The following is a sermon I preached at Clackamas United Church of Christ, near Portland, Oregon. The primary scripture text were Isaiah 58:9-14 and Luke 13:10-17. You can read the text or watch the video below. Throughout human history, many people have looked up to the heavens and proclaimed, “I am the Chosen One.” For example, the Pharaohs, Emperors, Caesars, Kings, and at least one President all have claimed to the “Chosen One.” They love to claim that there are major problems... Read more
“Ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” Welcome to Jesus Unmasked! The following show notes are not a transcript but a reflection on this week’s Gospel scripture in the style of Lectio Divina. For our application of this sacred reading method, we follow four steps: (1) attempt to discern the literal meaning and context of the verses we read, (2) find... Read more
Jesus brings the fire! He didn't come to bring peace, but division! Really? How do we make sense of the seemingly violent words of Jesus? Join the latest episode of Jesus Unmasked as Lindsey and Adam discuss this important topic! Read more
ICE raided Mississippi workers last week and tore children apart from their parents. Who will help these families? A strip club and a church in Portland, Oregon are an unlikely paring, but they are working together to help #ourkids. Read more
Welcome to Jesus Unmasked! The following show notes are not a transcript but rather a summary and brief extension of the ideas gleaned from the lectionary readings and conversation. If the notes or video spark your own ideas or questions, please feel free to leave comments and join our live conversations! During the summer, our regular Wednesday morning episodes are postponed as we juggle multiple schedules, but we fit in a weekly live show when we can! You can find... Read more
“Perfect love casts out fear.” Good. Let’s start here. Let’s begin in the hope that there is something stronger than hate, in faith that there is a power capable of overcoming this violence. We need hope, because right now the world is a frightening place. We are all vulnerable, aren’t we? We could be in Walmart or at our house of worship or in a night club. We could be in a movie theater or at school or a concert.... Read more
Christians claim to follow Jesus, who warned that anyone who lives by the sword will die by the sword. So how could Christians live by the sword? We can't. The time has come when we have to put down our weapons of violence. Read more
Jesus parables lead us to trust that even though we might go through periods of famine, we can continue to share because God is with us and will continue to provide. Read more
We can no longer offer empty phrases like, "thoughts and prayers." Jesus' prayer leads us to action, says Rev. Adam Ericksen in his latest sermon. Read more
What do you think when you hear “Sodom and Gomorrah?” Progressive Christians rightly have long decried the misuse of this story as a clobber text against homosexuality. And yet, the word “sodomy” in our modern language does not refer to the actual sins of Sodom: arrogance, neglect for the poor, and hostility to migrants. Our culture has a long way to go when it comes to understanding the full meaning of this story. With a humanitarian crisis looming on our... Read more
Teaching Nonviolent Atonement
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