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Who’s turning over some tables already? A sermon on John 2:13-22 (part 2)
Hi friends, Last week I shared the first half of a sermon on John 2:13-22, imagining what it might have been like to be among the crowd of folks coming to the temple to worship, when all of a sudden, Jesus starts turning over tables. Here’s part 2! ____ I wonder what kinds of perspectives…
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What’s this dude doing? A sermon on John 2:13-22 and Jesus turning over the tables (part 1)
Hi friends, I recently had the chance to preach a guest sermon on John 2:13-22, the passage where Jesus flips over some flippin’ tables. Here’s the story, as the NRSV translation tells it: 13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling…
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Out there on the web: book excerpts and bonuses, all the Audre Lorde quotes, and more
Hi friends, It’s been a minute (more precisely, since November) since I’ve done an “out there on the web” post, meant to draw your attention to what I’ve been writing in places that are not here. These are a few things I’d love to share with you: New Year New Substack The new Substack is…
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Where We Meet (A Lenten Devotional)
Hi friends, Who knew that The Upper Room had a progressive side? Maybe you did; I sure didn’t. So I was delighted when one of their folks reached out and asked if I’d like to take a look at their new Lenten devotional book: Where We Meet: A Lenten Study of Systems, Stories, and Hope.…
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New year, new Substack
Hi friends, Here we are, with January almost gone, and I’m not sure I’ve quite wrapped my mind around 2024 yet. But I wanted to share with you something I’m starting in this new(ish) year: a Substack! I feel like Substack is the kind of thing that’s old news to a very particular kind of…
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We predated evangelicalism
Hi friends, Where did most of January go? I have no idea. But I do have a random thought for you today. I recently read poet Maggie Smith’s memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful, and I was struck by this line: “I predated this shit, the music reminded me, and I would outlast it.”…
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Fave nonfiction reads of 2023
Hi friends, Happy Near Year! I read so much good nonfiction in 2023. It has been difficult to cull through and name a few favorites. I think it’s especially hard because different books meet different people in different ways—or even meet the same person in different ways at different times. I’m very aware that for…
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Fave fiction reads of 2023
Hi friends, Whatever else this holiday season holds for you, I hope it involves at least a little bit of time to hole up somewhere cozy with a warm beverage and a good book. (Is that just an introvert’s vision of an ideal day?) So, this seems like as good a time as any to…
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The directions God is always moving (still more of a sermon on Acts 10:1-23)
Hi friends, For a couple weeks now, with the exception of a book launch announcement (woohoo!), I’ve been sharing parts of a sermon I got to preach recently on Acts 10:1-23. The first part is here, and it’s about being open to growth and learning, even after we’ve been on a journey for a while…
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It’s okay to be baffled: (more of) a sermon on Acts 10:1-23
Hi friends, This week I want to share with you the second of three reflections from a sermon I got to preach at my church a few weeks ago. (The sermon is here if you prefer to watch/listen; the first reflection is here. The scripture text is Acts 10:1-23.) — Peter is on a journey…
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