“Theological animation” is a holistic pedagogy seeking to integrate disciplines of popular education, evangelism, political organizing, pastoring and theological reflection. At the center of this approach is the practice of relectura: a “rereading” of the Bible in light of concrete struggles against violence and oppression past and present.
3rd Sunday after Pentecost, 2025 The demons of war: Last Sunday’s gospel spoke poignantly to the moment, Trump having joined the bombing of Iran the day before. In Luke’s story of Gerasa, Jesus names and “banishes” the many demons of imperial militarism that were possessing the man of Gerasa and occupying his land. These demons…
In a backdrop of war and oppression, the call for peace and justice is emphasized through the celebration of Juneteenth and the Lukan gospel of Jesus healing the Gerasene demoniac. A twice-monthly Zoom forum will provide resources for studying gospel readings and engaging discussions, beginning July 2. Registration details are included.
The second half of May, between travel and conferencing at Kirkridge, were demanding and exhausting, so I wasn’t able to get a blog posted last week for Ascension Sunday. So I’ll include a few comments on that before I focus on Pentecost (a longer reflection on the Ascension will appear in this month’s Partner’s Circle…
Luke’s Epilogue to his gospel—the amazing Emmaus Road journey—culminates with the scattered, traumatized community of Jesus-followers regathering at a Jerusalem safe house, still trying to reckon with the execution of their rabbi (Lk 24:33-47). There, the beleaguered disciples must struggle with an even more shocking prospect, both joyful and astonishing, as the Risen Christ…
On this day, many Christians ritually perform mutual foot washing, after the example of Jesus in John 13:1-12. It is powerful theater, which means to deconstruct hierarchy and division. There is a very different tradition about foot washing in Luke 7:36-50, which is also a demonstration of solidarity that subverts patriarchy, invisibility and domination. Unfortunately,…
The post discusses Palm Sunday as a significant closure to Lent, emphasizing its historical and contemporary implications of public liturgy for justice in society. It reflects on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem as subversive against occupying powers and shares modern practices of reclaiming Palm Sunday through public demonstrations and calls for social justice.
The gospel reading of the Prodigal Son illustrates contrasting economic concepts of reciprocity. The story exemplifies generalized reciprocity’s generosity compared to the balanced reciprocity of the firstborn son. Such dynamics reflect ancient economic practices, emphasizing cooperation and sharing that dominate traditional societies, offering insights into Jesus’s economic teachings.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day. In lieu of posting a blog last week, we sent out a regional email inviting SoCal folks to our upcoming book party on April 5th at All Saints Episcopal Church Pasadena. If you’re anywhere in striking distance, please join us (details on the front page of this site). So here…
Today is Ash Wednesday. Since the Thomas Fire of 2017 in our bioregion, we have used ashes from our beloved Grandmother Oak to symbolize the invitation to personal and political repentance. Some friends in Pasadena are doing the same in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire two months ago. May our Lenten journey help us…
In the Year C lectionary, Mark Scibilia-Carver writes, “many years do not have a 7th Sunday in Epiphany because Lent intervenes too early. But this year it is included, and the Gospel reading is Luke 6:27-38. This contains the second and third instances of Jesus’ imperatives to ‘love your enemies,’ …