Ever since the attacks in Paris on Friday, the talk about immigrants into the United States has ramped up even more than it did when presidential campaigns began in earnest a few months ago. Now, I don't have a lot of skin in the game, so to speak, since my family has been US citizens for at least 4 generations, and I am the farthest thing from an expert that I could possibly be, but a few memes have been making the rounds that bothered me, and it's taken some mental work to figure out why.
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Monday, November 9, 2015
Sermon: "Beyond Faith", Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17 (November 8, 2015)
11/8/15
(Video of this sermon)
We love stories. I mean, as human beings: we may structure our system of education around lessons and lectures and sermons, but if we’re honest with ourselves, the things that really stick with us the most are the anecdotes, the metaphors, the colorful illustrations that take us out of our heads and into our hearts, and allow us to connect with whatever it is that’s being taught. Think about it: are your favorite sermons the ones where Andrew carefully explains a complex theological idea, or the ones where he relates it to a story about his kids? How many of us prefer to read fiction books over non-fiction? Maybe not all of us and maybe not all the time, but certainly a significant number. The writers of scripture know this fact about human nature and use it to their advantage. But don’t worry; this doesn’t make the Bible any less valid as a witness to God’s Word. In fact, scripture turns out to be less a pedantic work of history that barely makes it past our ears and more a work of art that succeeds in capturing our minds and penetrating our hearts.
(Video of this sermon)
We love stories. I mean, as human beings: we may structure our system of education around lessons and lectures and sermons, but if we’re honest with ourselves, the things that really stick with us the most are the anecdotes, the metaphors, the colorful illustrations that take us out of our heads and into our hearts, and allow us to connect with whatever it is that’s being taught. Think about it: are your favorite sermons the ones where Andrew carefully explains a complex theological idea, or the ones where he relates it to a story about his kids? How many of us prefer to read fiction books over non-fiction? Maybe not all of us and maybe not all the time, but certainly a significant number. The writers of scripture know this fact about human nature and use it to their advantage. But don’t worry; this doesn’t make the Bible any less valid as a witness to God’s Word. In fact, scripture turns out to be less a pedantic work of history that barely makes it past our ears and more a work of art that succeeds in capturing our minds and penetrating our hearts.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
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