Month: July 2011

Everyone knows Amy Winehouse died, that the NFL lockout has ended, that a Christian terrorist slaughtered innocent children in Norway, that right-wing extremists are holding the US economy hostage in their attack on the Christian value of caring for the poor and vulnerable. But few will know that a great Christian thinker died last week. Even though I had been expecting it, even I didn’t know until I read the Harvard Divinity Dean’s “Year in Review.”

Gordon Kaufman was a Christian in the Anabaptist tradition, and shared that tradition’s commitment to non-violence. But he was also a thoroughly post-modern theologian. His “Essay on Theological Method” established the program for constructive theology. His “In Face of Mystery” was the closest thing to a summa that can exist in the discipline. His last two works, “In the beginning… creativity” and “Jesus and Creativity” gave evidence that he was still pondering the mysteries of God in his last years.

I was blessed to complete a one-on-one class with Professor Kaufman, and then to have him as my M.Div. paper adviser. It was under his tutelage that I became committed to the constructive task of building the new church. I would not have that commitment to the practical and lived experience of the people of God if not for the rigorous thinking Professor Kaufman taught me.

I pray for his family and for all he touched, and encourage those who have not studied his works to take this opportunity to do so.

Blessings,
Gary

delivered on July 24th, 2011 at Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ

I looked at Connie earlier this week and asked her, “Who the heck came up with this week’s theme?” For I chose what I thought was a Summer theme of celebration, one that matched our values as a progressive Christian covenant community, I chose Summer of Love, but some of these Sundays are, quite frankly, a challenge. Its easy enough to find Christian prophetic witness in the struggle against slavery, what stronger grounding can you have than the story of the Exodus people fleeing slavery? And its not so hard to find a Christian basis for equality and justice for women, for despite the centuries-long efforts by some traditions to deny it, women were clearly important equal partners in the ministry of those who followed Jesus, patriarchy be damned! It’s not even that hard to find scriptural support for worker’s rights, and therefore for the Christian commitment to labor justice, something Scott Walker and the Koch brothers might want to keep in mind. But it is pretty difficult to find a direct connection between the Christian faith and disabled rights. There are historical reasons for this. Continue reading “Lord, (sorta) heal us!”

delivered June 26, 2011
at Sayville Congregational United Church of Christ

If you are paying any attention at all, you cannot help but be outraged. Unchecked greed has wrecked our economy, crippled our democracy, turned the financial industry into a vast criminal enterprise, and destroyed countless lives here and abroad. Political extremists use the same tricks, the same language, that were used by the National Socialists in Germany in the 1930’s. This week I went into our local auto repair shop / gas station, just down the street, and found racist images of the president and vile right-wing hatred. And these are just a couple of examples of the evil we face, and it is not personified evil, it is not the work of a Satan, it is us and our neighbors and the things we support when we spend our money… it is enough to drive us to despair! Continue reading “River of Oil, Rivers of Justice”

Transforming God.
As the slaves in Egypt turned mud and straw into bricks,
As others transform wheat and yeast into bread,
As you transform us into faithful disciples,
So we ask you to transform these offerings,
The fruit of our own labor,
Making of them the stuff of your kingdom,
Weaving a cloak of justice, sewing a quilt of love.
Amen.