While politicians and pundits debate the merits of torture, a recent Pew survey found that 71 percent of Americans believe torture is justified, at least on some occasions. From RNS.
The GBOD’s Jeanette Pinkston traveled in 2008 to Amman, Jordan, and was struck by the role Jordanian women play in the faith formation of their children. She explores their circumstances.
In the selection below, from my favorite author of all time, a very good description of one important role/description for the church: “a small, disciplined, self-critical groups whose reflection will issue in purposeful action”
We do not have to sit around immobilized, waiting for help to come. We can learn to care for our society, [...]
From the below , it looks as though my blogging is coming up on its 7th anniversary.
Sunday, June 02, 2002
In the process of moving a lot old writing to Weblogs here to this weblog site.
TheoBlogical Community
Jonathan Marlowe asks what I often ask. It is a large peeve of mine that so many Christians seem more closely aligned with American political labels and ideas than with Biblical/Kingdom-based categories.
One of my favorite blogs is Levellers, not because I always agree with Michael, but because he usually makes me think. Although Michael [...]
One of my favorite preachers/lecturers at the
Festival of Homiletics was
Anna Carter Florence, who has been at the Festival before, but who I missed last time I attended. She was really excellent, inspiring, and encouraging.
Notes: Preaching in a Recession: Rick Warren, Charlemagne, Survivor-man & you" - I found this session particularly thought-provoking, because I recently have been struggling with the knowledge that one of my colleagues has been 'borrowing' a great deal from other sources in theological reflections. I've struggled to understand this, and her lecture really helped me think about the spiritual implications, and the spiritual consequences we put on ourselves when, as she put it, we cease to "strive." Following are my mostly unedited notes -
Plagiarism – Rick Warren makes his sermons available online. Should we use them? Issues. Emperor Charlemagne’s project was to get everyone preaching the same at the same time, so he could control what was being said.
Most efficient way to educate was to make people go to church every week and hear the “right” sermons. Ordered a common lectionary to be used, with a “Homiliary” of sermons to be used. People had to go to church, pastors had to use the texts and sermons. “Carolingian Renaissance” was notable for its “renewal of preaching,” says history books. Centralized control of pulpit is not renaissance, but its death.
You have to cross the line, to use someone else’s work to really know where your line is, to feel it, using a chunk of someone else’s text.
Challenges that have crept up with internet – not just plagiarism, but trading access for interpretive freedom. Internet can’t mediate wisdom, love. We have to sort through volume to find value.
Preaching another’s sermons is bowing down to emperor, and not to JC. To create well-behaving citizens of the empire. Trying to convince you, the tempter, that you can’t do it yourself. “If you were a real preacher . . . you would have the numbers, not have a leaky roof, people would like you . . . real preachers have growing churches, multiple campuses, etc.” Preaching someone else’s sermons is an act of surrender to the emperor, the tempter, giving up our right/responsibility to interpret scripture. An act of resistance, a fresh act of interpretation. Not because you are so great at it, but because God is great, and grace is real.
Survivor-man. (Les Stroud) Survive in extreme cultures for a week.
This is not the antidote to empire. Does not require us to enter text with nothing. If we are just trying “to stay alive on camera,” then we need a new model. Don’t have to do it alone. Couldn’t talk/preach without going over ideas with one another (live/online.)
Striving. (Waldorf model of education – strive – teachers, and so students.) We can’t stop striving in our preaching, or our congregations will stop striving too.
Eyes of a preacher who has stopped striving, and stopped believing grace is real.
1 Samuel 17: David & Goliath
When you are striving, and someone offers you a suit of armor that does not fit, don’t wear it! Especially if emperor offers it. Go instead with friends to search for smooth stones that fit in your own slingshot! “I am a preacher, and a child of God.”
a lot has been said over the latest rage in methodism, taking your political viewpoints to youtube. one thing maxie dunham, who seems to have started this should have done his homework on is the concept of mashup's. cause buddy,...
The General Board of Church and Society is soliciting signatures to send to President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress urging an independent inquiry into allegations of torture by the U.S. government. From UMNS.
Sister Helen Prejean, famous opponent of the death penalty who wrote the book
Dead Man Walking, spoke recently at the Associated Church Press’ annual convention. Bill Fentum has the story.
saw this via don heatley's facebook page. i find this compelling and certainly worth my 8 minutes of time to ponder. it is obviously directed at christianity, the church, and the bible the problem with challenging one's cupboard is that...
We were blessed to have
Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu preach on the opening night of the
Festival of Homiletics. My notes don't really do his message justice, which was wonderful, but there was also just a spirit about him that was wonderful, a presence and a preciousness that is rare. Really great to hear him.
Psalm 85:-13, 2 Cor. 5:16-20
“Under this cassock, we’re all the same.”
Apartheid – asked for support/prayers, and you gave it.
Humor to poke fun at system in midst of oppression.
Joke about God and an oven for creation – over and under done cookies, creating black and white people.
Or: “This university is reserved for people with large noses only . . .” Or, “apply to minister of persons with small noses affairs.”
To say to people who are treated like rubbish – “You are a God-carrier, you stand-in for God.”
If we believed each one was a God-carrier, we would bow, as Buddhists do, “The God in me greets the God in you,” like genuflecting in the presence of the reserved host.
This one is a person of infinite worth – no exceptions!
Died with Christ, raised with Christ, ascended with Christ, given life to be what we already are.
Because God loves you. I am lovable because God loves me.
In the second installment in a series on Calvinist theology, Donald Haynes contrasts the life and theology of John Calvin with that of Jacob Arminius, whose theology greatly shaped John Wesley.
The CEO of the
United Methodist Reporter's parent company has been selected to be the world editor and publisher of the United Methodist Church’s Upper Room Ministries, a division of the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD).
Did President Obama or one of his speechwriters borrow a phrase from The United Methodist Church when he spoke on abortion at Notre Dame’s commencement? I don’t know, but I’m getting blog posts and emails from people who think he did.
I would have thought it old news, but reaction to the speech still seems to [...]