Thursday, September 12, 2013
Back to the Bayou B.B.Q.
Monday, September 2, 2013
September Newsletter
The September 2013 edition of the newsletter is available for download in the sidebar to right. Just look under Newsletter for September 2013. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Today...
Today is the 8th Anniversary of the flooding of New Orleans by the levee breaches post Hurricane Katrina. More than 1800 people died and hundreds of thousands were displaced and lost all of their belongings. A couple hundred people went missing and some were never found. It is generally assumed they were swept out to sea.
I did a photography project that documented and recreated the flood lines left on buildings, trees, vehicles, signs, fences and more. It is called "WATERLINE: an interactive photo installation." I am working on turning it into a book, in part because so many people have said that it tells a story that needs to be told and made accessible to wider audiences.
A few days ago I launched a WATERLINE Facebook page. I invite you to stop by and "like it up," as the saying goes.
And say a prayer for the victims of this great tragedy that was not entirely a "natural" disaster.
Monday, August 26, 2013
What's good about this news?
Dear friends of St. Thomas':
I have not been able to be with you for a couple of weeks because I have been supplying at Christ Church in St. Joseph. So.., just so you'll know I've been at work, here's the sermon I preached there last Sunday! Some of you will find it interesting because I incorporated some thoughts about Interfaith and why we work the way we do.
See you next Sunday!
bjk
Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! (Luke 12:49, NRSV)
Whoa, Jesus! Aren’t you the great peacemaker!
And what’s all this stuff about fathers against sons and daughters against mothers? Where are your “family values,” Jesus? Shouldn’t we stick with our families, regardless?
A few years ago I attended a workshop at Columbia Theological Seminary. One of our speakers that weekend was David Barnett who has written a book about the Gospel according to Mark. The title of the book is “What’s good about this news?” His point is that Mark’s Gospel has a kind of dark foreboding about it. It often seems that Mark is writing about bad news, not good news.
In other words, “Gospel” means “good news.” And we are fond of saying, “the good news of Jesus the Christ.” But if we read carefully what Jesus said—and did—throughout his earthly ministry, and don’t leave out the uncomfortable parts, and are completely honest with ourselves… we must acknowledge that the news he taught and acted… is often not so good… at least not by normal human standards.
Here’s the punch line of this sermon: The Gospel of Jesus the Christ is not an endorsement of nice, moral, upstanding middle class, family values.
click here to read more
I have not been able to be with you for a couple of weeks because I have been supplying at Christ Church in St. Joseph. So.., just so you'll know I've been at work, here's the sermon I preached there last Sunday! Some of you will find it interesting because I incorporated some thoughts about Interfaith and why we work the way we do.
See you next Sunday!
bjk
Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! (Luke 12:49, NRSV)
And what’s all this stuff about fathers against sons and daughters against mothers? Where are your “family values,” Jesus? Shouldn’t we stick with our families, regardless?
A few years ago I attended a workshop at Columbia Theological Seminary. One of our speakers that weekend was David Barnett who has written a book about the Gospel according to Mark. The title of the book is “What’s good about this news?” His point is that Mark’s Gospel has a kind of dark foreboding about it. It often seems that Mark is writing about bad news, not good news.
In other words, “Gospel” means “good news.” And we are fond of saying, “the good news of Jesus the Christ.” But if we read carefully what Jesus said—and did—throughout his earthly ministry, and don’t leave out the uncomfortable parts, and are completely honest with ourselves… we must acknowledge that the news he taught and acted… is often not so good… at least not by normal human standards.
Here’s the punch line of this sermon: The Gospel of Jesus the Christ is not an endorsement of nice, moral, upstanding middle class, family values.
click here to read more
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Two Stories of Children in Louisiana
Last week we were uplifted and entertained and, I daresay, a bit worn out by our mountain-top experience with approximately 50 delightful, energetic children in Vacation Bible School. What a week it was! Seeing the love of God in the faces of our kids and especially in their, shall we say "enthusiastic" singing? is always a lesson in faith for me!
I have always been struck that when Jesus came down from his mountain-top transfiguration experience, waiting for him at the foot of the mountain was a person who needed healing. The hopes and needs of the world seem always to await us.
Here is an excellent column written just over a year ago, but still sadly true. It contains several links to valuable charts documenting the problem of children in poverty in Louisiana.
Three Tiger Stadiums Filled with Poor Children: The Scandal of Poverty in Louisiana
I decided to not "pretty up" this blog post with photos.
I have always been struck that when Jesus came down from his mountain-top transfiguration experience, waiting for him at the foot of the mountain was a person who needed healing. The hopes and needs of the world seem always to await us.
Here is an excellent column written just over a year ago, but still sadly true. It contains several links to valuable charts documenting the problem of children in poverty in Louisiana.
Three Tiger Stadiums Filled with Poor Children: The Scandal of Poverty in Louisiana
I decided to not "pretty up" this blog post with photos.
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