Wednesday Sermon: The Gospel and Empire – A Counter Story

Last updated on: January 18, 2017 at 7:31 pm By Tom Truby

Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverend Tom Truby shows that mimetic theory is a powerful tool that enables pastors to preach the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and refreshing to the modern world. Each Wednesday, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement will highlight his sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon from Advent about the birth of Jesus, Tom explains the... Read more

Less Red-baiting, More Peacemaking in the Age of Trump

Last updated on: January 13, 2017 at 5:39 pm By Lindsey Paris-Lopez

In a world desperate for compassion, it pains me to see hope and opportunity for peace squandered on blame, antagonism, and red-baiting. Donald Trump is poised to take the reins of the largest empire in the history of the world. U.S. drones rain death from the skies in 8 countries. Over 800 U.S. military bases litter more than 70 countries. And our war on terror spills onto our own streets as militarized police continue to kill unarmed African and Native... Read more

Thursday Sermon: A Plan from the Beginning of Time!

Last updated on: January 12, 2017 at 4:00 pm By Tom Truby

Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverend Tom Truby shows that mimetic theory is a powerful tool that enables pastors to preach the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and refreshing to the modern world. Each Wednesday, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement will highlight his sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, Tom discusses the Magi as they visit the Christ-child. Mimetic... Read more

Bible Matters: The Prophet Hosea: Sex, Love, and Politics

Last updated on: January 11, 2017 at 5:26 pm By Adam Ericksen

Hosea is probably best known in Christian circles for the phrase God “desires steadfast love and not sacrifice.” Jesus quotes that verse from Hosea twice in the Gospel of Matthew. Love, not sacrifice was a vital lens for Jesus. (For more in the Bible Matters series, click here.) But Hosea’s book does not always reflect that verse. Understandably, it often reflects the violence and horror of Hosea’s time. Political Chaos Hosea lived during one of the worst periods of Israel’s... Read more

Meryl Streep and Donald Trump – Who Wins the American Culture War?

Last updated on: January 10, 2017 at 1:07 pm By Adam Ericksen

Meryl Streep put the culture war in full view Sunday night at the Golden Globes. She stated in her acceptance speech for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Thank you Hollywood foreign press … You, and all of us in this room, really, belong to the most vilified segments in American society right now. Think about it. Hollywood, foreigners, and the press. Streep then discussed Donald Trump’s infamous imitation of a disabled reporter. During his campaign, Trump blatantly mocked the reporter, who... Read more

What’s Up with Jesus and John the Baptist?

Last updated on: January 5, 2017 at 8:07 pm By Adam Ericksen

This Sunday, Christians will celebrate Jesus’ baptism. There are a lot of questions surrounding his baptism. For example, what’s up with Jesus and John? In Matthew’s Gospel, John says to Jesus just before the baptism, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” John recognizes that Jesus is more powerful, so Jesus should baptize him. But, Jesus insists that John baptize him, “for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”... Read more

Wednesday Sermon: Get Up and Embrace the Future Unafraid!

Last updated on: January 4, 2017 at 12:16 pm By Tom Truby

Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverend Tom Truby shows that mimetic theory is a powerful tool that enables pastors to preach the Gospel in a way that is meaningful and refreshing to the modern world. Each Wednesday, Teaching Nonviolent Atonement will highlight his sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, Tom discusses the difference between the violence of Herod and... Read more

Top 5 Ways to Be More Peaceful in 2017

Last updated on: January 3, 2017 at 12:14 pm By Adam Ericksen

At my age, I discovered years ago that New Year’s resolutions are a practice in failure. By January 15, I haven’t lost any weight, I keep swearing, I’ve stopped flossing my teeth, and I haven’t learned any new recipes…but I can still make a pretty mean batch of Top Ramen. Here’s another resolution I’m going to fail – be more peaceful. That resolution lasted until about 12:15 am on January 1st. But if you’re like me, you know that the... Read more

Christian Truth in a Post-Truth World

Last updated on: January 2, 2017 at 3:17 pm By Adam Ericksen

We live in a post-truth world. At least, that’s what we are being told. Fake news dominates Facebook and Twitter feeds. It’s hard to know what to believe because truth no longer matters. What matters in our post-truth world is how we “feel” about something. This is not entirely new. Humans have always been guided by our feelings and emotions. Studies show that we filter “truth” through our passions, not through objectivity. We have an amazing capacity to interpret truth... Read more

Epiphany – The All-Vulnerable God

Last updated on: January 1, 2017 at 4:42 pm By Adam Ericksen

Today is the start of a New Year, a fresh start. I don’t know about you, but after 2016, I could use a fresh start. But today is not just the beginning of the New Year. Christians throughout the world are celebrating Epiphany, the day when the Magi saw the star that led them to baby Jesus. Epiphany means “appearance” or “manifestation.” In the ancient world, an epiphany was the appearance of a deity made manifest on earth. People believed... Read more