Sweet Spots
Ideas and messages from Len Sweet.
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God’s GPS
God’s GPS Story Lectionary 2 July 2017 The Story of Jacob’s Ladder (Genesis 28) People Walking in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light (Isaiah 9) Psalm 66: Come and See What God Has Done Psalm 34: Taste and See That the Lord is Good Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee…
Blue Collar Resistance and the Politics of Jesus
Tex Sample, Blue Collar Resistance and the Politics of Jesus: Doing Ministry with Working Class Whites
–Review by Landrum Leavell III
Sample’s book is a fascinating study of the practices of social inequality as it pertains to church ministry. The first half of the book was given in an oral and multimedia form as the Hein Fry lectures of 2000 at four Evangelical Lutheran seminaries. While the subtitle may appear a bit off-putting, Sample’s admitted “hunch is that people who do not care about lower-class whites probably do not care about any kind of people who are poor.” (11)
As he begins to look at indigenous practices, Sample focuses on the phrase “pitching tent” from John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and lived among us.” The Greek word skeenoo literally means “pitched tent” and is central to the Incarnation. “Pitching tent” was an indigenous practice in Jesus’ time, a fundamental way of taking up habitation with people. read more…
Relationship Status
Relationship Status Lectionary 2 July 2017 4th Sunday After Pentecost Genesis 22:1-14 Psalm 13 Romans 6:12-23 Matthew 10:40-42 Text to Life What does God want most from you? From me? Before you answer too quickly, let me remind you of something you may have forgotten. Why did God create you…
Wade in the Water
I spent an afternoon this past week with Leonard Sweet and the students in the current cohort of Portland Seminary’s DMin program. The assignment they were given for the last hour of class was to tell the big Story (from 1:1 to the maps) using one of the key first images in the scriptures: dirt, water, or wind/breath. These images are rich in depth and meaning, connecting the story elements in amazing ways. Since I had already begun Ordinary Time last week with a playlist of “ocean” music, I thought I might try to create a series of playlists on these three images, continuing this week with water. read more…
The Parable of the Vlogger
The Teacher said, “Once there was a Vlogger who scattered videos across the internet. One day he uploaded a few clever videos. Some of them were watched for a few minutes, and then people were distracted by other items in their news feed and all his hard work was lost amidst the chaos. So, the video blogger decided to specifically target his video to one or two specific social media sites and his friends shared them very quickly. However, while they received a lot of views early on, within a few days they were ignored as other, flashier videos edged them out. And, so, the vlogger decided to try some of the more difficult places on the internet. Yes, he would put his videos in places where there was much controversy and see how they would do. Unfortunately, the videos did not do much better in these spots because all the trolls blasted him in the comments section. And so, finally, the vlogger decided to specifically target these videos to those he knew would be interested in them. Instead of placing them everywhere, he said to himself, “I know these folks are the ones who are really interested so I am going to share with them.” Eventually, the videos grew over a period of days, months, and years, and he found that instead of just a few views millions of were watching his videos and some of them have even gone viral.”
Those who are willing to listen and watch, let them listen and watch. read more…
Stars in My Crown
Preachers don’t usually fare well in Hollywood. Think Burt Lancaster in “Elmer Gantry” (1960) or Gerald Butler in “Machine Gun Preacher” (2011) or Stuart Devenine in “Dead Alive” (1993), or Robert Mitchum in “Night of the Hunter” (1955). You have to go back in time to find preachers in leading…
Metaphors Without Words –Preaching Tip for 2 July 2017
Some metaphors don’t need words at all. Don’t be afraid to use hand signals, movements, or signals in order to implant meaning into the stories of scripture. When people use their own bodies, hands, fingers to make movements that signify certain meanings, those meanings will be implanted not only in…
Pastor’s Prayer –2 July 2017
Look upon us, O Lord,
and let all the darkness of our souls
vanish before the beams of thy brightness.
Fill us with holy love,
and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom.
All our desire is known unto thee,
therefore perfect what thou hast begun,
and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer.
We seek thy face,
turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory.
Then shall our longing be satisfied,
and our peace shall be perfect.
–Augustine
Stained Glass Street Lives
Stained Glass Street Lives Lectionary 25 June 2017 3rd Sunday After Pentecost Genesis 21:8-21 Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 Romans 6:1b-11 Matthew 10:24-39 Text to Life “Seeing red.” You all know what that means. But do we know what it really means? “Green with envy?” When jealous bites we turn “green with…
The Oceans
Psalm 65:4-8
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple. By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth read more…