This post originally was delivered as a sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Enid, Okla., Sunday, 15 April, 2018. Readings are from the Revised Common Lectionary Year B. Mr. Ralph Alsman, of Brookville, Ind., was by most standards an unremarkable man. The 25 year-old man led a fairly normal … Continue reading Finding our identity in Christ
Stephen Ministry: Expanding the church’s reach
ENID, Okla. — “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” That verse, Galatians 6:2, describes the Stephen Ministries mission to organize and train lay ministers to “provide one-to-one Christian care to hurting people in and around the congregation,” the group’s website states. Stephen Ministries is a group … Continue reading Stephen Ministry: Expanding the church’s reach
Focusing on our common bonds in Christ
Christians have worked for 500 years to break up and diminish the Body of Christ. From the wars of Reformation and Counter-Reformation to centuries of hatred, persecution and misunderstanding between our various (and many) denominations, Christianity over the last half-millennium has struggled to be a cohesive faith with a unified message. We’ve made great strides … Continue reading Focusing on our common bonds in Christ
Pay equality — It’s not just for feminists
Amid all the hullabaloo at the Capitol this week, an important issue went largely unnoticed. The National Partnership for Women & Families released a new study to coincide with Equal Pay Day, which was Tuesday. Data in the report underscores why Equal Pay Day is scheduled when it is — women would have to work … Continue reading Pay equality — It’s not just for feminists
Our call, beyond the tomb
He is risen. Those three simple words tell us the meaning of Easter. Christ was crucified. Christ is risen. After suffering death on the cross and descending to the dead, Jesus conquered death, rose again and forever opened the door for us to follow him out of the grave. The first evangelism of Christ’s resurrection … Continue reading Our call, beyond the tomb
King’s struggle remains relevant
America paused Wednesday to remember Martin Luther King Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. It’s good to honor MLK. But, too often, we confine him to sentimental memory. A great man, dead too soon. With our obligatory honor paid, we box up the injustices against which Dr. King fought, and file them away … Continue reading King’s struggle remains relevant
Co-opting Christ
The role of religion in American politics is nothing new, nor is its history confined to one party. Clergy have played active roles in numerous political movements of the “left,” perhaps most famously in the Civil Rights movement championed by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And, there have been no shortage of outlets … Continue reading Co-opting Christ
Good Friday: A time to walk with Christ
The day has come. Good Friday. The day our Lord was crucified. We tend to skip quickly over this part of the story, because we know the end of the story. And that end is beautiful. We rush to see the empty tomb, and to revel in Easter. That is wonderful. But, we’re not there … Continue reading Good Friday: A time to walk with Christ
Youth leading us to right side of history
Hundreds of thousands of youth are expected to protest tomorrow in the March for Our Lives — a student-led movement calling for legislation to effectively address gun violence. Since the Feb. 14 massacre that claimed 17 lives in Parkland, Fla., the survivors and their peers have organized more than 800 demonstrations around the United States and … Continue reading Youth leading us to right side of history
American youth: swimming against the stream of blood money
Nine days ago, 17 people died in a preventable whirlwind of blood, chaos and gunfire. That's nothing new. America is adept at cultivating and ignoring the slaughter of children. And, since Parkland, we've gone through a familiar dark-comedy routine that follows such shootings. The president has called for throwaway half measures — background checks and … Continue reading American youth: swimming against the stream of blood money
