and to use and deepen their talents to give birth to a new tomorrow.” These are good and challenging words for social activists, who often separate action and contemplation and spirituality and social change in two distinct and often conflicting worlds. Bucko... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for September 22, 2013 Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 Psalm 79:1-9 1Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13 Today’s scriptures reflect on the social consequences of turning away from God and the possibility that prayer and God-centered values can be a source of health in our personal and corporate lives. A transformed mind may lead over the long haul to transformed social systems. Jeremiah paints the picture of a prophet with a broken heart. The people are in pain; the nation is in... Read more
The specific questions raised here are: “Does the omnipresent God continue to act in the lives of persons with Alzheimer’s? Does God continue to work in the lives of persons with Alzheimer’s, or does this disease somehow render God’s presence null and void?” Or, in simpler language, “Where is God in Alzheimer’s?” Read more
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