Genesis 32:3-32; 33:1-11: Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have lived with Laban as an alien and stayed until now, and I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male and female slaves, and I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’ ” The messengers returned to Jacob,... Read more
Spiritual direction is not about “problem-solving”. It is a gracious space for listening. Preeminently it is a space for listening to the voice of God. But that discipline inevitably draws attention to the shape of our lives as well because the habits that shape our lives shape our ability to hear. Most people come to spiritual direction unaware of this fact. It is easy to assume that spiritual challenges are in a class all their own. But the anthropology of... Read more
I am not a big fan of Prayerbook revision. And for a variety of reasons. One, I think that the modern church is addicted to theological and liturgical revision. Breaking with the conciliar caution of centuries gone by, a political mindset now dominates: Seize control of the national apparatus and compel everyone to think what the winners think. That mindset is strengthened by the presumption that those of us who are now alive represent the pinnacle of theological development. Everyone... Read more
30 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” 2 Jacob became very angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” 3 Then she said, “Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, that she may bear upon my knees and that I too may have children through... Read more
Zippia, an online career website shares some interesting facts about American nursing homes, the people who occupy them, and the future of the “nursing home industry”: There are over 810,000 people living in assisted living facilities in the United States. 4% of U.S. seniors live in nursing homes. 2% of U.S. seniors live in assisted living facilities. 52% of the U.S. assisted living population is over the age of 85. The number of nursing home residents has risen to... Read more
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they... Read more
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash In a recent article on preaching and ChatGPT, Kate Spelman, explores the question, “Could ChatGPT write your sermon?” Spelman acknowledges that there are those who argue that preachers should never use ChatGPT in sermon preparation. Citing Micah Jackson at Bexley-Seabury, she notes that ChatGPT may be able to write a competent sermon but it cannot write a pastoral sermon. And citing Bill Brosend, former director of EPF, she admits that ChatGPT cannot answer... Read more
roman-kraft-X1exjxxBho4-unsplash.jpg In the late 20th century when the language of spirituality gained currency, people often discovered that their clergy were ill-prepared to help them navigate their spiritual lives. Seminary education had celebrated prophetic preaching and ministry in the 1960s. Attention turned to therapeutic categories and counseling in the seventies. And leadership became all the rage in the eighties. Those who could speak to the spiritual life often “discovered” prayer and meditation by looking to the East. The sole exceptions were... Read more
Making sense of the sacrifice of Isaac is like wrestling alligators. And its interpretation is made that much harder by the free-floating nature of the story, the subsequent religious influence it has had, and the centuries of interpretation that has grown up around it. Known as “The Akedah” or “The Binding” in the Jewish tradition, the story is celebrated in the Jewish tradition as “the supreme example of self-sacrifice in obedience to God’s will and the symbol of…martyrdom throughout... Read more
Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash This sermon was preached at the baptism of my granddaughter, Ellie Lynn Lacey on Sunday, June 18, 2023. As many of you know – because I have told you over and over again – today, we will be baptizing my granddaughter, Ellie Lynn. The only excuse I have to offer is the that I I am no different in this regard from any other grandfather. As Ogden Nash once observed, “When a grandparent enters... Read more
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