With every step Jesus took into and within Jerusalem, he pushed against the status quo of fear and oppression. He pushed the Jewish leadership in their cooperation with the empire. He pushed the Roman leadership, riding that thin line between nuisance and seditionist. The leaders saw that the crowd was getting behind Jesus, drawn to … Continue reading “BlogPost: Holy Week – Day 4”
Category: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
BlogPost: The Dying Daughter of Zion – Giving Birth to the New
[Author’s note: This post is a bit more “stream of consciousness.” I wrote it reflecting on Walter Brueggemann’s book, Reality, Grief, Hope: Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks, which I’m reading for a class as part of my Doctor of Ministry studies at McCormick Theological Seminary. So, as you read, be kind in your thoughts. This is … Continue reading “BlogPost: The Dying Daughter of Zion – Giving Birth to the New”
BlogPost: World Communion Eucharistic
For some, “Communion Eucharist” might seem a bit repetitive. But “communion” and “Eucharist” are not the same thing: communion refers to the joining together or union of two or more things or people to create something new [Latin, cum (“with”)+mūnus (“gift”)].[1] Eucharist, however, refers to the Greek word for “gratitude” or “giving thanks” [Greek εὐχαριστία, … Continue reading “BlogPost: World Communion Eucharistic”
BlogPost: Eucharist as Embodied Covenant
Sister Margaret Scott (see previous post) skillfully weaves the liturgy of the Easter Vigil (a lot of liturgy and a lot of scripture) into an example in the Roman Catholic tradition (and some Protestant traditions) of how the Eucharistic meal reflects the covenants God has made with God’s people through Israel and Jesus the Christ. … Continue reading “BlogPost: Eucharist as Embodied Covenant”
BlogPost: Faith Fight – Fountain Hills, Arizona
“Faith Fight”—that’s what the local news is calling it. Eight churches in Fountain Hills, Arizona, led by the Rev. Bill Good, pastor of Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), have posted banners announcing a sermon series called “‘Progressive’ Christianity: Fact or Fiction.” Their basic intent is to attack progressive Christianity as not being Christian. Sadly, the … Continue reading “BlogPost: Faith Fight – Fountain Hills, Arizona”