Year B, Lent III
Scripture - Joshua 6:15-25 and Mark 7:24-30
The sermon reflects on the events of January 6th in Washington DC, particularly the involvement of groups like the Jericho March, who protested the 2020 election results based on claims of fraud perpetuated by Donald Trump. The sermon critiques the influence of Trump's falsehoods and highlights the dangerous blend of religious fanaticism and political deceit seen in Christian Nationalism. Drawing from the biblical story of Joshua's conquest of Jericho, the sermon points out the disparity between the violent imagery of the conquest narrative and the nonviolent message of Jesus. It emphasizes Jesus' teachings of love and inclusion, contrasting them with the violent conquest narrative, and urges Christians to follow the path of love rather than seeking power over others.
While the Executive Director of the Raven Foundation where we seek to heal our image of God and of ourselves, I'm also the Pastor at Clackamas United Church of Christ. You can worship with us on our Facebook Page and YouTube channel at 8:30 PT and on campus at 10:30 PT.
Recent Sermons
November 4, 2024
Scripture: Revelation 19:19-20; Revelation 21:22-26
In the conclusion of our sermon series on Revelation, we discover that God's plan for salvation includes those we thought would always be excluded. Could it be that Revelation actually reveals God&...
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October 21, 2024
Revelation 12:7-12; Revelation 13:9-10
Revelation reveals the nonviolent God of love, but also reveals evil. The dragon in Revelation 12 is Satan and the symbol of evil. The dragon is the accuser, whose accusations are based on lies. These lies are meant t...
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October 15, 2024
Scripture: Genesis 1:27; Mark 10:17-31
October is Disability Awareness Month. In this sermon, I talk about disability theology and the church. We have come a long way when it comes to making a more just and loving world with our disabled siblings, but we s...
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October 7, 2024
Scripture: Revelation 6:1-8; Revelation 7:9-11
Who are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Do they have any relevance for us today? The Four Horsemen represented the political oppression of the Roman Empire. The horsemen symbolize violent conquest, econo...
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September 16, 2024
Scripture: Luke 19:41
Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem, saying that it didn't know the way to peace. But do we know the way to peace? We are bombarded by images and commentary of rivalry, conflict, and violence. How do we get peace within ourselv...
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September 9, 2024
Scripture: Revelation 4
Did you know that for the early Christians, worship was not merely a pious act of devotion? It was also a form of political resistance. Check out part 2 in this series on the Book of Revelation for more!
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September 3, 2024
Scripture: 1 John 4:16b-20; Revelation 5:1-10
The Book of Revelation has been controversial from the beginning of Christian history. Many believed that it didn't belong as sacred scripture, others believed it did. In part 1 of this sermon series on Re...
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August 19, 2024
Scripture: Tracks to the Waters Edge, by Olive Schreiner; Luke 3:21-22
Locusts lay down their lives to build a bridge for other locusts to pass over a river. Is there hope for humanity to lay down our lives so that all of humanity can survive and pass to ...
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August 12, 2024
Scripture: Ruth 2; Luke 12
From demeaning women to scapegoating immigrants, toxic masculinity is on full display in the US. Fortunately, the Christian faith has the tools to overcome toxic masculinity. We explore more in this sermon.
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