Thursday Theological Threads

  I started this blog as a place to share things that didn’t fit in my Sunday sermons—because it didn’t feel right in the flow of the sermon, or the word count would have been too high, or I thought it was too technical or nerdy to include. If you’re wondering, I start with handwritten notes, then move to typing a manuscript. Maundy Thursday, Luke 22:1-27.   Luke attributes Judas’ action to Satan. This passion narrative (the story of Jesus dying on the cross and the events that led up to it) includes political and spiritual conflicts. There’s a bigger fight taking place out of sight. Something cosmic—that’s what I think is meant by spiritual warfare. The Last Supper is Jesus’ twist on the Passover meal. Jesus dying at Passover feels tragic. And I’m sure it complicated things for the disciples living through it. Because Passover remembers God’s deliverance. As Jesus dies on the cross, it looks like God’s ability to save has failed. But we, who know how the story ends, know this...

  Do you ever have a conversation then immediately think, "I wish I would've said that?" I feel that way almost every Sunday. This blog is a place where I share what wasn't said in the sermon. Last week for the Passover story, I asked one of my Jewish friends what she thought happened to the Israelites who didn't put the blood of the lamb on their doorframes. I was surprised when she said she believed God passed over them anyway--but, because they didn't have the faith to take that first step, they didn't have the faith to walk through the Red Sea. This week, we have the story of the golden calf in Genesis 32. What interests me is not what people do but why they do what they do. So, why did the people make a golden calf and worship it? Let's remember, these Israelites are a people who have been slaves for their entire lives. Then they have an epic experience of God delivering them from slavery and oppression. God leads them to the desert and provides ...

Do you ever have a conversation then immediately think, "I wish I would've said that?" I feel that way almost every Sunday. So this blog will be a place where I share things that I didn't say in the sermon. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent the last night of his life in room 306 of the Lorraine Motel. Outside that room is a plaque with verses from our story today. Those words are haunting. Joseph also was a dreamer. He dreams of a future where the family has survived and thrived. In the end, God did something with those dreams. But before that happens, Joseph faces tragedy. The Wesleyan Bible Commentary says, "The exact meaning of the Hebrew word translated a coat of many colors  is uncertain. Some translate it 'a long garment with long sleeves.' One scholar finds in ancient clay tablets a clue which suggests that it was something of a ceremonial robe with costly ornaments of gold sewed into it. In any event, it was the distinctive garment of royalty....

Do you ever have a conversation then immediately think, "I wish I would've said that?" I feel that way almost every Sunday. So this blog will be a place where I share things that I wish I would have said or things that were cut from the sermon because of timing or flow or word count. In Genesis 12, the focus moves from God and the world to God and the family of Abraham. The promise God makes to Abraham--to give him a family and land--is foundational to the story of Israel. God is going to bless Abraham and his future family so that they will be a blessing to the world. But Sarah is barren. And that's the tension. How are they going to have a baby? They're old. It seems impossible. God likes to confront the impossible. Genesis 15:1-6  is a story with a sense of non-fulfillment. Abraham has been given a promise, but that promise has not happened yet. God goes to Abraham and says, "Don't be afraid. I'm your shield." Rather than praise, Abraham respo...

  Do you ever have a conversation then immediately think, "I wish I would've said that?" I feel that way almost every Sunday. So this blog will be a place where I share things that I wish I would have said or things that were cut from the sermon because of timing or flow. *Note: I type out a sermon manuscript and I keep my word count to 1500 words. We call Genesis 3:1-8 the fall, but the word "sin" is not in the biblical text. Certainly this story influences what theologians call "original sin," but we cannot base that concept on this story alone. When I was a kid, I used to think Eden was a paradise and Adam and Eve were lounging about in hammocks and eating grapes. Eden is more like a farm. Adam's role is a servant, to serve and keep the garden. In Genesis 2, we see there's a community of people, animals, and the earth. That sounds like a farm to me. As God comes near to create Adam, this feels like foreshadowing of the Incarnation--when God ...