“For we see in a mirror dimly.” This should be the motto for every theologian and lover. When it comes down to it, given the complexity of human experience and the grandeur of the universe, we don’t know much. Read more
“For we see in a mirror dimly.” This should be the motto for every theologian and lover. When it comes down to it, given the complexity of human experience and the grandeur of the universe, we don’t know much. Read more
Lectionary Reflections for the Third Sunday after Epiphany — January 27,2013 Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; I Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21 A newly-ordained pastor once told me that her homiletics professor counseled that one should never preach solely on the Psalms. Her professor’s admonition struck me as strange then, and seems misguided to me today insofar as the Psalms were the primary worship resource of the Jewish people, central to Christian worship, and portray the many moods of the spiritual life. Psalm 19... Read more
In Search of the Miraculous: Reflections on Miracles and the Wedding Feast at Cana Lectionary Reflections for The Second Sunday after Epiphany – January 20, 2013 John 2:1-11 Wondrous acts have been attributed to spiritual leaders, ancient and contemporary. Gurus, shaman, and healers are, according to followers and, occasionally external observers, able to perform psychic surgery, change weather patterns, and effect physical transformations at a distance. While typically these events occur in non-industrial environments, unsullied by the modern world view... Read more
Transforming the demonic is ultimately a work of grace, as Andrew Farley asserts in his new book Operation Screwtape. Our greatest threat is not demonic spirits or institutional evil, but our unwillingness to accept the grace of God and God’s messengers whether angelic, human, or environmental. Read more
Lectionary Reflections on The Baptism of Jesus The First Sunday after the Epiphany, January 13, 2013 Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8:14-27; Luke 3:15-17, 21-26 On Being Chosen. Good theological preaching is an art and not a science. While we need to take seriously the sentiments of the Hippocratic Oath, “first do no harm,” in our homiletical adventures, insightful preachers recognize that there are as many sermons as there are people in the congregation. What edifies one person may bring unnecessary pain to another.... Read more
The story is told of the sculptor Michelangelo. One day, a neighbor observed him rolling a large, ugly stone up the hill to his front porch. After pausing a moment to catch his breath, the sculptor got out his hammer and chisel and began to pound on the boulder. Observing this strange behavior, the neighbor was overcome with curiosity, walked across the street, and inquired, “What are you doing pounding on that boulder?” To which, Michelangelo replied, “There’s an angel... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary: Epiphany Sunday, January 6, 2013 This past Fall I was blessed to teach a course on “Whitehead and World Religions,” during my tenure as Visiting Professor of Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology and Claremont Lincoln University. In each class session, we confronted the reality of spiritual, ethical, and cultural pluralism. We explored what it means to balance faithful affirmation of your own faith tradition with openness to the wisdom of other religious traditions. Sadly, too... Read more
Lectionary Reflections: The First Sunday of Christmas, December 30, 2012 I Samuel 2:18-20, 26; Psalm 148; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52 On the only Sunday in Christmas, my “adventurous lectionary” pays homage to one of my professors Bernard Loomer. If the incarnation means anything today, it points to God’s embodiment in the messiness of our world. God does not draw lines, exclude otherness, or demean embodiment. Christmas challenges us to love God “in the world of the flesh.” (T.S. Eliot, “For the Time Being”) in... Read more
If you ever have to read a book about the seven deadly sins, I urge you to read Lawrence S. Cunningham’s The Seven Deadly Sins: A Visitor’s Guide. What these sins have in common is that they are all about the individual involved – “enough about you; what about me!” To use Luther’s language, they curve us inward on ourselves, making us the center of the universe rather than centering on the Holy One who centers all things. One of my... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 23, 2012 Micah 5:2-5a; Psalm 80:1-7; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-55 On occasion, I will be asked the question, “When does life begin?” by a curious or confrontational inquisitor. Such questioners are often surprised when I respond, “Oh, about 14 billion years ago.” My response, while occasionally startling, is intended to point to the fact that such questions of individual birth and death are somewhat irrelevant and unanswerable, especially for politicians, in a mysterious, and... Read more
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