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Progressive Christian

2018-12-26T11:22:55-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is There a Mystic in Donald Trump? Is There a Mystic in You and Me?

Last updated on: December 26, 2018 at 11:22 am By Bruce Epperly

Writing a book often elicits unexpected comments. One of my recent books is entitled THE MYSTIC IN YOU: DISCOVERING A GOD-FILLED WORLD. I realize that’s a big claim, that everyone has a mystic sense. Folks I know protest, “Me, a mystic? I don’t spend a lot of time praying and haven’t had any dramatic encounters with God. Religion isn’t even that important to me.” I always agree with such confessions, but then add, based on my own theological perspective, that... Read more

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2018-12-24T09:18:37-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Christmas Eve Meditation – Mary and Joseph, Joseph and Diane, and the Spirit of Christmas

Last updated on: December 24, 2018 at 9:18 am By Bruce Epperly

It was just a few days before Christmas, when they came to the church door. Joseph and Diane. A couple down on their luck. To prove he was worthy of our church’s support, Joseph told me their story. He had been a carpenter but was between jobs. They had just been told to leave the boarding house where they were staying, and because Joseph and Diane’s father were odds with one another, they couldn’t return home to Falmouth. They’d struggled... Read more

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2018-12-21T11:06:59-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday after Christmas Day – December 30, 2018

Last updated on: December 21, 2018 at 11:06 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday after Christmas Day – December 30, 2018 I Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Psalm 148 Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52 This Sunday the key words are found in the descriptions of Jesus’ “growing in wisdom and stature.” As Christ’s followers, these words are also addressed to us. We too need to grow larger more inclusive selves to more fully follow Jesus. We need to remember, as Iranaeus asserted, “the glory of God is a fully alive... Read more

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2018-12-16T20:44:22-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“God Can’t!” Heresy or Healing? A Response to Tom Oord

Last updated on: December 16, 2018 at 8:44 pm By Bruce Epperly

For many years, I have taught courses in seminary and church on the healings of Jesus. At some point in the courses, the question of suffering and God’s limits to respond to pain and death arises. Often my students, including sophisticated pastors and seminarians, stumble over the issue of divine power. For some, the idea that God cannot cure cancer or heart disease is an anathema. I am bounding on heresy when I speak about multi-factorial causes that appear to... Read more

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2018-12-12T17:11:09-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Adventurous Lectionary – Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 23, 2018

Last updated on: December 12, 2018 at 5:11 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 23, 2018 Matthew 5:2-52, Psalm 80:1-7, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-55 Christmas is on the horizon, and today’s scriptures may be lost amid the merriment as well as the Christmas pageants, often scheduled the week before Christmas. There is hope on the horizon and this hope is especially powerful among those who are oppressed, grieving, or living in uncertainty as they look toward the future. We experience hope that injustice will... Read more

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2018-12-06T06:04:20-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Adventurous Lectionary – Third Sunday of Advent – December 16, 2018

Last updated on: December 6, 2018 at 6:04 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday of Advent – December 16, 2018 Zephaniah 3:14-20 Isaiah 12:2-6 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18 This Sunday we celebrate joy. We light the third, pink Advent Candle and celebrate the joy of relationship with God, each other, and the wonder of creation. Yet, this joy must come in the waiting. The joy we seek is not born of immediate gratification, but the ongoing encounter with an intimate God who has plans for us –... Read more

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2018-11-28T07:22:09-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday of Advent – December 9, 2018

Last updated on: November 28, 2018 at 7:22 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday of Advent – December 9, 2018 Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 1:68-79 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6 “Are we there yet?” beg the children in the midst of a long automobile trip. “How much time left?” we ask as we prepare for an important occasion. “When are things going to change?” persons living with daily injustices and indignities plead. Advent is a season that joins patience and restlessness. We are waiting and waiting isn’t easy, whether... Read more

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2018-11-23T06:36:46-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday in Advent – December 2, 2018

Last updated on: November 23, 2018 at 6:36 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday in Advent – December 2, 2018 Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-10 I Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36 How do we feel as we look toward the future? Do we see continuity or discontinuity? Do we expect gradual evolution or cataclysmic change? Is the future filled with hope and fear, or a mixture? Today’s scriptures suggest s multiplicity of possibilities, and whether the result of our own actions, divine-human companionship, or unilateral divine action, the future... Read more

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2018-11-15T09:48:07-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Adventurous Lectionary – Christ the King/Realm of Christ Sunday – November 25, 2018

Last updated on: November 15, 2018 at 9:48 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Christ the King/Realm of Christ Sunday – November 25, 2018 2 Samuel 23:1-7 Psalm 132:1-12 Revelation 1:4b-8 John 18:33-37 Today’s scriptures invite us to consider God’s relationship to politics and culture as well as our own personal lives. If Christ is “king” or “ruler,” what does that mean in real life and every day decisions regarding our domestic lives and political policy? Does the way of Christ have sovereignty in the affairs of nations? Should we... Read more

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2018-11-13T17:15:35-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Good News of Christian Interspirituality

Last updated on: November 13, 2018 at 5:15 pm By Bruce Epperly

Despite protests to the contrary, faith traditions are living entities, growing, changing, and emerging in the context of environmental and cultural changes, creative visions, mystical and prophetic experiences, and divine inspiration. Years ago, philosopher Alfred North Whitehead penned “Religion in the Making.” Today, it is appropriate to speak of “religions in the making” as the faith traditions of the world find themselves evolving synergistically with one another and their environments. Even so-called orthodoxy and the old-time religion are changing, partly... Read more

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