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Progressive Christian

2014-09-29T06:24:19-04:00

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 – October 5, 2014 – Pentecost 17

Last updated on: September 29, 2014 at 6:24 am By Bruce Epperly

Adventurous Lectionary – October 5, 2014 – Pentecost 17 Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Psalm 119 Philippians 3:3b-14 Matthew 21:33-46 Today’s readings speak of the ordering of the universe and the ordering of human life. Too often Christians have misinterpreted Paul’s letter to the Galatians by asserting that Jewish law is burdensome, onerous, and irrelevant to our lives. While Christians have freedom in relationship to any system of law and cultural mores, the laws of the universe and humankind can be... Read more

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2014-09-22T15:30:11-04:00

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.

Time Enough? A Response to Michael Yankoski’s “Sacred Year”

Last updated on: September 22, 2014 at 3:30 pm By Bruce Epperly

In the course of a year, Michael Yankoski goes on a sacred pilgrimage. Although sometimes he travels, much of his spiritual peregrinations involve a journey without distance as he seeks to discover the geography of the spirit. The inner spaces of our lives, Yankoski discovers, are just as spacious as the landscapes that surround our journeys. Yankoski explores the many pathways of Christian spirituality, ranging from silence and simplicity to protest and community. He is in search of a deeper,... Read more

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2014-09-22T08:30:04-04:00

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 – September 28, 2014 – Pentecost 16

Last updated on: September 22, 2014 at 8:30 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost –September 28, 2014 Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32 God is faithful, providing a way where there is no way, and giving us the energy to grow in freedom and creativity at every stage of life. Faithful agency opens the floodgates of divine refreshment and energy, enabling us to do what we previously imagined as impossible. In redefining power in terms of relationship, God in Christ invites us... Read more

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2014-09-16T12:54:57-04:00

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.

Theological Reflections on Suicide: A Conversation with Karen Mason’s “Preventing Suicide”

Last updated on: September 16, 2014 at 12:54 pm By Bruce Epperly

A number of months ago, a bereaved mother asked me, “Where is Susie now?” Her question was far from academic. When her daughter committed suicide, one of the first pastoral responses she received was, “Suicide is an unforgiveable sin. Your daughter has cut herself off from God entirely, and is now paying the price, forever!” To that pastor, it meant Susie, whose life was tormented by depression in this lifetime, would now experience eternal torment in hell. The minister with... Read more

Book Reviews

2014-09-15T14:43:34-04:00

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 – September 21, 2014 – Pentecost 15

Last updated on: September 15, 2014 at 2:43 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 21, 2014 Bruce G. Epperly Exodus 16:2-15 Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16 Will God provide for our deepest needs? Are we alone in the world or is there a gentle providence working through our lives, giving us guidance, energy, and sometimes surprising manifestations of grace? The Israelites are experiencing a failure of trust. After all they have seen in terms of God’s deliverance, they want to return to... Read more

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2014-09-15T12:28:42-04:00

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.

Refreshing the Pastor’s Soul: In Conversation with Michael Voss’s Reviving the Congregation

Last updated on: September 15, 2014 at 12:28 pm By Bruce Epperly

Leadership is a spiritual issue, especially in congregational life. As Michael Voss notes in his Reviving the Congregation, pastoral leadership involves not only a pastor’s skills but also her or his personal well-being and spiritual life. Pastoral excellence is skill centered and we should always aim at excellence, as Voss notes. But, this excellence ultimately involves the person of the pastor. Her or his prayer life, vision, relationships, overall well-being, response to conflict, and reaction to the stress can either... Read more

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2014-09-08T17:55:37-04:00

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.

Adventurous Lectionary – September 14, 2014 – Pentecost 14

Last updated on: September 8, 2014 at 5:55 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – September 14, 2014 – Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost Bruce G. Epperly Exodus 14:19-31 Romans 14:1-12 Matthew 18:21-35 Today’s readings explore forgiveness, pluralism, and deliverance. Our dependence and interdependence with God and others is the framework for understanding the spiritual adventure. The Genesis reading is about God’s deliverance of the Israelites from captivity. God parts the waters to provide a way forward for the Israelites and then causes the waters to return, killing the Egyptian pursuers. No... Read more

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2014-09-02T14:45:46-04:00

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.

Letting Go of Limits and Opening to Divine Possibilities: A Dialogue with Sarah Jakes

Last updated on: September 2, 2014 at 2:45 pm By Bruce Epperly

Every morning as I take my prayer walk along the beaches of Cape Cod, I repeat spiritual affirmations. These affirmations have transformed my mind and approach to the events of my life. They have also opened up new possibilities in terms of creativity and relationships. One particular affirmation I regularly use is: “I let go of limits and open to divine possibilities.” This sentiment would be endorsed by Sarah Jakes, author of the new book Colliding with Destiny (now featured... Read more

Book Reviews

2014-08-31T06:25:24-04:00

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.

Adventurous Lectionary – September 7, 2014 – Pentecost 13

Last updated on: August 31, 2014 at 6:25 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – September 7, 2014 – The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Bruce G. Epperly Exodus 12:1-14 Psalm 149 Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15 This week’s scriptures raise issues of divine violence and exclusion as well as God’s protective safety. Like many important religious feasts, the celebration of Passover is shrouded in mystery and ethical ambiguity. On the one hand, God delivers the Hebrew people from oppression in Egypt. Those who follow Moses’ directions escape the plague, and soon will... Read more

2014-08-27T09:16:50-04:00

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.

Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 12 – August 31, 2014

Last updated on: August 27, 2014 at 9:16 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary Exodus 3:1-15 Psalm 105:1-6. 23-26, 45a Romans 12:9-12 Matthew 16:21-28 Once upon a time, a rabbinical gathering considered the question, “Why was the bush burning but not consumed?” The rabbis posited of a variety of answers until one responded, “It was burning and not consumed so that one day, as Moses walked by, he would notice it.” The encounter of God with Moses could take up a sermon series. First, it describes divine communication: God is always... Read more

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