You may have seen it in GDP, but...Barack has left Trinity UCC.

[Critters2]

I find it sad. Father Pfleger's outburst made me furious, partly because it put more pressure on Obama to make a decision; partly because it was bad homileticly (and probably hermeneuticly, but I have no idea what text he had exegeted to get to that particular hermeneutic.) What we do in the pulpit is important and powerful. Those of us with this vocation would do well to approach the preaching task very humbly.

Much to learn from this episode. And much sadness.

[54anickel]

1. Does seem as though church leaders have their work cut out for them these days. I attended a forum

by the Religious Leaders Caucus of SOPHIA entitled "How to be Prophetic (yet Practical) in a Political Season". What I learned was "it ain't easy"...and we're in a very conservative, Republican county which makes it that much more difficult to speak to current social and justice issues from a "progressive Biblical" stand point. So sad, we used to be part of such a wonderfully progressive state.

In some ways I tend to blame mainline denominations for turning a blind-eye and staying quiet for too long while the wack-o fundies took to the airwaves promoting their strange interpretations as absolute truth. An awful lot of both "churched and unchurched" are getting their religious education on morality, ethics and justice from the nuts on the tube with the big mega-churches.

Mainlines failed to make religion relevant unless you were sick, dying, or looking for a ceremony around some milestone in your life. Fundies made it all about being rich now as well as storing "good stuff" up for some notion of an exclusive afterlife they'll all share with folks "just like me". They make the abundant life easy to understand and "all about me, personally" - my choices, my friends, my beliefs - as long as they fall within the rules. How much more relevant and simple could it be!

Then again, I'm a bitter old broad who's just sick and tired of being surrounded by fundies and/or Republicans.

Oops, forgot link to story on the forum...
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=749484

[RevCheesehead]

2. The first rule of preaching: It's not about ME... it's about GOD.

That's why I follow the lectionary. I'm then given texts to work with, and to covey a deeper understanding of the Word.

I think too many preachers keep trying to find ways to be relevant, or to comment on the world, and forget that first and foremost, it's about God, and God's purposes for the world. Jesus used his scripture, and broke it open for deeper revelation. But what I'm seeing (in my 12 years of preaching experience) is that the central message is about love, human relationships, love, forgiveness, and even more love. Faith is about trust in God's providing for our basic needs, exploring the fruit of the Spirit, and growing deeper in our love of God and neighbor every day.

Oh yeah - we also have to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Maybe that's why Pfleger's sermon missed the mark. Hillary is worthy of the same kind of love and respect as anyone else. And God help me, so is W. I don't have it in me to love him, but I am praying for God to give me the ability to do so.

I would also venture to say that perhaps the reason the Obamas felt they needed to leave was because they found themselves to be a distraction to the mission of the church, rather than the church hindering their campaign. That makes sense to me.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. That is the strength of the lectionary

It forces the preacher to confront issues s/he would rather not confront and lessens the possibility of the preacher harping on favorite hobby horses.

One of my fellow grad students many years ago came from a family that belonged to a Baptist church in the South. He said that the minister at that church was especially obsessed with what he called "kseena gamblin'" and abortion. Every sermon brought one or the other or both in.

It's hard to work "kseena gamblin'" into the parable of the sower.

[RevCheesehead]

4. LOL!

Yeah, it seems the parable of the sower is to go ahead and throw away your money... :sarcasm:

"kseena gamblin'" :rofl:

[54anickel]

5. Did you have the chance to read his apology?

http://a.saintsabina.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid


http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/982353,CST-NWS-priest02.article

[Critters2]

6. I read it. Honestly, I'm not impressed.

He blames youtube (he would later claim that he didn't know the cameras were working :eyes:). He claims he's not racist or sexist (it's the sexism that most bothers me), all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding. He somehow believes that such hateful speech is appropriate "in the sacredness of a sanctuary, among people who know me". That is not an apology.

An apology goes like this: "I'm sorry. I did a hurtful thing that I should not have done. I recognize that it caused pain to others, and I take full responsibility. I hope to learn from this, and will try not to do this again." No "if"s. No "I didn't know anyone was watching". No "I've always been a good person until this". No claiming to be a victim of someone else's behavior.

He's not the only public figure who doesn't understand this. Personally, I've learned from public apologies of recent years. If I hear myself using the word "if" in the course of an apology, I stop myself and start over again. I'm not sorry "if" I hurt someone. I'm sorry THAT I hurt someone. Public figures need to learn the difference.

[54anickel]

7. True, seems non-apologies and I can't recollects are pretty rampant these days. I'd never heard of

him until now. Now there are 2,834 news article hit on google for the guy. Sounds like he's quite the character and has been rubbing TPTB the wrong way for a while. His parishioners seem to love him though.

Very sad that Obama had to give up his church after 20 years though. Gonna be tough church shopping now that nearly everyone knows who he is.