RoboPreacher

for someone in need of a tourniquet   The Gospel this Sunday is certainly a difficult one. Sort of. Really it depends upon your context. For instance, I have never married and right now that isn't a priority in my life, so it is hard to get all the fuss. Admittedly, that is a minority perspective. There are folks who are divorced who will hear these words of Jesus. There are people who are holding out for an ideal relationship so they won't have to encounter these tough words of Jesus. There will be people sticking-out a miserable marriage because of these words. There will be that are happily married, and that have experienced struggles and joys together hearing these words. For the preacher then, there are a certain number of sensitivities. The most obvious land-mine is offending people who are divorced (presumably divorced for a good reason). That doesn't exhaust the list of land-mines, though. There are those who engage in a more subtle form of adultery ...

  i'm not ready   The Holy Gospel According toSt. Mark, the ninth chapter! "I admit that I am powerless over my addiction, and that my life has become unmanageable."   This is the first step in the Narcotics Anonymous meetings that happen here in Trinity Lutheran, now four days a week. Of course this first step of twelve is not specific to our faithful sisters and brothers who meet here, it is also the first step of Alcoholic Anonymous groups and other groups for overcoming addiction.   The person serious about getting sober first admits that they are powerless against their addiction and that their life has become unmanageable... Any person serious about their sobriety will tell you this first step is essential.   Of course we know this, too. I mean, when we're willing to admit it to others or ourselves. We know this through our own struggles with addiction, helping others with their fight to sobriety, or simply making smal...

we wonder. The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the ninth chapter! Have you ever heard of the disciple Nathaniel? Yeah, he was my father.  I don't think he thought about even having a wife, let alone son, when he first started following that Jesus, the one they say rose again. Regardless, I don't suppose I need to tell you all that having a father who once gave up everything to follow a political agitator and rebel is a very unique experience.  Not that we don't live in a unique time, mind you. We do. Rome has sacked the temple. Many Judeans were killed in the revolt. Rome is filled with strife. It's just hard to imagine things can go on like this for much longer. Still, crazy-world that we live in nowadays and all, having a father who was a "disciple," now that is crazy. My dad, he still follows too, of course...  It is different now, you know. I mean, Jesus is dead. Since then they've had to rethink what it means to...

  & can we get out if we go right now  Mark 8:27-38   Did you know that a second century theologian said the blood of Christian martyrs are the seeds of the church? His name was Tertullian, and he did say that.   This week in the Hawk Eye there were two stories with two very different depictions of courage. In fact, if one were to describe the actions of these two different parties as "heroic," you would have to admit, that these two depictions are diametrically opposed.   First there was the op-ed about the "courage," of those actors, film-makers and financiers who created and distributed the film "Innocence of Muslims." This film was obviously meant to offend, and now that there are consequences to distributing this hate, all parties are attempting to wash their hands of responsibility. And, I must sarcastically add, that it gets better still. When the president tried to be diplomatic in handling these contentious issue...

A Crisis of Confession: Mark 8:27-38: This pericope is the turning-point in the Gospel of Mark, or you might say the half-way point of Mark's account of Jesus' life, death and life-beyond death. This pericope is punctured by statements and attempts to silence. First we see Peter, as a representative of all the disciples, displaying a greater understanding of Jesus' identity by confessing that Jesus is the "messiah. (v.29b)" Immediately, though, Jesus silences Peter (v.30). Next Jesus replaces the title "Messiah" with "Human One," & explains that his political fate is suffering, rejection, death and eventually resurrection. Now it is Peter's turn to silence Jesus (v. 32). This description of Jesus' fate is too much for Peter. Again, though, Jesus silence's Peter (v. 33). Tragically Peter's rebuke reflects the same temptation Jesus experienced in the wilderness (Mark 1:13). Jesus does not hesitate to describ...

just let yourself, give into the flood-tide (Go do!) what we’re doing For the next four posts I will be working through the four basic parts of a service (Gathering, Word, Meal, Sending). The idea is to mine the resources available about each part of the service and ask relevant questions. And as I said last week, much of the formal material isn’t that helpful… a ritual within a ritual That being said, the sending, or propelling, is the end of the service. After God’s people have gotten together, read a little and noshed, it’s time to go. They’re thrust through the thresholds into the world. There should be a momentum to this propelling. The reason the sending is a specific ritual is because as these people are going, they find they’ve been changed. As with all liminal moments in life, a ritual is appropriate. The sending, then, is a specific ritual that is located at the end of the larger ritual of worship. The sending requires a ritual because after the s...