I do not know this minister beyond what LIGHTNING ROD NYC PASTOR’S STUNNINGLY CONFRONTATIONAL SERMON ON TRAYVON MARTIN: ‘YOU SEE THE WORLD THROUGH YOUR BLACK EYES’ says (and it isn’t terribly positive), but he had a jarring reaction to the outcome of the Zimmerman trial: [Dr. James David Manning] urged his mostly black congregation to…
Category: Pastoral
The Blood of Martyrs Is the Seed of the Church?
If you are a Christian, there is a decent chance you've heard Tertullian1 quoted as saying, "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the church." I could not find that exact quote in my Logos library, but perhaps this is its basis: Nor does your cruelty, however exquisite, avail you; it is rather a…
Not the Same…
One of the web pages I check on pretty much daily is The Corner at National Review Online. A couple weeks back I ran into the article "You're a Good Man, Cardinal Dolan." Michael Potemra's piece starts off with: The highly mediagenic archbishop of New York, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, visited a mosque on Staten Island…
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When I was young, my birthday was second only to Christmas in excitement for me. As I've aged, however, they have morphed into more of an annual time for reflection. Sure, I still appreciate the love and attention I receive from friends and family members, the gifts, and the myriad Facebook Happy Birthdays, but as…
A God that Does Not Want to Be Measured Will Not Be Measured
One of the (many) shortcomings of Christian religion to atheists is that God remains unmeasurable. Here is a being that purportedly has often interfered in the natural realm (including its very creation), yet no scientific instrument, photograph, video, or so on has captured a single one of His miracles (although I'm sure some Christians would…
Getting Back on the Horse
I'm not really an emotional man, and change the last couple years has been so constant that (as much as I desire some stability in my day-to-day and week-to-week life) I cannot claim that the move to Colorado has thrown me for a loop. However, leaving New Hampshire about a month ago has had a…
What Is Your Greatest Fear?
What is your greatest fear? I've heard before that people's greatest fear is public speaking. As a preacher I've either overcome that or have learned to fake it pretty well, eh? Personally, I think my greatest fears (if I allow myself to think about it) have to do with my children. I won't go into…
What’s in a Preface?
Have you ever been asked to do something where, instead of lamenting the burden you were just handed, you felt extremely honored to be chosen? If so, were you especially diligent in your efforts, being extra careful to do it right and to live up to the charge you were given? If you haven't had…
My Very Last Sermon Ever
This is it… The title of this sermon, “My Very Last Sermon Ever,” is likely an exaggeration, but this is the very last time I’ve been scheduled to preach anywhere. Michelle, Augie, and I don’t yet know what church we’ll be attending in the Denver area, and there is a pretty good chance they won’t…
And Who Is My Brother?
Narrowing Down Our Responsibilities I assume most of us here today are very familiar with the story of the good Samaritan. To conserve time we won’t read it all, but let’s turn together to Luke 10:25-29 and see what led up to it: 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test,…
“Alan the Atheist”
If you are a regular reader of my bulletin articles, you already know that Twitter is often an inspiration for what I write. This week's motivation began when a Christian I follow retweeted: I am #atheism, and the behavior of the most fanatically devout is so often my best argument. #islam #catholicism #christianity I responded…
Did Jesus Shed a Tear Over Judas?
Considering the difference between today's culture and that in the early years of the kings of Israel, it may be a bit hard to do an "imagine"…but… Imagine you are a popular king of your nation, blessed by God. You make a huge, huge mistake, but you are honestly (and completely) contrite. You understand if…
Good Ideas or Bad Ideas?
I was at one of my favorite haunts in Dublin, California (Half Price Books) and saw this: Followed by this: Thoughts? Are these "good ideas"? Now, I can tell you this…whether or not a Liberty Bible or an American Patriot's Pocket Bible is a good idea, this is not:
Christian Snarkiness
Although I think this is also applicable outside a Christian context, ultimately it's appeal to certain Judeo-Christian mores may limit its relevance to non-Christians. Throughout web and podcast dialogue it has become popular to be snarky toward people and/or views that one significantly disagrees with. I use the word "snarky" in the context of my…
Oops There Goes Another Rubber Tree Plant
Clouds on a sunny day I’ll admit I’ve been feeling guilty lately. It seems to me that most of my recent bulletin articles and sermons have been less-than-positive. For instance, after a recent talk a young man’s mother told me that it scared him. And although she said afterward it was good to be scared…I…