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Readings: Psalm 34; Jeremiah 16:14-21; Mark 1:14-20 Like so many other feast days – scheduled, as they are, on the days of the namesakes’ deaths – the feast day of St. James the Apostle is a strong rebuke to our aspirations. To our aspirations as human beings, and especially to our aspirations as ministers of Christ’s Church. Saint James the Greater, by Rembrandt James & John: Fishermen No More? You see, James started off as a mere fisherman. An admirable one, to be sure, because he and his brother John answered Jesus’ call in Mark 1. They left behind their father, their family, and – they grew to hope! – their family’s fishing profession. ...

Yesterday, I asked you to join the Church if you, like me, are frustrated with the Church. The strongest critiques of religion come from within, not without, the Christian community. Plus, your frustrations are likely shared by many others within the Church! However, it’s not enough to point the finger at others from your pew, instead of doing so from the public square. Yes, that’s a good first step, but another one is necessary. ...

…and by “club” I of course mean “Church”! What am I getting at? Am I calling the Church a mere “club”? No. Although, unfortunately, it often feels that way, doesn’t it? A club full of hypocrisy, idolatry, indifference, and platitudes. A club full of power-plays, fear-mongering, and Bible-thumping. A club full of saints too afraid to admit that they are sinners. Perhaps you’re sick of this “club,” and you’re ready to leave, if you haven’t left already. ...

As I prepare for my final semester at Beeson Divinity School, it strikes me just how well I was prepared for my seminary education by my undergraduate professors at Cedarville University. All things considered, my time at CU exposed me to the riches of biblical and theological studies, and it left me hungry for more. College gave me a love for Christ’s gospel and Christ’s Church – which has only increased since I arrived at Beeson. ...

Do you know what the worst thing about death is? It’s not the dying itself – its the separation. That is, we don’t suffer the most from our own deaths (a one-time occurrence), but from suffering the deaths of others (repeatedly). Instead of living relationships, we are left with distant memories. A sad reality, to be sure. What if, however, we could use death to our own advantage? I’m convinced this is the truth behind Ecclesiastes 7:2 – ...

I’m not going to lie. My first reaction when I saw the cover of this book? No! Of course you’re not indispensable. What use could this crap possibly be to the Church, or to me – simultaneously a pastor and a pastor-in-training. Then, however, I read the book. And I suggest you do, too! (Note: affiliate link. I get paid if you make a purchase.) Seth Godin, bald marketing extraordinaire, is convinced that a paradigm shift has taken place. I’ll quote from his annotated table of contents (which, by the way, I wish all books had): ...

I’m scared. Are you? Specifically, as I wrote in my journal this very morning: I’m scared – I’m scared of wasting my life, I’m scared of not being worth anything outside of the classroom. Fear drives so many aspects of our lives – from how we dress, to how we raise our children, to how we elect our leaders. And, if we’re honest with ourselves, fear can play a large role in what/whom we worship. ...

Ah, the joys of summer reading. Here are a few of the books I’m currently diving into: Hoping to be able to read German with a dictionary by the end of the summer! Karl Barth’s theological bombshell. I’m trying the Slow-Carb Diet and kettlebell swings. ...

I love books. Books, however, do not like my back. Can you relate? Maybe it’s not sitting around reading books all day, but I imagine plenty of you out there suffer from back pain/fatigue. Let me share a time-saving solution I’ve recently found: two-handed kettlebell swings. Our small kettlebell family How can these cannonballs with handles help your back? Well, the kettlebell swing is one of the many exercises out there that activates your posterior chain – the muscles along the back of your body. ...

READINGS Ephesians 5:21-33 – Wives and Husbands Psalm 67 – May God Be Gracious to Us and Bless Us Revelation 19:6-10 – The Marriage Supper of the Lamb Matthew 25:1-13 – The Parable of the Ten Virgins HOMILY What makes a great wedding? Is it the fragrance and color of the flower arrangements? The particular grandeur of the venue? Is it the number and camaraderie of the guests? Or the quality and sound of the music? ...

What would it have been like, on the first Holy Saturday? What would it be like, tonight, if Jesus has been dead for almost 33 hours? All the hopes and dreams of tonight’s readings – shattered. Blown away by the cold winds of death. Jesus of Nazareth lies in a dark grave, and we, his shell-shocked followers, gather to make some sort of sense of this week’s events – to salvage some sort of hope from this week’s wreckage. ...

Hi internet – especially all you Barthians and Bonhoefferians (-ites?) out there. I’m in the process of compiling a reading list, and I could use your suggestions. Here’s my goal: to explore the possible relationship between Barth’s critique of the “No-God”(Nich-Gott) and Bonhoeffer’s critique(s) of viewing God as a “stopgap” (Lückenbüßer) or “working hypothesis.” As far as primary sources go, I plan to focus on the Romans commentary, Garrett Green’s recent re-translation of CD §17, and Letters and Papers from Prison. ...

It’s been a grueling past few weeks at Beeson. Our Spring Break happens to coincide with Holy Week this year, and it can’t come quickly enough! Part of the hard work has been preparing to preach three sermons for class. However, the opportunity to study and preach God’s Word is a joy that outweighs the burdens of preparation! I have preached twice in the past month on Psalm 32. First, I delivered a sermon (“The Refreshment of Forgiveness”) designed for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year C, for Dr. Doug Webster’s Preaching Practicum. ...

There are better preachers out there. So, if you’re short on time, go and listen to them! However, if you’ve got 26 minutes to spare, I offer “The Challenge of Christmas Light” to you, and would love to hear your feedback. I preached this sermon on December 27, 2015 at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Mountain Brook, AL, as we celebrated the Feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. My sermon text was that day’s Gospel lesson, 1 John 1:1-9, expanded to include 2:1-2. But I also reference the Old Testament lesson, Exodus 33:18-23. ...

INTRODUCTION: ACCEPTING, BLOCKING, AND STATUS From the church’s perspective, is the state a promising offer, or a threatening one? At the risk of breathtaking oversimplification, Anglicans have tended to adopt the former perspective, leading to accommodation, and Anabaptists the latter, resulting in separation.1 Following Samuel Wells in his theological appropriation of terms from theatrical improvisation, the Anglican tradition has tended to respond to the promising offers (invitations to respond) of the state by accepting – maintaining the premise(s) of the state’s action(s).2 The historical legacy of the Church of England has given Anglicanism, as Anderson notes, an “inheritance of a strong loyalty to the state and a conservatism that has led the church to promote the status quo more often than it agitates for reform.”3 This inheritance from the established Church of England has coincided with a dual tendency to adopt a high status (a strategy for getting one’s way), in terms of relative privilege and political optimism, and a low status, in terms of frequent subservience in church-state relations.4 ...