In a world that is messy and a church that is imperfect, it's easy to let our faith be lost. But that doesn't mean we have to lose God. It means we must consider that perhaps our idealized expectations are wrong.
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Quoting Genesis instead of echoing Deuteronomy, Jesus told the Pharisees that the Kingdom of G-d, G-d’s disruptive reign, will empower those previously without power. Social structures designed to keep people groups in their place will be disrupted. This point is driven home further when Jesus double-down, using children, a segment of the population viewed as property, to illustrate what kind of dependency, reliance on G-d, will be necessary to be apart of the Kingdom building work Jesus has begun in his own ministry.
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Birthday parties, counting to 50, and the Holy Spirit
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“Hey, excuse me, sir, um could you please move so uh I can get a glimpse of Jesus. Yeah, I’m the guy who took more in taxes from you than you needed to pay, yeah don’t worry I’m still holding onto the money, I haven’t spent it all yet. But could you do me a solid and help a brother out?”
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Everyone has a backstory, and for preachers, that backstory sets the stage for preaching.
Everything leading up to Jospeh’s rise was counter to the cultural norms. His rise to Pharaoh’s court forced Joseph to enter into the ““culture of now”” and convince them it was time for a change to prepare themselves for what was about to happen.
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How we earn money is a clear and accurate indicator of our priorities. We might speak out in favor of honest work that others should be doing but do we follow the same prescription in our own businesses? We can earn by following the footsteps of someone else but at some point we have to begin living into the calling G-d has place on our lives because what you are called to will look different than what your mentor has been called to. We can preach about Sabbath and ethical practices but if we are not observing them ourselves our true commitments become more apparent.
Marriage is risky business. Today the two of you are not just saying ‘I do’ to the person standing next to you; you’re also saying ‘I do’ to whomever or whatever that person is going to become- something that is unknown and unseen to the both of you
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The Elephant in the Room according to Taylor Mertins
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Living in unity with one another means that we love one another just as Christ loves us, even if they don’t do things the way we’ve always done them.
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In this episode of Crackers & Grape Juice, Dr. Johanna Hartelius and Dr. Kendall Soulen discuss kinship language, the fullness of God, proper names, true freedom, and what it means to be the church.
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In this episode, Taylor and I discussed my sermon "Words Are Always Necessary" that I contributed to Crackers and Grape Juice’s collection of reflections on Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.
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If violence as a form of justice does not align with Christian scriptures and tradition, along with basic human reasoning and experience, what are Christians to do next?
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More often than not the phrase is used in a cavalier manner. I do not doubt the sincerity of the hymn being sung in worship and prayed corporately or individually. The problem with this phrase arises when it is used without the acknowledgment of the blessings G-d has already given to America.
Hasn’t G-d already blessed America?
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The death penalty is a primitive form of justice, even within the Judeo/Christian context. Violence once advocated and permitted by religious law is no longer compatible with the new covenant established by Jesus and the covenant the Church, and those individuals within the Church, covenant to live into together.
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The crucifixion of Jesus alone illustrates that violence is not a form of justice compatible with His teachings. Leading up to Jesus’ moment of death on Calvary, His own disciples attempted to use violence in the prevention of His arrest.
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Which Jesus do you want? The Jesus named Barabbas (which means son of a father), a zealot-minded Jew “who had committed murder during an insurrection?” Or, do you want Jesus the Messiah, King of the Jews, Son of His Heavenly Father?
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In a world where befriending the competition is frowned upon, I am happy to note that in our little corner of the Christian podcast there is little rivalry and more friendship and support than I could have ever imagined.
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The Bible says a lot of things. It is a collection of books telling the story of the people of God. It is a book of covenant, heartache, promise, lament, renew, and hope. But “The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it,” creates a problem.
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This episode was supposed to be a collection of interviews about the Commission on The Way Forward. But because no one wanted to go on the record, Jason, Taylor, and I talk about the one thing that everyone wants to talk about but doesn't want to talk about.
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