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Articles in Pastoral Reflections

The Preacher’s Guide on Pesky Passages
July 16, 2021 – 11:07 pm | Comments Off on The Preacher’s Guide on Pesky Passages

“The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it.”–Psalm 24:1

When Professors Mary Tucker and John Green of the Forum on Religion and Ecology (currently at Yale University) were working on a project of …

Sustainability and Sacrifice: An Eco-Theology of the Cross
July 16, 2021 – 11:06 pm | Comments Off on Sustainability and Sacrifice: An Eco-Theology of the Cross

On any given evening in any urban neighborhood in the United States, it is possible to forage through grocery store dumpsters for an array of food worthy of the tables in Solomon’s Temple. Thousands of …

The “Ruling Over” Experience
July 16, 2021 – 11:05 pm | Comments Off on The “Ruling Over” Experience

According to Psalm 24:1, “the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” Typically, this type of ownership implies that the owner is personally responsible …

The Arc and The Road: A Journey Towards a More Just Society
December 17, 2020 – 10:30 pm | Comments Off on The Arc and The Road: A Journey Towards a More Just Society

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously summarized the 19th century abolitionist Theodore Parker thus: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”  

The apostle Paul reminds us that God “reconciled …

Preaching a Resilient Vision in the Time of Pandemic
December 17, 2020 – 10:14 pm | Comments Off on Preaching a Resilient Vision in the Time of Pandemic

A year ago nobody could have imagined what we would experience every day under the COVID-19 pandemic. This unexpected pandemic has thrown us into an unwelcome new normal, reshaping our ordinary lives drastically. For those …

From Dream to Real Life: Jacob at Bethel
December 17, 2020 – 10:03 pm | Comments Off on From Dream to Real Life: Jacob at Bethel

For many modern Bible readers, the words “dream” and “vision” are equivalent, which is unsurprising as the Bible itself often uses these terms in parallel. But the two are not the same. While visions can …

Jesus Was Stuck: A Sermon on Matthew 26:36-48
December 17, 2020 – 10:02 pm | Comments Off on Jesus Was Stuck: A Sermon on Matthew 26:36-48

“I don’t want this pandemic. I don’t want to be stuck inside my home. I don’t want to be locked out of my favorite coffee shop. I don’t want to wonder if I’m going to …

Listening to God: The Discernment of Dreams
December 17, 2020 – 10:01 pm | Comments Off on Listening to God: The Discernment of Dreams

In many societies and traditions in the Ancient Near East, “dreams have been regarded as having fortune-telling relevance.” [1] In many ways, relevance is the result of the very nature of the dream. Because dreams are “uncontrollable …

Signs and Wonders
December 17, 2020 – 10:00 pm | Comments Off on Signs and Wonders

Like many of us in this extraordinary year, I have found myself at times taking refuge in small comforts and amusements. Of the many internet memes that have given me a much-needed laugh during the …

Audacious Dreams
October 17, 2020 – 9:44 pm | Comments Off on Audacious Dreams

As a child, my mother often encouraged me to dream. She would add, “and if you are going to dream at all, dream big.” Her guidance helped me understand that while our current reality is …

“Do Not Be Afraid”
October 17, 2020 – 9:41 pm | Comments Off on “Do Not Be Afraid”

A little boy who held a sign that read “I MATTER” stood among a throng of protestors who were streaming down the highway, chanting “No Justice! No Peace!” This scene has played again and again …

American Dream: Christian Nightmare
October 17, 2020 – 9:35 pm | Comments Off on American Dream: Christian Nightmare

The American dream is a big house in the suburbs, a white picket fence, 2.5 kids and an SUV in the driveway. The American dream is to make it all by yourself and owe nothing …