When Compassion Wakes Up - Sue Monk Kidd

"Faith Without Works Is Awesome," Says Seattle Man - Lark News

After cramming his calendar with volunteer events for the last six years, Al Simpson finally quit all ministry activity and discovered that “doing nothing for the Lord feels way better than I expected.”

Simpson still enjoys daily time with the Lord and Bible reading. But he now refuses to lift a finger for the gospel and says no to every request to serve.

“Faith without works is an amazing lifestyle,” he says. “A little piece of me comes back to life every time I tell someone, ‘No, thanks. Find someone else.’”

The full article is available here

Why Rome Persecuted Early Christians - Brian Zahnd

Was There Really "No Room in the Inn"? - Mario Seiglie

A more authentic cultural understanding enhances the meaning of the story, rather than diminishing it.

We’ve grown up hearing the account that the “inn” in Bethlehem was full, with no “room” available, so Joseph and Mary ended up in a stable, with Jesus Christ born and laid in a manger there.

This image has been used to promote the typical Christmas nativity scene for generations. Yet a careful analysis of the biblical text reveals quite a different story!

This is important, because a more authentic cultural understanding enhances the meaning of the story, rather than diminishing it.

A typical translation of Luke 2:7 says about Mary giving birth to Jesus, “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” 

The New Testament was originally written in Greek, and the Greek word translated “inn” here is kataluma. It means a place of rest, usually a guest room. In fact, the same writer Luke uses this very word later where it clearly refers to a guest room and not an inn.

Furthermore, Luke elsewhere in his Gospel uses a different Greek word when he writes about an actual inn. 

While Jesus was conceived of God the Father through the Holy Spirit, his was nonetheless a typical birth for the common man of his day. Though God, he truly came as one of us.

Jesus was rejected at his birth by Herod, but the Bethlehem shepherds welcomed him with great joy, as did the common people in later years. The city of David was true to its own, and the village community provided for him. He was born among them, in the natural setting of the birth of any village boy, surrounded by helping hands and encouraging women's voices.

For centuries Palestinian peasants have been born on the raised terraces of the one-room family homes. The birth of Jesus was no different. His incarnation was authentic. His birth most likely took place in the natural place for a peasant to be born; in a peasant home.

The full article is available here

Chanukah & Christmas As We Approach Trump Presidency - Rabbi Michael Lerner

Peacemaking By God's People - Henri J Nouwen

The True Self - Richard Rohr

Divine Justice = Restoration, Not Retribution - Jacob M. Wright

The Little and Ordinary - Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon

The Bible's Theological Progression - Matthew Distefano

Reflection and Renewal: Not Pursuing or Believing In Peace (based on Isaiah 9:6)

God,

The birth of Jesus is an amazing reminder of how much you celebrate and value the world which you created. Thank you for your endless and all-encompassing love.

The angels who announced Jesus' birth sang of that love, which they proclaimed as a message of "peace on earth and goodwill to all."

But if we're honest, we need to confess that sometimes we don't think much beyond our own narrow interests. We all too easily fall into the trap of looking out for #1 and thinking that your world is one where we need to compete with our neighbor to get ahead.

Instead of taking the posture of sacrificial love - which brings about the kind of peace the angels sang about and Jesus taught - we try to achieve peace for ourselves through strength, power, and status.

Other times, we give up hope that peace and goodwill are even possible.  When we see the need and brokeness around us, we can become despairing and cynical.  We must confess that we often lack faith in your promises and your design for abundant life.

We need your help. Keep us open.  Keep us hoping.  Teach us to rest in you.

Amen.

The Incarnation Isn't About Atonement - Father Richard Rohr

The Song 'Mary Did You Know' Misses What The Magnificat Is About - Jeff Wiersma

Based on the text of the Magnificat, it sure seems like Mary knew, which would render the song 'Mary Did You Know' moot. 

In addition to that, the lyrics of 'Mary Did You Know' glosses over the subversive social message Mary sings of in the Magnificat.  

As Nadia Bolz Weber writes in Preaching The Whole Magnificat:

"Mary's song isn’t a docile picture of obedience singing about how great it is to be pregnant. Mary is singing of nothing less than complete overturning of the social and economic order.

You see, there’s a reason why the Magnificat is said to have terrified the Russian Czars. Because, the message is that if you find yourself rich and powerful then … watch out! This young little Jewish girl is not singing about a whole lot of good news for you."

Christianity Should Be A Revolutionary Protest Against Violence - Dietrich Bonhoffer

Just Distribution = Moral Obligation - Pope Francis