Feeding the Hype

How do we respond to those who present polarizing viewpoints or ideas we feel are incorrect without feeding them the publicity they often craze? Last Halloween a church in North Carolina sponsored a book burning, including all translations of the Bible that were not the King James.  The Youtube video spread throughout my Facebook contacts. [...]

Read Full Post »

Is prayer active?

We talk a lot about prayer at Duke.  We talk a lot about prayer in the church.  As well we should.  But what do we really believe about prayer, especially the power of prayer? One of my struggles with prayer is how to view it in light of a larger call to outward discipleship.  The [...]

Read Full Post »

Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

This was the text for my first sermon assignment in my preaching class this semester.  I’ll put the passage after the jump, so you may want to go read it and then come back for my reflections.  I’ve included two translations, because the differences highlight an important Clearly the author of Hebrews thinks very highly [...]

Read Full Post »

Seminary Rivalries

I know that schools develop rivalries, which is probably unavoidable.  And I know that competition can be a good thing when it inspires people to improve.  But I still wonder about its place in the church, especially among seminaries. Last Wednesday, the preacher in Goodson Chapel drew unfavorable comparisons to two rival seminaries.  Now, he [...]

Read Full Post »

Acts 16 Musings

Why did none of the prisoners run away? Were they afraid of the earthquake too? They were all freed according to Luke but Paul says no one left. Did the family all have a choice or did they have to convert because the head of the household did? That’s certainly the feeling we get from [...]

Read Full Post »

“Father Almighty” Musings

There’s a lot going on with this section of the Creed.  Creation of course is a major theme with “maker of heaven and earth.” How do you handle the “Father” language?  On the one hand, it’s an important part of the tradition of the church.  On the other hand, God of course is not male.  [...]

Read Full Post »

Holy Monday Musings

Why does John feel the need to tell us that Judas was a thief?  Is John simply discrediting Judas’s position as a disciple before the betrayal or is there something else going on here? Does this passage challenge our views on how church money should be spent? Judas’s objection in verse 5 sounds reasonable. Is [...]

Read Full Post »

Christmas Eve Questions

Ideally, this would have gone up before I posted the sermon, but I didn’t manage to do so since it was a busy Christmas holiday and even busier starting back to school. But here were some of my questions for a Christmas Eve sermon. What can I say about a newborn when I have no [...]

Read Full Post »

Maundy Thursday Questions

Why does Jesus only wash their feet?  What does it mean that if one has bathed, then you are clean except for your feet?  Really, this all boils down to one question.  What’s so special about feet? What does Jesus mean when he says that if he doesn’t wash Peter’s feet, then Peter has no [...]

Read Full Post »

Jonah Musings

One thing that makes Jonah difficult to preach, in my opinion, is that it’s a familiar story from Sunday School.   Most people feel as though they know the Jonah story.  Hears God, runs away, swallowed by a fish.  There’s nothing to add.  So a sermon on Jonah, by its nature, will have to work a [...]

Read Full Post »