Theolog

New light on old parables

By Kenneth H. Carter, Jr.

Imagine that Hillary Clinton is the older sibling in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son. She has been there all along, working hard, as she continually reminds us. No one has thrown her a party. The youngest son returns, from the far country. Everyone rejoices, and the crowds celebrate. But she will not join in the fun; she will have none of it. The father, appeals to her, "We have to celebrate, for we were lost, and now we are on the way to being a family again."

Blogging toward Sunday

By Craig Kocher
Luke 24:13-35
April 6, 2008, Easter 2

Practice Resurrection*

I remember a student who came to Duke Chapel the first Sunday of his freshman year. He had recently completed the Walk to Emmaus spiritual renewal program and, in his words, was “on fire for Christ.” Luke 24 has that effect on people. It is among the most treasured chapters in the Gospels and may be the most recognized story of Jesus’ post-Easter appearances.

Gun control and NIU

By Jason Byassee

“So what I’m saying is you should have a .38 special.”

The waitress nodded to the man at the next table. She’d neglected us when we came in, forgotten our order and spilled a drink, but agreed she should be packing heat.

In the wake of the massacre at Northern Illinois University it was best to be silent. Gun control arguments—long since tired—felt blasphemous in the face of such horror. It was too easy to politicize carnage that should simply be mourned. But it’s been a few weeks now (doesn’t it feel like longer with our news cycle?), and the arguments had to come back up.

Tell the (partisan) truth

By Bromleigh McCleneghan

I am increasingly concerned with the needs of children. In my family’s case, I thank God for the blessing of decent health insurance, the possibility of paid maternity leave, and the good local schools in the town where I serve. But what about other children?

The Children’s Defense Fund helps me keep tabs on how we, as a nation, are faring with our responsibilities to extend access to these necessities to all children.

Blogging toward Sunday

By Craig Kocher
Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31
Sunday March 30

Morning breath

The first thing the resurrected Jesus does in the presence of his disciples in the Upper Room is breathe. Before his famous back and forth with Thomas, before he offers his bloody hands and side, Jesus breathes, offers his peace, and then he breathes peace on the disciples.

At Duke Chapel we exchange the peace of Christ each Sunday.

Should nations repent?

By Kevin Baker

A recent issue of USA Today (Feb. 28) announced: "Legislators to push for U.S. apology for slavery." The article notes that there is a push for the nation to follow the lead of five states in the union that did something over the past 12 months never done previously: "expressed regret or apologized for slavery."

The U.S. has never issued an apology for the heinous evil of slavery, although the nation did officially apologize for Executive Order 9066, which placed Japanese-Americans in interment camps during WW II, and, in 1993, to native Hawaiians for over-throwing their kingdom in 1895. As for Native Americans, a more-than-belated apology came just a few days ago.

Political passion?

By Amy Frykholm

One theme emerging out of the 2008 presidential campaign is emotional versus intellectual politics. Obama supporters are frequently accused of being emotional, and therefore shallow, rather than intellectual, or deep, supporters of their candidate.

As far as I can tell, “emotional” support for a candidate means a) feeling moved by something a candidate says, does or represents and b) repeating slogans. “Intellectual” or “substantive” support means understanding the minute details of a candidate’s positions and plans on health care, foreign policy and the economy, and being able to debate these in self-righteous and condescending tones. If you can do the latter, congratulations. You can rest assured that your support for your candidate is substantive and not emotive. You don’t want to be caught like the recent voter in Texas saying, “It’s sort of like the difference between Coke and Pepsi. You prefer one or the other, but you don’t exactly know why.”

Blogging toward Sunday

By Craig Kocher
John 20:1-18; Matthew 28:1-10
Easter Sunday, March 23

Encountering the Resurrection

The music is out in brassy force, the altar flowers are in full bloom, and the sanctuary is full of people not seen since December. Ironically, even the visitors know the story, or imagine they do, and the lectionary readings are always the same—Matthew or John. What does the preacher say in her second, or 22nd Easter sermon that wasn’t said before?

A sermon could be preached focused on one or all of the disciples in John’s account. The three types of discipleship will be represented in your congregation on Easter morning. I suggest that each of the following types represents one of the classic virtues of faith, hope, and love.

Sexfest

By Zach Kincaid

Relevant Church in Tampa, Florida, is challenging its members to participate in a 30-Day Sex Challenge. The premise is for married couples to have sex every day for 30 days. From their site:

People are not having enough sex. An epidemic of breakups proves the needs that lead to a great sex life are being overlooked. Dirty dishes, frumpy clothes, and a lack of authentic connections are killing the romance. A great sex life is a challenge and takes focus, determination, and planning. Some say it’s an unrealistic goal, but we disagree. We believe you can have a great sex life, in fact we believe God wants you to have a great sex life.

When I heard this, I thought of the temple prostitution circuit of Rome and Greece.

Moving season

By Tom Steagald

At this time of year, my colleagues and I trade more phone calls and emails than usual. It’s a seasonal thing—a whopping increase of calls and emails related to “appointments.”

Appointment-making is the distinctive way in which United Methodist clergy are deployed to congregations. The bishop of a given area consults in the spring with the district superintendents of that area (the Cabinet) to mix and match the needs of particular congregations with the gifts and graces of available pastors. At the end of June, when the appointments are made and the moving list finalized, there is fruit-basket turnover.

Until then, rumors fly from one end of the conference to the other.

2007: Year of the Pro-Life Movie?

By Jason Byassee

My interlocutor had just read my glowing review of Knocked Up. He was concerned, not so much about the movie’s raunch level, as about its hot-button politics. “Isn’t that movie pro-life?” he asked hesitantly.

Indeed, Christianity Today proclaimed 2007 as the year pro-life went Hollywood with movies like Knocked Up, Juno and Waitress.

Blogging toward Sunday

By Craig T. Kocher
Sunday, March 16
Mt. 21:1-11, Ps. 118:1-2 & 19-29, Is. 50:4-9a, Ps. 31:9-16, Php. 2:5-11, Mt. 26:14-27:66

Sunday Bloody Sunday

The church suffers from a bit of schizophrenia about Palm Sunday. Should the focus be on Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the “Hosannas!” of the shouting crowd? Or should the emphasis be placed on the cross and the “Crucify him! Crucify him!” chants of the people? Is this a service of exultation or a service of passion? Furthering the complexity, the lectionary offers five texts, two of which are lessons from the Gospel of Matthew, the latter being a nearly two-chapter scramble through the most significant moments of Jesus’ final days.

Who's to blame?

By Amy Frykholm

After teaching a class recently I found myself confronted by a student about material that he found to be pornographic. The offending material was in an essay by Jeanne Kilbourne on advertising and sexual violence, which includes examples of advertisements found in mainstream publications. This particular student, who had been homeschooled, had never seen such ads. He was literally shaking when he approached me after the class. “Do you really think it is a good idea to put these images in front of young people?” he asked. “I want to save my eyes for my wife. My purity is for her alone.”

Hope in stained glass

By Trygve Johnson

Dimnet Chapel at Hope College has 12 large floor-to-ceiling window panels, with two stained glass saints captured in each window, 24 people in all. As the light breaks in the east, these stained saints begin to glow with the rising sun. These windows bear witness to something significant: each is a witness to the radical love of God.

This particular morning I sit under the window of Mary who is holding the Christ child in her arms. She looks peaceful. I find the image of her with a child comforting as I sit heavy, my head hanging. I don’t have the words to pray, but offer a sigh that sounds more like a groan. My faith feels out of joint.

Before I left the house, my wife Kristen told me the news. The test was negative. Again.