Both our Hebrew and Greek scriptures hold a vision of the kingdom of God where the rich and powerful are knocked down off their pedestals of arrogance and pride, and the poor and marginalized are lifted up out of the pits of despair, and all people are called to live in harmony and at least … Continue reading “The Upside Down World of God”
Category: hope
Happy New Year!
Happy new year! What? It’s not January? I know, but the season of Advent is the start of the Christian calendar. We begin the year listening to God’s promises revealed through Jesus: the promise of a new heaven and new earth, promises of rebirth, promises of a new hope for all humanity. Unfortunately, some people … Continue reading “Happy New Year!”
Why Church Matters…
I just wrapped up a series of testimonies during worship from some members of the church I serve around why church matters to them. Each shared their faith journey and how they landed here and where they are in their walk with God. Each was then asked to sum it all up: Why does church … Continue reading “Why Church Matters…”
Church in the World Today
In America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity (2005), Robert Wuthnow, an American sociologist, argues that we have possibly been going about these ecumenical (inter-Christian) and inter-faith dialogues all wrong. He writes that we have been so focused on theology (understandings about God) that we have completely missed the opportunities to simply be in relationship, … Continue reading “Church in the World Today”
Why Does Church Matter?
This past week I took a class from Lillian Daniel at McCormick Theological Seminary as part of my D.Min. Studies. The class was entitled “Why Church Matters In a Culture if Narcissism.” We had several guests join us via Skype (Will Willimon,