(Below is the sermon I preached at the Lake Oswego United Church of Christ for the second Sunday of Advent, 12/4/2016) In the first century there was a group of people who celebrated a festival called Advent. It celebrated the birth of a king. For these people, Advent filled them with hope, because they believed that this king would bring peace throughout the world. In fact, they called their ruler specific titles, like “Prince of Peace,” “Savior,” and the “Son... Read more
I recently sat down with Safi Kaskas to discuss Islam, Peace, and Violence. We had an inspiring conversation, which you can watch below. Safi is an American Muslim strategic management executive with a wealth of knowledge about Islam. As a co-founder of East-West University in Chicago, he’s a big proponent of education. Safi travels the globe to deliver talks about Islam in the modern world. He has spoken multiple times at the U.S. National Prayer Breakfast and serves on the board of... Read more
Tomorrow morning at 10:00 Eastern, I’ll be hosting a free live webinar with my friend Safi Kaskas. Safi is a Muslim who has translated the Qur’an and travels the globe working for peace and a better understanding of one another. I have mixed emotions at the moment, because every time I promote on Facebook an interview with a Muslim friend, many people go on the attack. Comments like, “Islam is a SATANIC POLITICAL CULT! JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!” “Get out... Read more
The Donald Trump presidency will lead us into a new age – especially for those who want to be prophetic. Indeed, those of us who are concerned about justice issues centered around economics, race, gender, and sexual identity have good reason to be vigilant in the Age of Trump. But I recently recorded an interview with Jay Alberg about scandal and the impending Trump presidency. Jay, an important voice in mimetic theory, especially when it comes to scandal, said this... Read more
Pastors have a frequent question when they begin to discover mimetic theory. “That’s great. But how does it preach?” Reverends Tom and Laura Truby show 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 their sermons as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, they explore an apocalyptic passage from Jesus that... Read more
My Islamic faith has taught me that it is my duty, and I hope the duty of every person of goodwill, to try to work towards peace and true reconciliation. -Safi Kaskas in “The Qur’an: A Contemporary Understanding“ Many people are asking questions about Islam. Is Islam inherently violent? What does the Qur’an actually say? Does ISIS represent true Islam? Should we be fearful of Muslims? These are a few of the topics I’ll be discussing this Saturday at 10:00 a.m.... Read more
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. – Psalm 46:1-3 It was a time of radical change. The earth was shaking. The seas roared against the people. They were in severe trouble. But they did not live in fear. One of the... Read more
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 sermon as an example of preaching the Gospel through mimetic theory. In this sermon, Tom relates the election of Donald Trump to Jesus’ discussion... Read more
Dear President-elect Donald Trump, Congratulations on your electoral victory. You have promised to be the president for all citizens of the United States, and I look forward to your fulfillment of that promise in a way that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable among us – racial and religious minorities, the LGBTQ community, the differently-abled, the poor and working classes. You have a difficult job ahead of you in a heavily divided nation, and for the sake of healing,... Read more
President Elect Donald Trump. It will take a long time for that to sink in. So, where do we go from here? We are being called to heal our nation and unite. The United States is clearly divided, but I’m suspicious about those calls. After 9/11, we knew that our nation needed to heal. But we never healed from the wounds of 9/11. No one taught us how to heal. So instead of healing, we acted out our pain through... Read more
Teaching Nonviolent Atonement
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