Sheepish Banter

I just published a new article on the Presence site. It is based on Jesus’ story about the shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep in order to bring back the one who went astray. The premise is: What do you suppose the sheep talked about until the shepherd got back.

It’s essentially a fable. If you’re kind enough to read it, I’d love to hear your impressions. You’ll probably recognize the sheep.

The title is “Sheepish Banter.” And it starts like this:
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“Ninety-seven. Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine. Alright, we’re missing one.”

Adam had wandered off. The littlest lamb had gone astray. So the Shepherd tightened his sandals and grabbed his staff.

“Don’t worry,” he told the rest of the sheep. “Adam couldn’t have gotten far. I’m sure he’s just on the other side of that hill. I’ll climb it and bring him right back. The rest of you will be safe here in the pen. I’ll be back soon.”

Read more when you click here.

Mark 7 Remix

My most recent article on the Presence website is Mark 7 Remix. It takes the story of Jesus’ conversation with the zealous religious folks and translates it into a contemporary context. It starts like this:
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As soon as church let out, the believers headed to the cook out to see Him. Now when they saw some of His friends grilling burgers and drinking a beer, they found fault. For all of the faithful ones don’t drink, and they wait until after church to begin barbequing.

Perplexed and perturbed, the believers asked Him, “Why don’t these people go to church? And why do they think it’s ok to have an occasional drink? Shouldn’t they be worshiping God with the fellowship of the saints instead of just hanging out here?”

Read more here.

Blessed are the Merciful

Here is my latest article on the Presence site. It deals with the Beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful” and sets it in context in the book of Matthew. I discuss how it relates the the kingdom of God and the salvation of all Israel. It starts like this.

Nothing Jesus ever said sounds more comforting than the Beatitude, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. At the same time they may strike a chord of fear in the hearts of the insecure. If only the merciful obtain mercy, what shall be the end of the insensitive, pitiless, and callous?

If we isolate this saying from the other Beatitudes, we’re likely to read applications into it that Jesus never intended. That’s especially true with this Beatitude. By taking it out of its textual setting, we could see it as Jesus’ comment on the eternal fate of dead souls.

Click here to read the whole thing

Matthew 25 Remix

And the King said to those on his right hand, “Come, you blessed of my father, and inherit the kingdom prepared for you; for when I suffered hunger in the Sahara droughts, you gave me food. When the river was polluted, you dug me a well. When my ethnic group faced genocide, you protected me.

“When I lived under a bridge, you took me in. When I was addicted to meth, you cleaned me up. When I was in prison, you visited me. When I had HIV/AIDS, you give me medicine. When I had an abortion, you comforted me. When I was aborted, you mourned me.

“When terrorists bombed me, you worked for justice. When governments held me without cause, you kept vigil for me. When forced from my ancestral home, you housed me. When my family was blown up on a bus, you wept for me.
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Read more here