We know that it is all about grace, but do we act like it? Those of us who profess the gospel of Jesus Christ can proclaim, until we are blue in the face, that we are saved by grace, yet we so often act like it is all on our shoulders. Inviting us back into the posture of children, Hulst unpacks the word of the God from Zephaniah to remind us that God seeks to embrace us, and in him we find rest.
Homily 21
St. Macarius the Great
INTRODUCTION St. Macarius the Egyptian was a Coptic desert father of the early 4th century. While details of his life are scant, he is thought to have been born around the year 300 A.D. He is mentioned in the Apophthegmata ('Sayings') of the Desert Fathers and was...
Authentic Greatness
Richard Gentry Thompson
"A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the...
Race Soil
Rev. Reverdy C. Ransom
In this lecture sermon series, Rev. Ransom preaches on the status of the African American in society. He proclaims that, “the morning stars are paling, because the moral, intellectual, and spiritual night of the Negro is passing away.”
Instruction on Beginning a True Christian Life
Hans Schlaffer
In this selection from his treatise on the Christian life, Hans Schlaffer writes on a common theme—the need for repentance—but emphasizing the ways in which this is learned from attention to the natural world. As opposed to Reformed or Lutheran divines who made their case with reference to the an argument from within Scripture, Shlaffer makes his case for the need for repentance by observing the suffering of animals.
Courage, Citizenship, and the Limits of Autonomy
Dhananjay Jagannathan
In spending time with the elderly and others of those most at risk in my community at the vaccination site, I have come to see better the preciousness of life in its essential vulnerability. To live without this awareness is to deaden oneself to the sense of what is worth fearing and what is worth daring.
Desire for the Vision of God
Saint Anslem
This is Saint Anslem’s prayerful reflection which gives us insight into exercising the virtues of faith and courage, specifically by prayerfully leaning into our moments of doubt and trusting in God to guide us through.
Preaching in the Midst of a Global Pandemic
Joni S. Sancken
What can we say in the midst of this current unfolding trauma, when even experts are scrambling? Churches can support healing when they step into the space where others retreat. The incarnate Christ who continually casts his lot with broken humanity draws us toward each other by creating spaces where we can show ourselves, wounds and all.
Seeing Clearly, Seeing Christ
Malcolm Foley
We often “choose blindness” when it comes to our own sin; Dr. Foley reminds us that in this Lenten season we must examine ourselves and our own sin.
Why Are You Offended?
Dr. Frank A. Thomas
Rev. Dr. Frank Thomas speaking at McCarty Memorial Christian Church speaks to how offense can lead to horrible emotions that can range from gossip to murder. “Offended people produce hurt, anger, outrage, jealously, resentment, strife, hatred and envy”. Pushing back on the realities of a dying church Dr. Wright calls for us to tackle now only the offense but also to tackle what causes us to be offended.