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We Are Not Helpless: “As we reclaim our God-desired agency over the small decisions, gentle words, and generous actions which make up a human life, we find that we are not as helpless before the systems of violence as we were led to believe.”
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Church folks: Is there any way your pastor could use AI for sermon preparation that would be OK with you?
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I recently had the privilege of preaching for a seminary commencement. I spoke about the temptation of relevancy pastors face. “A Christianity that has appropriated the tools of consumer capitalism expects measurable and impressive results from its ministers.”
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After the stillness of winter, it’s always such a lift to hear the birdsong return to Jackson Park. Thanks to the ruby-crowned kinglets, white-throated sparrows, yellow-rumped warblers, and all the others who joined me for my walk this morning.
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The Crowd Has Departed: To those who value efficiency and power, the work we’ve given ourselves to will typically appear foolish and weak.
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Such a gift to spend the weekend in beautiful Seattle, but I’m glad to be home for a walk through Jackson Park to welcome back migrators like these yellow-rumped and palm warblers.
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Against Inevitability: “But if inevitabilism is an invention than it isn’t inevitable. Altman’s version of utopia isn’t a foregone conclusion, even if his investors want us to think it is.”
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Jesus doesn’t need our weapons: “The problem with a vision of a violent Jesus who justifies our warmongering is not that it makes our Savior too powerful; it makes him weak, embarrassingly weak.”
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A beautiful morning in Jackson Park made even better by the cherry blossoms and the first palm warbler of the season.
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A good morning with the birds of Jackson Park, including kinglets, flickers, and this handsome blue-winged teal.
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A Plea to Pastors: “The vows you and I took when we said yes to this strange vocation include fidelity to Jesus Christ alone. Yet the people in your congregation are being tempted to place their hopes in a leader obsessed with his own greatness.”
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A Plea to Pastors: “The vows you and I took when we said yes to this strange vocation include fidelity to Jesus Christ alone. Yet the people in your congregation are being tempted to place their hopes in a leader obsessed with his own greatness.”
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A plea to pastors: “But some things are worth fighting about and faithfulness to Jesus and loyalty to his kingdom are some of those things.”
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Ending the day with a “know your rights” webinar. I’m grateful for Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and other local orgs who train Chicago residents to be good neighbors.
Find trainings here.
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In today’s newsletter, with help from the “kneel-ins” at southern churches in the 1960s, I’m thinking about that anti-ICE church protest in St. Paul.
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I’ve been searching for words since waking up to news of my home country’s lethal attack against the country of my childhood. I think I found them.
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Can the illegal and immoral actions of our hypocritical president be an answer to persistent, fervent prayer? Countless Venezuelan Christians are prone to think so and the rest of us might consider taking their hard-earned perspective into account as we offer our own opinions.
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