Posts Tagged ‘18th Sunday After Pentecost’
“Says Who?”
Our passage leaves out exactly what unauthorized things Jesus has been doing. If we back up, we see that this inquisition takes place the morning after Jesus has entered Jerusalem cheered on by a crowd.
Read MoreThe In-between Space
A couple of weeks ago I was invited by a seminary classmate to “speak” at a camp for the homeless just outside of Manila. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I would share with them. So, I decided to listen to their stories of hope and hurt. I found out that they are from different parts of the city, occupying the borderlands and in-between spaces of Manila. What unites them is their shared experience of exclusion.
Read MoreWhat’s in a Name?
There was a pause, some nervous laughter, and then a recognition that she had named something important: as long as we are more focussed on finding new followers for our own project than on the faithful work to be done, we will always be divided rivals competing for the victory of our mission.
Read MoreEntering the Building
Recently, our church community gathered in the parking lot of the campus. Together, like many other congregations, we are reflecting deeply about what it means to enter the building again.…
Read MoreThe Salute of Grace
A children’s version of the story captures the triviality of the narrative – the last frame exclaims, “Don’t Forget to Thank Jesus.”In such simplified, moralistic versions of the story, the other nine lepers who don’t return to Jesus are vilified as ungrateful. However, we shouldn’t rush to cast judgment on them.
Read MoreAuthority Remixed
At Street Psalms we embrace a particular perspective that invites us into a grace to see from below. We do theology from below, celebrating the opportunity to read the Bible…
Read MoreThe Gospel Hustle
In my neighborhood, this would be called a hustle. I see it every day. This parable sounds like a contemporary situation — a person is about to get fired for…
Read MoreScandal
The real threat that Jesus exposes in this text is the hidden envy brewing in the disciples’ hearts.
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