“You couldn’t make a more preposterous claim than that Christianity is compatible with nationalism,” said David Bentley Hart. It’s the kind of thing that ought to go without saying, but needs to be said when white nationalists claim to be followers of Jesus.  In his new book, The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy, Jim Wallis urges his readers to join him in pushing back against the “old heresy” and dismantling it. Wallis, the founder of Sojourners and the inaugural Archbishop Desmond Tutu Chair in Faith and Justice at Geo ..read more

In May, Lexington Theological Seminary hosted a series of three webinars, Thriving Together: The Church After the Pandemic. Thankfully, the presentations have been made available as videos (all are embedded below), and they make excellent - and I mean, excellent - conversation starters.  Much has changed during the pandemic, and we’re all trying to sort out what shifts in congregational life were caused by that disruptive experience, and what changes simply became more visible because of it. I invite us to have Conversations on the Patio this summer, each based on one of the three present ..read more

In Signs and Wonders: A Beginner’s Guide to the Miracles of Jesus, Amy-Jill Levine explores selected miracles of Jesus in historical and theological context. For each miracle, she discusses not only how past witnesses would have understood the events, but also how today’s readers can draw meaning from Jesus’s words and actions. Chapter topics include: Giving sight to the blind: Metaphors of understanding (Mark 8, John 9) “Take up your pallet and walk” (the paralyzed man): On the role of caregivers A bleeding woman and a dead girl: The importance of women’s bodies Walking on water and ..read more

Let us know you're planning to add your vehicle to the event (look for the clipboard on Sunday or do it right here) Remember to park in the lot across from the South Entrance if your car is NOT part of the event Remember that the parking lot outside Fellowship Hall will be blocked for the duration of the event Invite anyone you can think of, share the event in Facebook groups or neighborhood apps, etc. Tell folks there will be face painting, games, music, and more Get some treats for the kids (we'll have allergen-safe treats available as well) Consider bringing some homemade trea ..read more

The New Revised Version (NRSV) has served churches, liturgists, and scholarly and devotional readers for more than thirty years. It is one of the most popular English translations of the Bible, after the King James Version and the New International Version. In contrast to the KJV and the NIV, it is also the most ecumenical Bible with acceptance by Christian churches of Protestant, Anglican, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, African American, and Evangelical traditions. And while this ecumenical commitment has not only continued, but broadened, much has changed since the NRSV was first publish ..read more

A sabbatical is a precious gift. It’s also a great privilege that very few people, no matter how hard or how long they work, ever get to enjoy. I am very grateful for this gift of time, your gift to me, so I can immerse myself in a life of rest and renewal. In the book of Exodus, God commands God’s people, “For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow.” I’m drawn to the sabbath rhythm applied to the land in light of our Lenten focus on creation care and our relationship to the soil, but I also like the idea of me lying ..read more

In addition to giving myself to the deep exploration of the rhythms of walking, praying, and paddling this summer, I’m also drawn to the rhythm of turning pages. I am very curious about where I am - the dirt, the landscape, the history, the relationships of a place - and who I am called to be there. This is my reading list for the summer, in case you want to read along: Nick Ripatrazone, Wild Belief: Poets and Prophets in the Wilderness Wilderness is both a fearful and a sacred space, featuring prominently in the story of God’s people. It is also quickly disappearing. This book follows poets ..read more

On Sunday I took a picture of the balcony wall with the steel framing complete, and on Tuesday I returned to this view! The sheetrock is up, and now the mudding and sanding can commence. On Wednesday, the floor/ceiling between the pantry and what used to be "the bathroom on the landing" will be cut out: the shaft for our new elevator is beginning to take shape! Most of us have not set foot in the sanctuary, or anywhere else in the building, in weeks. We have not gathered for worship in person since the middle of Lent, and our souls long for the Easter celebration on the other side of this pan ..read more

Guest post by Jack Wallace If you’ve driven in the area of Harding Road and White Bridge Road in Nashville with some regularity over the past few months, you’ve probably seen him standing in the traffic island, where other sign carriers are often found. Their signs are typically small and ask for money or speak in support of a cause or a political party.  His signs are large, handmade, religious, and with a message that would strike most readers as hateful. They strike me as relics of a bygone era, maybe fifty or sixty years ago, when street corner preachers shouting at passers-by about ..read more

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