RoboPreacher

to his knees Paul's epistle to the Galatians 1:13-17; 2:11-21 One of our most basic assumptions also happens to be one of our most cherished tenets of life. So deep -seated is this conviction of ours that it’s even seeped its way into the faith ! In today’s Scripture, though, St. Paul declares good riddance to so much bad theology.   I’m talking about, of course, the assumption that the goal of life is improvement . These days we’re obsessed with optimization and productivity. And it’s not just the professional sphere of our lives we’re trying to life-hack our way through, either! We’re also trying to upgrade our parenting, leisure, mental health, physical health, and even faith-life! Like Dr. Phil, I’m tempted to ask, “ how’s that working out for you?” But seeing as how our compulsion to try and enhance every aspect of our lives is now affecting our children , I don’t think I need to, do I? Whoever heard of burnt-out teenagers?!? But that’s the fruit of all our l...

it never took me anywhere A sermon on the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5:1-20 ): One of my favorite movies, and I've talked about it before, is "Little Miss Sunshine." This movie, for me, coincided with lutheran theology. And so it occupies a place right alongside "Lutheranism 101." That said, this movie is not PG, so if you rent it and are offended, don't say I didn't try to warn you... The movie follows a more or less nuclear family. And like many families these days, every member struggles to put up with one another. For various reasons, they all grate on each-other’s nerves.   One of the funniest points of friction in the movie, is the father with, well, basically everyone … The father aspires to be a self-help guru. In fact, the movie opens on him giving one of his seminars. …The class, though, is comprised of a small handful of students, in a dimly -lit and depressing little classroom.   Despite ...