Sunday, October 19, 2008

Travel Day

I will soon be preaching at San Gabriel then flying back to New Orleans. Hope you all have had a good weekend.
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3 comments:

Fran said...

You are such a busy boy on the go. Many prayers for you and your hectic travels.

Ah to hear you preach one day...

10/19/2008 9:52 AM
Paul said...

Sweet of you, Fran. Please don't let the press reports or fantasy expectations run amok. I had enough pressure this morning when Karen's sister was visiting, telling me Karen said she had to hear me preach.

As much as I like to be playful, in sermons as everywhere else, I began to fear a few minutes in that I was just doing standup. We had quite a laugh track going. I started to panic that I was never going to get to the meat of the message.

I talked about God's absolute claims and shocking ability to surprise and offend us. I mean, consider how we would receive the news that an Iranian ruler was being used by God and called, by God or at least God's prophet, "my anointed." Exactly. As we all shook our heads I said, "Our God is too small."

Not that I am praising any current or prospective Iranian leaders, only affirming that this is how shocking it was for deutero-Isaiah to proclaim what we heard today (we had the Isaiah 45 passage).

Then there is the radical monotheism of Isaiah 45:7 where we are told God creates shalom and ra' (wholeness and evil). If that doesn't shake us up we aren't listening. There is no dualism allowed in this prophet's vision. And that could not be more un-Iranian, in the history of spiritual thought.

Well those were some bits. I cannot even remember what had them rolling in the isles because there is no manuscript. Probably just as well.

Oh, and I concluded with a call to rise above tribalism, especially in an election season. What we share is greater than what divides us, I said. i really do believe that, though I fall far short of acting like it.

Oh, as for busy, I spent the entire day yesterday at home, indoors, being indolent. Much needed.

10/19/2008 1:51 PM
Fran said...

Oh my- what a sermon, if that is all you can recall it sounds amazing!!

10/20/2008 6:07 AM

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