Kent

When asked to decide an inheritance case in the Luke reading this week, Jesus refuses with the admonition to “be on guard against all kinds of greed.” Rev. Kent reminded us that greed for money was only one of the divisive forces. Greed for control and power that drives patriarchy and racial privilege is another…. Read more.

At Sunday Worship, Rev. Kent read an open letter he wrote to Chief Gregory of the Berea Police. He invited all who wished to join him in thanks for the ways our police force has led the state to reduce the chance that any one here would suffer harm in their dealings with the department…. Read more.

The parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke is a reminder that Jesus was all about overturning a world of division. The news this week has been fraught with unjustified killings: two more black men at the hands of police officers, and 5 police officers at the hands of a man driven mad by his… Read more.

In this week’s gospel reading from Luke 9:51-62, Jesus “sets his face to Jerusalem,” and takes his followers there from the north on route through hostile Samaria. Along the way, some try to join him and are dissuaded, others offer to come but have other obligations first. Jesus wastes no words telling them which things… Read more.

This week we celebrated the declaration of our countries independence from Great Britain 240 years ago. In worship we shared this prayer, adapted very slightly from one by Nathan Attwood, pastor of Millbrook First United Methodist Church, Millbrook, AL, and offered by worship leader, Carla Gilbert. Holy God: in this week in which we celebrate… Read more.

War is a terrible human failing: it represents the absence of better minds, better hearts at the highest levels wreaking death on the defenseless and poorest people on all sides. The desire to serve and protect life, liberty and happiness for all, however, is a noble one. When conflict is thrust upon us, or chosen… Read more.

This week we are reminded by the readings from Acts 11:1-18 of God’s incessant call to seek the margins and find blessings in unforeseen places. We read the story of the Holy Spirit coming scandalously to Gentiles and of Peter clearly seeing that God had called “clean” that which he had always reviled. Looking for… Read more.

On this 3rd Sunday of the Easter season the Gospel reading from John 21 tells us of the story of the disciples, and Peter in particular, who are fishing in Galilee after Jesus’ resurrection. Catching nothing, they see a man on the shore who yell out to fish from the other side of the boat…. Read more.