God is love (1 John 4:16). The Bible says "God is love,” meaning love is God’s essence. God does not only “possess” love or "will” love, but rather God loves. Period. Even if we violate God's will or disappoint, God still loves us. This is the God Jesus revealed to us. It is the loving and tolerant father of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. The Prodigal Son tells the story of a young son who asked his father to disburse the family inheritance. Upon receiving his share, he took off to a faraway land. In the following years, he squandered the money and lived an indulged life until penniless and abandoned. When the destitute young man succumbed to eating pig feed, he realized that even the servants in his father’s household fared better. So, he decided to return home and offered himself as a servant. Based on the cultural norms of the time, the younger son committed several offenses. First, he asked for his inheritance when his parents were still alive. Such a request was … [Read more...]
Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others
Barbara Brown Taylor HarperOne, 256 pages Reviewed by Paul Rowland Jr. In her essay on metaphor in the “Oxford Companion to the Bible,” Elizabeth Achtemeier says, “Language about God must be figurative, because it attempts to describe in terms of this world one who is totally different from this world.” In “Holy Envy,” Barbara Brown Taylor suggests that both our understanding of the billions of people of other faiths and our own faith can be enriched by learning about, appreciating and even envying those other faiths. Since famously leaving church (after 20 years of parish ministry), Taylor taught world religion for two decades at a small, private college near Atlanta. She says that she’d promised her students “that studying other faiths would not make them lose their own.” Then she lost the faith with which she’d started. “Holy Envy” tells “the story of how that happened and what happened next.” She interweaves her story with those of her students. She invites her students … [Read more...]
What’s right about St. Andrew Presbyterian Church?
St. Andrew Presbyterian Church — Albuquerque, New Mexico Every Sunday after worship we serve a hot lunch to 25-45 people who are living on the margins — hungry and/or homeless. In addition, we offer our guests sack lunches to take with them, along with clothing and personal hygiene kits. This Neighborhood Friends Ministry began in 2007 as the congregation sought to address the needs of people who came to the church’s door from the city park across the street. Since then it has evolved into a ministry that engages a third of our church membership as volunteers. Over the years, we have seen at least 18 formerly homeless participants move into stable housing. As St. Andrew celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, we are partnering ecumenically with several other congregations to hire a social worker to help people who come to our churches better connect with the services they need. — Roger Scott Powers, pastor Share your 150-word story of “what’s right” with the Outlook by … [Read more...]
When church transitions collide with social media
Guest commentary by Kim Douglass Marin When my grandfather accepted a new call 75 years ago, the goodbyes and welcomes were private. Probably both churches had cake and punch in their respective fellowship halls. If anyone was upset by his departure, those feelings were expressed in quiet narthex corners or in late night phone calls. If anyone was thrilled that he was joining their congregation, those joys largely would’ve been shared privately as well. Not much had changed by the time my college bestie accepted a call 20 years ago: As she put it, “You left a church, and someone in that congregation might visit the other town and stop in at your new church and report back.” But the congregations largely were separate: The grieving, gossiping and giddiness stayed local. That’s not the case anymore. Social media has changed how churches share and process news of transitions. And like everything related to the internet, this has presented great opportunities as well as troubling … [Read more...]
We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship and the Community of God
Kendall Vanderslice, Eerdmans, 176 pages Reviewed by Henry G. Brinton When Jesus gathered his followers for the Last Supper, he broke bread and said, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). He commanded his friends to do something at a table, not to think something in a sanctuary. Because this action of breaking bread and eating together is so central to Christian worship, Kendall Vanderslice embarked on a year of visiting dinner churches across the country — communities of faith that have a shared meal at the center of congregational life. Such churches are a growing trend in the United States, as Vanderslice discovered when she watched their number grow from five to more than 50 over the course of three years. In fact, as I sat down to write this review, I came across an article from the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church that reported on “Fresh Expressions,” a dinner church initiative gaining ground across Florida. With a focus on simple meals and … [Read more...]
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom
David W. Blight Simon & Schuster, 912 pages Reviewed by Donald W. Shriver A great life deserves a great biographer. In Yale historian David Blight, Frederick Douglass has one. Born into slavery in Maryland, Douglass’ life spanned the tumultuous years of 19th century America (1818-1892). At age 11, he began to listen carefully to the reading of the Bible aloud by Sophie Auld, wife of his owner Hugh Auld, who warned her of the dangers of that gift. “There will be no keeping him,” said Hugh, once he hears of that ancient liberation of Hebrew slaves and complaints to God by the distressed Job. Eventually, Douglass planned his escape from the Wye Plantation at age 18. A fugitive at risk of being hauled back into slavery and now aided by abolitionists, he reached a whaling port in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where – thanks to his obvious talent for Bible study – he became a teacher and preacher in the AME Zion Church. He felt safe there because of the many Quakers in town — … [Read more...]
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