Hello, friends!
Your Patron-only March video is here early, getting ahead of school closures. Today I’m sharing a wonderment: is it possible to have church without religion? Because *maybe* religion is getting in the way of faith. And I wonder if there’s another way to go about this. I’d love to know what you think.
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Sure, Jesus said that the Good News was going out to the ends of the earth–that this was a message for everyone. But did he really mean it? Did he *actually* mean everyone is included? Yes. Yes he did. In this episode we take a ride in a royal chariot to learn God’s unconditional acceptance and embrace of everyone.
I had preached three weddings and a funeral. I had preached in class and chapel as a graduate student, and later in chapel and various services as a chaplain. I had preached in a Disciples of Christ congregation and an ecumenical Church of Christ (who had branched out from mainline COCs). I had spent all…
S3E8: “Bending Knees and Breaking Cycles” with Amy McLaughlin-Sheasby Wednesday, April 1, 2020PreacHer PodcastPreacHer: Amy McLaughlin-Sheasby Summary: When Stephen is put on trial before the council in Acts 6-7, he does not seek to defend himself. Rather, he retells Israel’s history in order to expose their pattern of rejecting prophets and leaders. In a moment of…
In 2018, what words come to mind when the average non-Christian in America hears the term Christianity? Bigotry, hate, homophobia, hypocrisy, misogyny… abuse, power, politics…excusing or ignoring or dismissing unChristian behaviors? We’re familiar with the research, not to mention many headline-making high-profile cases, that demonstrate this, right? (Some of the studies are discussed here.) I confess…
Our familiarity sometimes blinds us to things that are out of the ordinary. “Jesus is Coming Soon” is a favorite song among many in my tradition—Churches of Christ. Its cheery, catchy tune matched with lovely harmonies will embed itself in your brain and have you humming it throughout the week. It’s super familiar to me…
The prophecy of Isaiah 61 is being fulfilled right now. We are in the midst of an apocalypse – a great unveiling of the way things really are. And we who once were blind can no longer live as if we do not see. Prophets are crying out in our streets daily, #letmelive #Icantbreathe #BlackLivesMatter and freedom is on the horizon. Will the church partner with God to usher in release for the captives? Will the church embody Good News for the oppressed? How will the history books tell the story of the church in this era?
