Posts from November 2010

Rueben Job writes, Mary’s song of praise must have been a shock-even to Elizabeth and surely to everyone else who heard it.  It bordered on treason and blasphemy and must have left every adult who heard it angry, confused, embarrassed, surprised, curious, or frightened.  And it could be that all these feelings were swirling around in the ears and minds of those who heard this message of radical revolution.  (A Guide to prayer for all who seek God, 35) Here…

Donald Heniz writes, The New Testament set Christ’s birth to music.  Christ was music:  the early church called him God’s song (Christmas: Festival of Incarnation, 192) Linda introduced our series, Making Sense of Christmas, in worship on Sunday.  Here is the video played as part of her message, Hearing Christmas: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE]

Donald Heinz writes, As the church kept reading or hearing the Gospel stories, it aspired to turn into them, to become a community worthy of its founding narratives.  After early centuries of hearing these Christmas accounts, there developed the religious festival of Christmas in the lived experience of Christianity.  Rehearing Luke in a churchly context today recenters the original story.  In the performance space of the church, the story resonates differently:  Mary’s womb is like the tabernacle housing the eucharistic…

Donald Heinz writes, The Gospel writer of Luke interrupts the action several times with sung reflection, just as arias in Handel and Bach piously comment on the action narrated in historical recitative…..Then Mary breaks into song.  The opening words “My soul magnifies the Lord” (1:46), give the song its enduring Latin name, Magnificat.  Contemporary scholars set this song among the lowly who look to God for divine favor to raise them up.  The radical lyrics sing of scattering the proud,…

Frederick Buechner writes, The Word Became flesh,” wrote John, “and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14)  That is what incarnation means.  It is untheological.  It is unsophisticated.  It is undignified.  But according to Christianity, it is the way things are. All religions and philosophies which deny the reality or the significance of the material, the fleshly, the earthbound, are themselves denied.  Moses at the burning bush was told to take off his shoes because the ground…

Thankful for all the folks who joined us at church this morning for Run to Feed the Hungry!  Such a great way to begin the Thanksgiving holiday.  25,000 people ran and walked to support the Sacramento Food Bank!

Who are some of the people you are most thankful for?  How might you let them know this week?

The Table will reach in love by joining thousands of folks from Sacramento for Run to Feed the Hungry on Thanksgiving morning.  We’ll gather at the church between 8:00-8:30 am.  Join us to walk, to run, and to cheer on the front lawn.  We’ll have great live music & hot coffee / tea to get us ready and keep us going.  Register as an individual or a family here:  Run to Feed the Hungry. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Gz5KsZKxE]  

In It’s Really All About God, Samir Selmanovic writes, When I ask people to close their eyes and imagine boundaries, most people tend to imagine just that, walls. Why walls? Why not windows? Why not doors? Why not bridges? They are boundaries too, aren’t they? (It’s Really All About God, 236). What walls have you constructed in your life that might be newly imagined as windows or bridges?

Our reading on Sunday will be Luke 23: 33-43.  Here is a link to the text. Christians around the world will be celebrating this Sunday as Reign of Christ or Christ the King Sunday. We’ll be exploring the question of how we follow Jesus in a world with so many faith traditions. How might we be faithful to Christ as King and open to God’s movement in the traditions of others?

Samir Selmanovic writes, What if, instead of casting ourselves as people who can explain God to others, we viewed our lives as a void into which God speaks? (It’s Really All About God, 142) What might God be speaking into and through your life today?

Samir Selmanovic writes, I am not saying that it is possible or desirable to reconcile the religions of all humanity into one universal set of principles.  Such an amalgamation would lead to the trivialization, dissipation, and ultimate loss of the treasures of religion and culture.  The desire for common good and spiritual unity of all humanity often creates a mandate to impose these “obvious” universals on everyone.  We all differ through our particular stories and ways of being.  That we…