Category Archives: Spiritual

charlottesville and revelation

My church’s Pub Theology crew wanted to discuss the doctrine of Revelation. As is my custom, I created a worksheet to help start our conversation: Working Definition: Revelation unveils the Unknown.  What is it: An experience, an event, an inspiration that moves one beyond the vision of the ordinary.  Transcendent  Transformative  What is it not:  RevelationContinue reading “charlottesville and revelation”

we are not our government: an apology 

“I’ve met many peace activists before and I know that you are not the US government.” – a Salvadoran community leader Whether it was in Iraqi-Kurdistan, the Borderlands of Mexico and Arizona, or Palestine, I constantly heard this sentiment in some form. This was said in spite of the US providing chemical weapons to bombContinue reading “we are not our government: an apology “

thirsting for dangerous memory: a good friday sermon

I was invited to be one of the preachers for the Last Seven Words Service at Church on the Hill AME Zion Church, NYC. I took the fifth phrase: “I am thirsty.”  After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” A jarContinue reading “thirsting for dangerous memory: a good friday sermon”

belhar confession (revised with inclusive language)

The Presbyterian Church USA General Assembly 222 accepted the Belhar Confession into their Book of Confessions. As a Presbyterian, I am very proud of this.  1. We believe in the triune God, Creator, Redeemer, and Holy Spirit, who gathers, protects, and cares for the church through Word and Spirit. This, God has done since theContinue reading “belhar confession (revised with inclusive language)”

an epiphany sermon

This sermon was preached on January 4th, 2015 at The First Reformed Church of South River, NJ.  A few summers ago, I lived at St. Joseph’s Catholic Worker in Rochester, NY. For those who do not know about it, the Catholic Worker was founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in the 1930’s. They wantedContinue reading “an epiphany sermon”

my favorite version of the lord’s prayer

Working on my sermon on the Lord’s Prayer, I remembered this beautiful version: O Breathing Life, your Name shines everywhere! Release a space to plant your Presence here. Imagine your possibilities now. Embody your desire in every light and form. Grow through us this moment’s bread and wisdom. Untie the knots of failure binding us,Continue reading “my favorite version of the lord’s prayer”

jesus was a cyborg

As custom, posthuman films, including Her, Transcendence, and Lucy, prescribe qualities on the anthropological project. Questions for viewers arise: What does it mean to be human? Are humans unique because their conscience? Is it necessary to have a body to be human? These films convey simply that to be human means to demonstrate a willContinue reading “jesus was a cyborg”

snowden, leaks, and the us empire

Thank goodness for the recent discussions of surveillance in the US. I find them simultaneously encouraging and missing the point. The Powers-that-be are currently struggling to give answers for these recent leaks. The internet has become so dangerous that one Pentagon official said “We have developed a full range of capabilities to operate in the cyber-domain, butContinue reading “snowden, leaks, and the us empire”

dangerous memory, spiritual practices, and the media

If America’s soul was not already wounded by the violence we impart around the world, it is certainly broken now. Last week we suffered conflict after conflict: the Boston Marathon bombing, the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, and the shooting at MIT, etc.  It would be most appropriate to practice “Dangerous Memory” as JohannContinue reading “dangerous memory, spiritual practices, and the media”