RoboPreacher

We’re  all  a bunch of sinners free-riding on Jesus Revelation has to be one of the most misunderstood books in the Bible. One we’re certainly not very familiar with.  And that’s too bad. Because the truth is, we’re the one’s missing out.  Revelation has a message we would all benefit from hearing. Between the years 65 and 250 A.D., being a Christian was like being a part of a criminal conspiracy. The official charge brought against Christians was “atheism.” But the real threat they posed, was their worship.  These Christians refused to give their devotion to anyone or anything except the God who raised Jesus. For that kind of exclusive fidelity, Christians were a threat to the way things were. The status quo. ( Side note, Revelation is a form of protest writing !) These early Christians were accused of atheism because the way they insisted on being faithful to God alone, made them just too different. For this kind of refusal to fit in, o...

be my love A sermon from Paul's Letter to the Galatians: Have you ever tried to change some big part of your life? (Now be honest) And how’d that go? (Anyone have any stories they want to share?) No? Lately , every morning, I find myself praying to be more joyful and less judgmental.  And I have to pray, because nothing else seems to be working … And I bet you know what I mean … I began college studying journalism. It was a fluke. I was an okay writer and a better reader, so I had potential. And it turns out, I had ambition , too… So it made a good enough of match. At Kirkwood, I became an editor and wrote a bunch. We even managed to win some Iowa College Media Association awards. Beating out four-year colleges. The kind I would end up transferring to; like Grand View … I transferred there with a big enough of a head. I had managed a paper that won more awards, written some good stories too, and even interned at a daily newspaper. So when I cam...

i'm gonna heal you anyway A sermon from the First Jerusalem Council : Well, thank heavens that’s settled.  That we’re free to breeze past embarrassing issues like this; like circumcision … No, we modern people know better. We’re too enlightened for all that.  We know something like circumcision can’t save. That really it doesn’t even make much of a difference.  Do it, don’t do it. Who cares… We hear today’s lesson and nod approvingly, “they sure got that one right.”  With a lesson like this, all that’s left is for the pastor not to prattle on too long so we can head home, confident in all our assumptions , and enjoy our Sunday brunch… And you can tell how cut and dried the issue is too, by how easily it’s put to rest: Peter gives a brief speech. Paul and Barnabas recount their experience of the uncircumcised gentile’s conversion. James quotes some scripture, and then that’s that.  The circumcision matter is put to rest on...