Is America A Righteous Nation? Matthew 25:31-46 A sermon by The Rev. Dr. Rodney Wallace Kennedy A biblical text at times feels as new as morning dew. Other times it feels so ancient that we can’t imagine it. Today’s gospel reading about judgment of sheep and goats feels really ancient. What are we to make of dividing the sheep from the goats? In our culture, say the word, “GOAT,” and a debate breaks out as to whether Michael Jordan or... Read more

“Gag orders” are so constantly in the news that they threaten to become the 2023 word of the year. Define gag order. What is going on with Donald Trump and gag orders? The best explanation I have found for what has happened is a strange expression from rhetorical and cultural critic, Kenneth Burke: “Today I am all gaspo, gulpo, gaggo.” In the 1950’s Burke, according to Debra Hawhee, in Moving Bodies, began to pursue intensely a critical mode drawing “upon... Read more

What a mess. Our nation is being torn apart by a Congress hellbent on having enemies, getting revenge, and doing nothing. Congress faces two wars (Ukraine and Gaza) and has a deadline for preventing the shutdown of the government, and that’s just two of the divisive issues. As a nation we are facing division we do not know how to heal. Even more troubling, we have politicians whose very existence depends upon not healing our alienation from one another. It’s... Read more

  The parable of the talents is about money. Since the church doesn’t really want anyone to know what people actually believe about money, we have spread the rumor that we shouldn’t talk about money. Well, I am not having any of it this morning. This parable is about money and we are going to talk about money. “Show me the money!” (Movie, “Jerry Mcquire”) Not talking about a subject is a trick that God’s people try to pull on... Read more

We Are the History We Choose to Believe History may be considered boring by some, but it’s a hot topic now that Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House of Representative, is promoting the revisionist history of David Barton. History has always been contestable. There’s a saying that the winners write the history. There’s a truism that “he who has the gold writes the rules.” Deeper than that commonplace, Walter Brueggemann, reflecting on Hebrew scripture as history, argues there is established... Read more

North Dakota State Representative Brandon Prichard set off alarms among lovers of democracy when he declared that the Issue One Vote in Ohio should be ignored. Ohio voters enshrined into the state constitution the right to an abortion with 56.6% voting “yes.” Somehow, Rep. Prichard felt obligated to call the results in Ohio into question. He makes an extremely troubling observation: Conservatives are for direct democracy when they win; opposed to it when they lose. “Direct democracy should not exist.”... Read more

Has Pope Francis Opened a “Crack in the Door” for Gays? Googling the topic, Pope Francis Same-Sex Unions, serves up more than 125 articles. “Pope Francis opens possibility for blessing same-sex unions.” Forty-six articles put the word “open” in their headlines. The Hill and the other cheek highlight the possibility of an “open door. What will this action do to what has been a developing appreciation of Pope Francis among evangelicals. The evangelicals have developed a “Popecrush” with Pope Francis.... Read more

Conservatives can’t wait for House Speaker Mike Johnson to get down to the real business of government – reducing food benefits to the Americans most in need of assistance. The program, formerly known as food stamps, now SNAP, has been identified as a major target by Republicans. SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the country’s largest anti-hunger program that serves 41 million low-income American. Conservatives want to trim the rolls who now receive food benefits. There’s always a roll... Read more

Republicans Have a Magical Mirror on the Wall In the land of the Kingdom of Republicans, there are some representative of the government who own a magical mirror. They look in their magical mirror and see themselves acting in selfish, irrational, outlandish ways. Instead of seeing themselves, they see others acting out. It’s not a miracle; it’s a trick, a magical trick of illusion. Then they hold a press conference to insist that others are guilty of all that immature behavior.... Read more

Mike Johnson: Another David Barton Mouthpiece Mike Johnson, U. S. representative from Louisiana, is the speaker of the House of Representatives. David Barton is a fake historian who makes up stories about the founding fathers and the founding of our nation is a political grunt for the Republican Party. He often makes outlandish claims that are filled with falsehoods and misinformation. Listening to Barton claim that 52 of the original 55 signers of the U. S. Constitution were evangelical Christians... Read more