Voting to Un-Create
It’s Earth Day, so we’re celebrating God’s creation. Unfortunately, at the same time, we’re voting to un-create it.
It’s Earth Day, so we’re celebrating God’s creation. Unfortunately, at the same time, we’re voting to un-create it.
Sometimes, we pay so much attention to our own churchy customs that we neglect the way of Jesus. I used two “texts” for this sermon: Amos 5:21-24, and an episode of the Andy Griffith Show (season 4, episode 4: “The Sermon for Today”). The television clip is omitted here, for reasons of copyright, but it’s worth looking up!
The author of the Gospel of Luke thought it was very important that Jesus appeared after the resurrection, not just as a vision but in the flesh. He also thought that, after the resurrection, Jesus gave the church a mission and the special authority to carry it out. I disagree.
The resurrection is not subject to rational explanation. I can only say: it feels like spring—like spring might feel to a person who thought winter was forever. And, it involves all of us.
Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem was part of his work of standing against the rule of Rome and Rome’s collaborators—and standing instead for the divine rule of God.
The prophet Jeremiah longed for a day when we all could find God already written on our hearts. Mary Oliver would add this: that we can also find God already written in the natural world—the signature of the Creator in all creation.
If only we could read scripture the way we read poetry!
God is not to be bought or sold. God is not transactional.
Jesus loved his life—and when it was time to let it go, he let it go.
Sometimes change starts with remorse; sometimes, it’s just time for a change.