I’m preparing a sermon for this coming weekend on Romans 8 (part of our summer preaching series at CrossWalk). That led me to the Karl Barth Digital Library, a fantastic resource if you can gain access. I came across this paragraph on the Word that challenges the world, nothing like one of the greatest theologians of the last century putting things in perspective:
Wittingly or unwittingly, as a theologian he has exposed himself to this Word. He, at any rate, cannot possibly hide from himself the fact that this Word is directed precisely to his own world. This Word concerns mankind in all times and places, the theologian in his own time and place, and the world in its occupation with the routine Problems of the everyday. This Word challenges the world in which X, Y, and Z appear-with their own big words-to have the say and to determine the lot of all men and things as well as the lot of theologians. While the theologian reads the newspaper, he cannot forget that he has just read Isaiah 40 or John 1 or Romans 8. He, at any rate, cannot suppress the knowledge that the Word of God speaks not only of an infinitely deeper need but also of an infinitely higher promise than the sum total of all the needs and promises characteristic of his time and place. He cannot suppress his awareness that Continue reading 'The Word that Challenges the World'»
I like this song by Nashville’s Andrew Peterson, from his album Counting Stars. After seventeen years of marriage to an amazing woman, Andrew’s lyrics have a lot of meaning to me. I wouldn’t want to “dance in the minefields” with anyone but her. Enjoy!
Apparently it’s been around for awhile, but I like this video titled The Girl Effect. I discovered it on Garr Reynold’s blog, Presentation Zen, who discovered it on Dan Heath’s blog, Made to Stick. Check out the video and then see my comments afterward:
You can learn about the organizations behind The Girl Effect at http://girleffect.org. One of the reasons I like this video is because of CARE, a humanitarian organization I support. CARE fights global poverty by helping poor women around the world. As they say, “women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty.” Read more here.
I am honored to be part of a Public Service Announcement titled “I’m a Social Justice Christian.” The PSA was produced by New Name Pictures, a film production venture co-founded by my friend Ryan Bell, pastor of the Hollywood SDA Church.
You can learn more about the project at www.socialjusticechristian.com. There’s also other resources for the “I’m a Social Justice Christian” campaign on their website. I’ve included the PSA in this post, as well as Brian McLaren’s response. Please pass the word about the project. Good work Ryan!
Our Easter Sunday earthquake here in Southern California got me thinking this morning. First, wasn’t there some kind of seismic activity the morning Jesus rose from the dead? If not felt physically, it was felt metaphysically, and we still feel the aftershocks today. Thanks be to God!
Second, what does the church have to say about living faithfully in earthquake country? Is this something we should be talking about with our congregations? If you’re a pastor, charged with protecting you’re congregation spiritually, do you have a responsibility to protect them physically as well. How about the rest of the community—in your church or not in your church? I say yes.
With all of the seismic activity around the world recently, many of us here in Southern California are wondering how long it will be until the “big one” hits us. It’s been relatively quite for fifteen years, but seismologists say a massive earthquake is inevitable. Will we be ready? Continue reading 'Living Faithfully in EarthQuake Country'»
I don’t want to let this day pass without a post about Holy Saturday. As a Seventh-day Adventist, I think we’ve got a lot to say about this day, but we rarely do. I am glad to see SDA communities like the Hollywood Seventh-day Adventist Church incorporating Holy Week gatherings into the life of their community, for example last night they had a Tenabrae service.
My new friend Maury Jackson, a professor of religion at La Sierra University, is preaching today about what to do when God is dead (He is preaching at the Kansas Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church in Riverside, CA). Yesterday Maury told me he’s using the Holy Saturday text, Matthew 27:57-66, where Jesus disciples bury him with the help of Joseph of Arimethea. Maury made a good point that I’m still contemplating this morning: Christians often move to quickly to conclusion. We rush to wrap up the story with a happy ending. However the reality is we live in a world where God often seems silent. And dare I say it, God seems dead. What does it look like to live faithfully when experience this in your life?
I just read a quote, that today we are all atheists (I don’t have time to unpack that for you now—just put yourself in the disciples place two-thousand Saturdays ago and maybe that will help). The truth is I experience the death of God in my life a lot more than the resurrection of God. Even now I am tempted to add a sentence or a paragraph about hope. I’m not going there. Today everyone will be celebrating Easter in my church and I will too (but inside I am going to be contemplating on this Holy Saturday text—I am going to imagine what my faith would look like if I didn’t know Sunday is coming).
By the way, here’s an interesting link on the meaning of Holy Saturday, if you’d like to learn more about the meaning of this day in the Greek Orthodox tradition, also called Holy Pascha.
I enjoy Good Magazine’s infographics. This recent one is interesting, mapping income levels in the USA among different religious groups. You can check it out here at The Almighty Dollar: Mapping Distribution by Religious Belief. Is there any truth to stereotypes? Just asking. Wish my Seventh-day Adventists had made it on this one. My guess, our average income is fairly high (at least in the USA). It’s been awhile, but I think Malcolm Bull and Keith Lockhart (not SDA’s) touched on this issue in Seeking a Sanctuary: Seventh-day Adventists and the American Dream. Premise, becoming an SDA was a way to move up the socio-economic scale for many people. Any thoughts Sevies?
This has to be one of the most creative music videos I’ve seen! Check out the making of the video on YouTube (Seriously creative people – rock band + geeks = very cool).
Jeff Boyd who blogs at Adventist Activism has a great Lenten series going over at the Spectrum blog. Today’s post is “Time for Lent: Love Your Enemies” and is worth your time to read. I’ll be following Jeff’s series closely in the days ahead.
Thanks for stopping by The Suburban Pastor, the personal blog of Jeff Gang. I’m a pastor at the CrossWalk Seventh-day Adventist Church in Redlands, California. This blog is a place for me to share my musings on life in suburbia from a pastor’s perspective. Along the way I’ll also share a few thoughts on my ordinary life (a Jesus follower, a husband, father of three, friend, and a triathlete in my spare time).
Just to Be Clear …
"The Suburban Pastor" is a place for me to express my own opinions. Nothing I write here is meant to represent my congregation or denomination, even though I refer to these entities occasionally. This is about my ideas. Let's be honest, isn't that why we blog anyway?
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