Culture and Context

Viewpoints and commentary on our contemporary culture

Columnist Kae Evensen

“Part One: C*****anity: What if the Church Could Get Rid of Christ?”

by Kae Evensen

During these weeks of Lent, it might be nice to consider what the church could look like if we got rid of Jesus, especially the hard stuff.

The stuff about sin and forgiveness, or the cross and resurrection; the stuff that doesn't have anything to do with our daily lives.

 

Charting the Culture

A Review: Making Sense of Scripture: Big Questions about the Book of Faith, by David J. Lose

by Dave Lyle

"I'm sorry, pastor, but where are you getting that?"

The words came from Mary during a meeting of our congregation's Tuesday Bible study group. The text before us, assigned for the upcoming Sunday, was Ezekiel 17:22-24. Caught up in the beauty of the prophet's allegory, I began to expound upon the notion of messianic promise and fulfillment. It was at that point that Mary cut me off, bewildered.

 

Our Take

Our Take: A New Book from One of Our Brainwavers

by Working Preacher

One of our Sermon Brainwave podcasters, Matt Skinner, has just published a book that preachers may find helpful.

Yes, he is capable of more than engaging in playful banter with his podcasting partners around each week's lectionary readings. He also writes about the Bible from time to time. This new book is titled The Trial Narratives: Conflict, Power, and Identity in the New Testament, by Matthew L. Skinner.

 

Dear Working Preacher

The Prodigal Son and the Country of God

by David Lose

Dear Working Preacher,

Every once in a while you get a glimpse into another country, the country of God. Oh, I know, sometimes it's called "kingdom," but that seems so archaic, maybe even so biblical, that it's hard for most of us to imagine.

What I'm thinking of really is another country, another land, one that feels, smells, even tastes different. You know right when you've stumbled into it, even if you didn't notice the boundary lines.