Christian Life

Choose an open mind: Certainty is my enemy. Nuance is my friend.

Rich Kirkpatrick0227 views

Mark, a good friend and a UK expat living in the Middle East, came to visit me several years ago. After years of spending a week or so together at conferences, this was a rare treat to finally host him. The time we spent together on my backyard patio and at the local neighborhood pub was one of the joys of my life. After we enjoyed pizza and beer at the pub, I introduced my well-traveled friend to another American delicacy. Kentucky Bourbon. Mark schooled me on the differences between the simple taste of bourbon in comparison to the complexity of Scotch whiskey. But he made another comparison that I’ll never forget. “Rich, I don’t understand why Americans don’t talk with each other. You have two political parties. In my local pub, I might have three or four parties represented and yet we sip pints and enjoy each other.” Besides…

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COVID-19 is the Villian, but Who is the Hero?

Rich Kirkpatrick2506 views

What if the enemy in the pandemic was the cause of the pandemic, the coronavirus Covid-19? What if we could lay all our anger, grief, mistrust, and fear in the direction of this invisible-yet-deadly foe? Every one of us is a potential target, from Libertarians who squirm at their local pub being closed to businesswomen who had to layoff their treasured friends and employees. The virus succeeded in wholesale disruption, denying school kids their dreaded fifth period and terrorizing parents who love their kids but cannot change diapers while simultaneously presenting a Zoom call for work. Disruption goes deeper than lifestyle interruptions. Life itself is threatened as thousands experience a violent, ugly, and lonely death. No one is immune, literally–at least we are not sure of that yet. Is the virus an enemy? If true, why not blame the virus for all that befalls us? We could sell coronavirus targets…

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Good Friday: Loving our neighbor is not enough

Rich Kirkpatrick0461 views

Holy Week is the time we retrace the steps of Christ on his last week on earth We examine through Lent our adherence to the Great Commandment–to love God above all. However, this is through the lens that Jesus gave when he combined forever the Second Commandment with the First. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This Second Command forever connects with loving God making our public life of justice an outflow of an inward love for God. It is not a private thing to be a Christian, in other words. Our social acts are connected to our inward piety. In fact, Jesus raises the ante when he gives a new command: “Love each other as I have loved you.” Not only does our personal devotion find proof in our love of neighbor our true obedience is to love each other like Christ loves—sacrificial, serving, condescending, empowering, forgiving, love. This is…

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In Our Own Skin: Create FOR the church, AT the church or AS the church

Rich Kirkpatrick0634 views

Art as a commodity The first thing artists are accepted as in the church setting is as artisans who make things for the purposes of the church. This can be songs, music, architecture, graphics–or anything where the crafts of these servants are utilized. Film clips are used as sermon illustrations and graphics to help promote church events. Songs support a theme. We sing prayers. What we see creation at this level is not wrong. But, created content lives in this space as a commodity. There are exceptional people who sell clips, graphics, and other content. There is a place where we need creative content to help our purposes as a church. Art as a commodity, however, leaves us stuck. Artists are often asked to donate their time or assumed that if given opportunities to create for the church that the “exposure” is what they really need. Exposure does not pay…

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