Curated topics for a disillusioned church
Almost every Christian is familiar with the Samaritan women at the well story in John, but few see it as a blueprint for how to cross racial divisions. Preaching from John 4:1-42 Oakcliff Bible Fellowship (Dallas, TX) pastor Tony Evans says Jesus first meets the woman as a person and then speaks to her soul.
Whew! This is an intense 23 minutes. Hats off the Emmanuel Acho and the Petaluma Police Department for talking with each other and role modeling what it takes to make change - sitting down together and asking and answering difficult questions.
The church, specifically the American church in the context of Postcards from Babylon, has been seduced by the allure of power and influence. This is not a new phenomenon, but has been going on for hundreds of years. The intertwining of faith and empire has blinded our eyes to the teachings of the Bible that calls the church to be a counter-cultural, prophetic voice against violence.
Does white privilege exist? If it does exist, why is the idea repulsive to so many people? What are we supposed to do about it? Pastor Tim Cain of Kaleo Church (Lakeside, CA) answers those questions and more in a convicting sermon full of wisdom. Cain believes that we must first acknowledge that advantages exist, realize that everything we have is a gift from God, and then steward our privilege for the oppressed.
Police officer Renee Mitchell tells a story where she had to choose between appeasing her superior by arresting an individual or letting the individual go and putting her career in jeopardy and how that decision cemented the idea that the way we police in America has to change.
A history of another brutal part of America's past that is glossed over Worse Than Slavery tells the story of convict leasing, a thinly veiled system of slavery, through the songs of convicts, court documents, and local newspapers.
Weaving current and historical events while preaching from Luke 18:1-8 pastor Taurus Montgomery of Pioneer Memorial Church (Benton Harbor, MI) lists five things white Christians can do to fight racism. One, educate yourself to understand the problems of injustice. Two, feel the pain of justice in and out of the church. Three, protest the pattern persistently. Four, be a partner for progress. Five, pray to be purged of prejudice persistently.
Conservatively speaking, one in ten police interactions involve a mentally ill person, but rarely are police trained to deal with a person having a mental illness crisis. A Different Kind of Force follows the San Antonino police mental health unit as they respond to mental health situations and strive to employ crisis intervention training despite not receiving enough funding and support.
Critical race theory is being used by many people as a weapon and many people are not taking the time to dig into what CRT actually is. Is critical race theory a tool that Christians can use? Absolutely. Is it a tool that Christians will use to direct church doctrine? No. As Christians we must be nuanced and distinct in our response to CRT.
In a nuanced, informative, and kind sermon, pastor Jon Tyson defines privilege as "when you do nothing and you get something." Tyson then proceeds to give the history of the modern understanding of privilege saying that most people land on the rights side or the responsibility side on the privilege spectrum. Using Philippians 2:1-11 as his basis he says that Christians need a distinct approach to privilege - a redirection that elevates and benefits those who need help in our society.
Sunday to Saturday 
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