Month: April 2020
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How I Feel When People Famous for Being Christian Tell Obvious Bold-Faced The-Black-That-You-See-Is-White Lies
For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Romans 2:24
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The Right Kind of Nationalism?
In eighth grade, and again in 11th grade, our American History teachers, Mr. Cronk and Mr. McCreadie, had us read The Rise of the American Nation. It was blue, with George Washington on the cover. I didn’t take an American History class in college, so The Rise of the American Nation is the last systematic […]
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Studying Zephaniah 3 14-20
We are studying Zephaniah 3:14-20 for Sunday, May 3. This is the sudden, happy good news that comes abruptly at the end of a prophecy that up to this point has focused on complete and total dire destruction. [Here are some questions on the text.] Here are my notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: […]
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“This Morning, 4 a.m.”
Originally posted on Utopian Discourse:
What I wrote this morning: First, it’s been extraordinarily difficult making time to do serious work on this project. It would seem this would be easy, since I’m not teaching and theoretically my part-time job requires fewer hours than teaching. In reality, however, as usual, this has proved not exactly correct… -
Hilarity
Our pastor used the word “hilarity” this morning to describe the situation of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, asking the stranger on the road [we, the readers, know it’s Jesus!] if he’s the only one in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what’s just happened … When he’s the one person in Jerusalem who knows […]
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Third Sunday of Easter
Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Luke 24:35
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Masks and Models and Making Decisions, Oh My!
There are several reasons I don’t say much about “politics” and “current events” here. The main one is that I usually think I’m unqualified: I don’t know enough about whatever it is to have an opinion. I realize that’s a quaintly old-fashioned idea that doesn’t stop lots of other people these days, but I continue […]
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Reflecting on Isaiah 61 8 – 62 4
We are studying Isaiah 61:8-62:4 for Sunday, April 26. The text contains exuberant promises about the future of a Zion/Jerusalem restored to justice, righteousness, and divine favor. [Here are my notes on the text.] Here are some questions we might want to consider as we think about the text: Our reading begins with a clear […]
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Ramadan Like No Other
Passover like no other, Easter like no other, and now Ramadan like no other. This year, the “children of Abraham” have even more grounds for solidarity than usual. Ramadan Mubarak to my Muslim friends, teachers, and students, and may you be, and stay, well. A meditation on Ramadan 2020 by Dr. Riffat Hassan Al-Jazeera on […]
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Re-imagining Success
By now, lots of people have learned that Randy Pausch’s book The Last Lecture is heartwarmingly inspirational. It was a bestseller for over two years, between 2008 and 2011, and still comes up in comments from time to time now. I don’t remember exactly where I heard about it myself, but in someone’s wise article […]
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Studying Isaiah 61 8 – 62 4
We are studying Isaiah 61:8-62:4 for Sunday, April 26. This is a hopeful description of the future, redeemed state of Jerusalem, addressed to contemporaries who, it seems, have not yet seen its fulfillment. [Here are some study/discussion questions on this text.] Here are my notes on this text: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: Our text is almost […]
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Imagined Shared Experience
Our pastor in her sermon Sunday shared the observation that “this has been the Lentiest Lent we have ever Lented.” But just as Lent differs for different people, so people are having vastly different experiences of these separated, staying at home for the sake of the pandemic times. The connections we maintain these days – […]
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Second Sunday of Easter
The HOLY ONE is my chosen portion, and my cup;you hold my lot.The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;I have a goodly heritage.…You show me the path of life.In your presence there is fullness of joy;in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.Psalm 16:5, 6, 11
Matters of Interpretation 