Blue Room Smorgasbord

four tidbits before heading back to writing land

Good morning, Blue Roomies!

I’m still chipping away at my word count as my primary writing focus, so this week, let me offer four items:

1. A Sermon

…in which I tackle a tricky text: “blessed are the poor… woe to the rich.”

Here’s the manuscript. And here’s the audio:

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2. A Photo

The ice on our lake is melting, but in a very fractal-iffic way:

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3. A Reminder

I’ll be talking courage for our Art of Onward series with writer Karen Wesley on Monday at noon via Zoom. More details here.

The Art of Onward is for supporting subscribers; a yearly subscription comes to a little over 50 cents per post. If you’d like to join us but need financial assistance, please get in touch. Members and friends of Trinity Presbyterian, Herndon are eligible for complimentary gift subscriptions; just ask.

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4. A Speech

If you haven’t read or heard the end of Illinois governor JB Pritzker’s State of the State address, I highly recommend it.

Read or watch here:

About that 👆🏻…

This is a strange and tricky moment for clergy, and especially slippery for pastors who have platforms such as this, which are not congregational spaces but where some church folks hang out. I take seriously your trust in me as a public theologian, a weird term I hold lightly yet with honor.

These are difficult and alarming times, with the need for a new set of norms that are courageous but also thoughtful and strategic. I’ve long held to the belief that while the gospel is inherently political, it does not serve a pastor’s vocation well to be partisan. With that in mind, if anyone has content to share from across the aisle that thoughtfully conveys the moment in which we find ourselves, I’m happy to boost it.

Steady on.