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Showing posts from November, 2011

how can we listen you...

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when we know your talk is cheap. A new thing: For Advent RoboPreacher is going to try something new; brief vignettes talking about things I am waiting on. After all, advent is the season of waiting. Why: Theology is ultimately a joke. Yeah, I said it. Theology that sits in a book on a shelf doesn’t matter. As Paul says, without love any and all speech is noise . So much theology is noise, or a joke. It doesn't have to be, though. I have a friend, let’s call him Joe. Joe is a theologian. He is a theologian who designs shit. His design is awesome. He is a theologian because when he designs, he thinks about how it serves God and God’s creation. He is a theologian, because when he loves his wife, he thinks about how it serves God and God’s creation. Joe is a theologian. I am a seminary. I am not a theologian. I want to be though. I am waiting… Joe is one of my many sources of my inspiration. That is why RoboPreacher is going to try something new. The im

yet the powerful got nervous...

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because they refused to be their servant On December 12 I will be leading Chapel at the Church of the Abiding Presence. The Gospel for the Monday of the third week of Advent is Luke 3:7-18 . At this point I’ve only done cursory research, but the dynamics of this story have already piqued my interest. Here we have an itinerant preacher addressing the need for justice and repentance (this is John after all). In their culture of oppression and corruption the crowds are immediately drawn to this message. In fact, some are so infatuated with John they begin to wonder if, indeed, he is the insurgent to overthrow the powers and principalities and become the new, just ruler. Quickly John points to one greater than he. This dynamic can be seen in many places, but one contemporary example is the OWS movement. Many have criticized this movement as lacking leadership and direction. While many of these critiques are well-intentioned and well-made ( great New Yorker article analyzing the