RoboPreacher

but that's the old me     The Holy Gospel according to St. John, theeleventh chapter! It is All Saints Sunday! It is the time of the church-year where we gather to remember those saints in our lives & in the life of the church who have passed, and who now rest in Christ.   This is a very significant time in the church-calendar. Let us say it again, it is a very significant time in the church-calendar. This feast is important, it is about much more than just singing "When All the Saints," and saying some folks name and hearing a bell toll afterward.   While those parts of All Saints Sunday are nice and meaningful, they do not encapsulate the importance of this church-day, they do not tell about everything that All Saints is about. All Saints is a day to reflect, it is a day to let ourselves grieve over the loss of those we love.   But All Saints day is also about doing something much more absurd . All Saints is a ...

you will  In May (2012) I graduated seminary. In June (2012) I began serving as Trinity's "interim pastor.   That means I have been in the game for nearly six months. As significant an amount of time as this is, it is also still not that long. What I am trying to say is that this is all still really new to me.   Everything sparkles. Everything smells fresh. Often I find I can't wait to put my hands on the different parts of church life. All the celebrations and gatherings still catch my eye, still make me anxious with anticipation.   I worry about losing this wonder. Hopefully I never do.   Nevertheless, it is all very exciting.   To add to the wonder about getting to do all of this for my first time is the fact that after about a week and a half at Trinity my grandfather, Robert Cosgrove, died. That was a traumatic first month at Trinity. In the midst of leaving everything, losing a loved one, the nights alo...

is every issue black or white     The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the tenth chapter! I'm sure you've all read or heard about how a couple of churches in our fine city have invited the investigation of the IRS. The Internal Revenue Service has turned their gaze upon these two congregations for posters, pamphlets and sermons that have been broadcasted at these churches.   Apparently for a few leaders at these congregations, the reality of faithful and committed homosexuals receiving equal civic rights is an issue they must speak up about. In fact, the two church leaders interviewed by the Hawk Eye about the issue came across as quite unapologetic. They are so committed to this issue that not only is strong-arming those in the pews appropriate for these gentlemen, but one pastor even felt justified using a violent metaphor.     Now, as their actions gain the attention of the broader public and the IRS, we will see if their tune c...

that no more tears can leave us   Octoberis Domestic Violence Awareness Month.   Thestatistics are staggering . So many people are affected.   All too often the church is complicit in this form of violence. Worse though, the church is not merely complicit in this violence, often the church is active in legitimating a particular form of domestic violence. There are biblical injunctions that the woman should be subordinate to a man. To see how this patriarchal injunction gets played-out in a patriarchal society read this 10/15 Burlington (Iowa) Hawk Eye article.   Mr. Youngblood's words are violent, whether he and the church disavow such violence now or not. These words display an assumption that a woman should stand in fear of her husband and always acquiesce to the husband's opinion.   These words are tragic. The worldview these words promote are archaic. The violence these words sanction are real for too many women. ...

embraces in the street       The Holy Gospel According to St. Mark, thetenth chapter!   Like last week, we have a question projected. This question is a part of our stewardship campaign for the month. Last week we asked everyone to meditate on the ways that God has already blessed us with enough .   This week the questions are: What do we have "enough" of? and What can we give up to simplify our lives?   Now all of us in the stewardship committee know y'all aren't a bunch of millionaires here. Important note, though! If you are a secret millionaire come talk to me, I want to tell you about some exciting investment opportunities here at Trinity.   Presuming that no one will come up to let me know that actually they are secretly wealthy, the stewardship committee still thought this was an important question to ask during our stewardship formation month. Yes, it's not like we all have a bunch of extra habits ...