Preaching Advent has been a highly rewarding experience (well for myself in any event . . . I won’t speak for the congregation). I preached three of four Advent Sundays. I decided to follow the Romans texts. I was able to integrate the first two texts within the broader and more traditional context of Advent with relative ease. First Advent was a re-evaluation of time (entering Messianic time); Rom 13. Awake the time is at hand. Second Advent was the need for local, particular traditions to be challenged so that Christ might enter into them; Rom 15. Fourth Sunday in Advent, however, takes us right back to the beginning of Romans. It was in preparation for this sermon that Paul’s non-Christmas imagery was catching up with me. What the hell I am supposed to do with Paul’s call to be a servant, set apart for the Gospel? I could focus on his note that this was promised beforehand through the prophets but that felt like a cop-out. I decided to go canonical on this one and embrace a Pauline Christmas. Romans 1 is the first chapter of Paul’s first book in the New Testament so I took it as programmatic and read this as Paul’s Advent. Here are a few excerpts;
Category: worship
A Call for Theo-political Readings
I was sent a link to the following youtube video. The Messiah continues to strike me as an overwhelmingly political statement and given the context and players involved in this video I started feeling great dissonance. Was the kingdom of this world becoming the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ through irruptive means? Was the kingdom of Lord and of his Christ reified as a free toy for your food court meal? I welcome readings to clear the dissonant and disturbing sounds still ringing my ears.
The Torah’s Vision of Worship – Part II – The Liturgy of the Covenant
See here for outline of this project.
Continue reading “The Torah’s Vision of Worship – Part II – The Liturgy of the Covenant”
The Torah’s Vision of Worship – Part I – Creation’s Liturgy and the Cosmic Covenant
I don’t suspect that the next number of posts in this series will garner great interest (though I do indeed think Balentine’s work deserves a wide audience). I have created a page above as I hope these posts will eventually build towards to a contemporary and constructive theological account of the priesthood as expressed in the Pentateuch.
David CL Driedger 