Sermons on Violence
Reflecting Faithfully on the Violence Between the Israelis and Palestinians
Pastor Tom reflects on how we might respond faithfully to news about the violence between Israelis and Palestinians. He discuss how violence escalates into oppression when one power dominates another. Biblically we find God consistenly siding with the oppressed in the Exodus and in the person and teaching of Jesus. Yet, even more importantly, we must always turn our critque of this kind of violence back on ourselves. What can we do to respond to all kinds of oppressing whether…
Four Components of a Healthy Faith
The story of Jesus is the wilderness give us a caricature of faith. We are not meant to imitate Jesus’s 40 day fast, but Matthew uses the story to show us in stark relief the key components of a healthy faith. Oh and what about the devil?
Christian Responses to War
How should Christians respond to war? We will look at the teachings of Jesus related to nonviolent resistance. These teachings call us to do the hard work of studying and practicing nonviolence in our every day lives. If we aren’t doing this foundational work we will find it impossible to discern an ethical course when war is on our doorstep.
Christian Responses to State Violence Against Its Own Citizens
How are we called to respond when the State uses violence against its own citizens? When Jesus was wrongly convicted, tortured, and executed by the State, does that inform our response? We will consider ways we as individuals can respond and ways we can advocate for meaningful change in US policing.