Sweet Spots
Ideas and messages from Len Sweet.
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Jesus Still Went to the Cross
Jesus Still Went to the Cross Lectionary 18 September 2016 18th Sunday After Pentecost Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 Psalm 79:1-9 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13 Text to Life There is a difference between “poisonous” and “venomous.” “Poisonous” plants and animals inflict their toxins through a simple touch. Their poison rubs off on…
Connect to the Scriptural Story –Preaching Tip for 18 September 2016
When creating your sermon, remember to connect it to the scriptural story. Many times, sermons can give an interesting lesson, but if it’s not connected to scripture, it doesn’t explain something that Jesus wants us to understand. You can connect to many scriptural stories, or only to one. But don’t…
Pastor’s Prayer for 18 September 2016
A Prayer for the Anniversary of 9/11
by the Rev. Jeremy Pridgeon
O God, our hope and refuge,
in our distress we come quickly to you.
Shock and horror of that tragic day have subsided,
replaced now with an emptiness,
a longing for an innocence lost.
We come remembering those who lost their lives
in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.
We are mindful of the sacrifice of public servants
who demonstrated the greatest love of all
by laying down their lives for friends.
We commit their souls to your eternal care
and celebrate their gifts to a fallen humanity.
We come remembering
and we come in hope,
not in ourselves, but in you.
As foundations we once thought secure have been shaken,
we are reminded of the illusion of security.
In commemorating this tragedy,
we give you thanks for your presence
in our time of need
and we seek to worship you in Spirit and in truth,
our guide and our guardian. Amen
–From UM Discipleship Ministries
Myth and Reality
The Zookeeper’s Wife
The Zookeeper’s Wife:
A War Story
by Diane Ackerman
The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman is the historical narrative of Christian Polish zookeepers, Jan Zabinski, a trained zoologist and the director of the Warsaw zoo, and his wife, Antonina. Taken primarily from the memoirs, diaries, and autobiographical children’s books of Antonina, Ackerman has produced a book that squarely faces the horror of Hitler’s plans to destroy every aspect of Poland’s multi-faceted identity. Within this crucible of malevolence, the Zabinskis took great risks to save hundreds of Jews during World War II. The author chose to write about the Zabinskis to honor their great heroism during the Nazi regime in Poland “…when even handing a thirsty Jew a cup of water was punishable by death.” Although the action of the story is carried out primarily through Jan, the lens through which we view the action is Antonina’s. read more…
On Baptism
When Walter Brueggemann taught at Columbia Theological Seminary (1986-2003), he once gave his first year students an assignment. They were instructed to read the writings of British theologian and missiologist Lesslie Newbigin, and to write a essay where the student had an imaginary conversation with him on the subject of…
God of All Things
Certain writers I can only read in small doses, not because they are difficult to process but because they are so addictive that if I don’t break away from their spell I’ll start sounding like them. Scottish Jesuit priest Gerard “Gerry” William Hughes (1924-2014). His 1985 book, God of Surprises,…
The Flip Side
The Flip Side Lectionary 11 September 2016 17th Sunday After Pentecost Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28 Psalm 14:1-7 I Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 15:1-10 Text to Life A busy dad came home from a harried business trip with two things: a bunch of paper work he needed to finish before going into the…
The Samaritan
The Samaritan Story Lectionary 11 September 2016 The Story of Joseph, Whose Sons Were Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 37 and 39) Jacob’s Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh Whose Land Would Become Samaria (Genesis 48) The Assyrians Lay Siege to Samaria and Deport the Jewish Citizens Bringing in Foreigners (2 Kings…
More in the Key of Jesus
I’ve been thinking about the key of Jesus since I wrote about it here. If there is a “key of Jesus,” what does it sound like, and how do we listen for it? The music that flows from the Trinity and holds all creation together has many melodies: countless phrases and motifs that recur over and over. Being able to recognize these melodies takes practice. Practice involves different strategies at different times. An early strategy is the simple practice of repetition; listening consistently and repeatedly as an experienced guide points to the important melodies. As we become more familiar with the themes, the practice involves intentionally listening for the core melody’s variations. Variation is melody’s wardrobe: any color, fabric, shape, or style you can imagine can adorn the melody. When you can recognize variation, you begin to hear the connections that weave themselves throughout the music. Recognizing variation opens your listening to creativity that goes beyond the main themes to sense how phrases and motifs are transformed into new melodies.
Repetition, variation and transformation are foundational elements of the key of Jesus. Tuning in to Jesus is an adventure that always holds something surprising if you are listening well. Just like listening to this week’s Mahler Symphony – when you think you’ve consistently caught the falling “cuckoo” motif, suddenly there’s a variation and then a transformation, and the music takes a twist into uncharted territory. read more…