Category Archives: On the way to Sunday’s sermon

The Banner’s Racist Tweet (or the Frame Problem)

Posted on October 17, 2019 by PaulVK

In Memoriam: Rev. Dr. Paul H. Redhouse (1925-2019): Rev. Dr. Paul H. Redhouse, who spearheaded the formation of Classis Red Mesa, died Sept. 5.https://t.co/kQcKM95xcz pic.twitter.com/vJUVpJI5T4 — The Banner (@crcbanner) October 16, 2019 Is it racist to celebrate a Navajo man … Continue reading →

Posted in On the way to Sunday's sermon, philosophical reflection | Tagged | 2 Comments

There is a Time, Sermon on Ecclesiastes 3

Posted on December 29, 2017 by PaulVK
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Parenting Through Adulthood Session 2

Posted on December 3, 2017 by PaulVK

Session 2 in the series “Parenting Through Adulthood“. Here we look at Readjusting the cultural expectations we absorb in American today Learning some grace for our adult children when we ponder how much wisdom we had when we were their … Continue reading →

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White Privilege, Intersectionality, Slavery, Oppression and Moral-record-keeping. We are all Gehazi, white as snow

Posted on November 16, 2017 by PaulVK

White Privilege “White Privilege” can be a helpful meme but a dangerous filter. Because of when, where and how I grew up I was never under the impression that skin color didn’t matter in America. I always knew you could … Continue reading →

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Why I am still a Christian, even when 2 Kings 3 says God helped a petty tyrant continue to enslave Moab

Posted on November 3, 2017 by PaulVK

Bart Campolo’s De-conversion We’re in a cultural moment when many people are leaving an overt religious commitment either for a looser spirituality or non-theism entirely. A high profile example of this has been Bart Campolo, the son of a famous … Continue reading →

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Parenting Through Adulthood Session 1

Posted on November 2, 2017 by PaulVK

Why is this such a difficult conversation to start? Have? Get specific with? Because the life if your child is so broad and complex, and your role in that adult child’s life is too. There is no creature more complex … Continue reading →

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Why we like, or don’t like a Bible story where God smites soldiers just following orders.

Posted on October 18, 2017 by PaulVK

2 Kings 1 is another in a series of stories that on one level thrills us but also bothers people.  Ahaziah falls through the lattice. He’s not a Calvinist, arising and saying “glad that’s over”. Instead he wants to know … Continue reading →

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Is this art? Is this goodness? Is this how God saves and rescues us as we de-construct the world?

Posted on October 12, 2017 by PaulVK

Art Prize When I was in Grand Rapids MI last week I caught the tail end of Art Prize, which is a pretty big deal. A number of civic minded philanthropists and business owners sponsor some significant cash prizes for … Continue reading →

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How Ahab is exposed to be a petty thief rather than a king by sparing a life, and how another is shown to be a king as he is executed with brigands.

Posted on September 29, 2017 by PaulVK

The Walking Dead (spoiler alert) Season 6 ended with meeting Negan. I have seldom seen a portrayal of evil as compelling as Negan. The situation is simple. Rick and the company of survivors we’ve been following are now vassals of … Continue reading →

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Elijah Slaughters the Priests of Baal

Posted on September 15, 2017 by PaulVK

I’m preaching this week on 1 Kings 18, that great passage of prophetic confrontation. It is paradigmatic of prophetic confrontation. Here we finally had binary “proof” that Yhwh is God and Baal was not and after the big showdown Elijah … Continue reading →

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