Tag Archives: justice

Year A Proper 20: Jonah and anti-Jonah

Poor, petulant Jonah. If he couldn’t give the Ninevites hell, he wanted to at least give them purgatory. I’ve done all of this work, he said, endured all of this drama: the running away the wailing and gnashing of teeth, … Continue reading

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Tomorrow’s sermon: extract

“In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus goes into a synagogue, to take part in the prayer of his community. He is faithful in his observance, and he is obedient to his tradition. He sees a woman in need of healing, and … Continue reading

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Remembering Rachel

A few months ago, my teenaged daughter asked if she coud go urban exploring. Of course, I said no. Acknowledging that it sounded intriguing and exciting and that I could certainly see the artistic possibilities, I pointed out that it … Continue reading

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An anniversary

It is not lost on me that as I board the plane for our nation’s capital Sunday night, it will be on the first anniversary of its becoming “ours.” For me, this nation was “yours,” and I was categorized as … Continue reading

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Epiphany

Epiphany: A lightbulb moment. A parish church. A cake, a tradition. People going down to a snowy river in Russia to renew their baptismal promises in the freezing waters. The other Christmas. Magi, wise men, kings; gold, frankincense, myrrh; Herod … Continue reading

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Life and death, justice, humanity and God

When I was studying theology the first time around, long ago, I remember a discussion about the concepts of justice. Justice, we were taught, could be of one or more of four different characters: retributive, protective, deterrent, or reformative/rehabilitative. Retributive justice is … Continue reading

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