Drink deep of God’s pure kindness (sermon for April 21, 2008)

05.04.24 Easter A5
Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5,15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14

Blessed Be Your Name
Indescribable
Shout to the North
In Christ Alone

Sermon: While I read, get ready to tell me about the tone of these words.

If you love me … (readings for April 27, 2008)

One last time: These chapters in John’s story—thirteen through seventeen—comprise Jesus’ final words with his apprentices before his death. And these final words of Jesus luxuriate across five of the twenty-one chapters—almost a fourth of John’s story! John slows no other moment so deliberately (the crucifixion, for instance, rates a mere half-chapter!)

And in this slo-mo, frame-by-frame view, what’s the topic? Relationships. With him, with each other, with people who don’t understand and people who do.

“If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you.” And what’s that? Ah, let’s see, he said this and this and this, so we’ll love him if we follow the formulae precisely, right? If we mind every detail?

Exactly … wrong!

Priest stands up to reporter on Jeremiah Wright

Speaking of Jeremiah Wright (as I was in the previous post), Homeyra and 99 (whose post is called I’m stoked about Father Michael Pfleger) tipped me off to this remarkable video interchange between a white priest— a friend of Rev. Wright—and a Fox News reporter.

Father Pfleger firmly but gently rebukes the oversimplifications and corrects the errors, point by point, though apparently taken by surprise. It is simply excellent, and he represents Jesus admirably. Much good here!

[Update: I posted this clip at my Clipmarks page, too, and Dulios, a clipper whom I admire, left this comment: Father Pfleger is a hero to those of us in Chicago who fight for social and economic justice. He deserves a wider audience! Isn't it great what you can learn from friends on the web?]

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Tags: Jeremiah+Wright, Michael+Pfleger, Fox+News, racism, preaching+hate, Obamas+pastor, Monte Asbury

Jeremiah Wright on Bill Moyers Friday, April 25

Now here’s television serving the public: Bill Moyers will interview Rev. Jeremiah Wright, long-time pastor of Barack Obama, on April 25. What a marvelous chance to hear Wright tell his own story, rather than hearing it sliced and diced by sound-biters.

clipped from www.ucc.org Jeremiah Wright to be interviewed by Bill Moyers In what will be his first interview since snippets of his preaching became a central issue in the U.S. presidential campaign, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. will speak publicly to veteran journalist and fellow UCC member Bill Moyers. The interview will be broadcast on Friday evening, April 25, on Bill Moyers Journal, a PBS news series that airs nationally. Check local listings at www.pbs.org/moyers. Wright retired in March after 36 years as senior pastor of the 8,000-member Trinity UCC in Chicago, where U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has been a member for more than 20 years. Trinity UCC is the largest congregation among the UCC’s 5,700 churches. [...] Following his appearance on Bill Moyers Journal, Wright is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the NAACP Detroit Branch on Sunday, April 27. He is also slated to speak on Monday, April 28, to a breakfast gathering at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Join me, screen-side!

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Tags: Jeremiah+Wright, Barack+Obama+pastor, race, black+liberation+theology, black+church, , Monte Asbury

You know the Voice [sermon for April 13, 2008]

Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 13, 2008—Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10

Let’s say you breed beautiful, valuable hunting dogs. You have new puppies. You keep them in your fenced yard.

One afternoon, you come home early, walk into the house, look out the kitchen window. You’re watch the puppies play – when a stranger pops his head up beyond the fence, looks around, throws one leg over, and rolls over into the yard.