(The theme of the June 2013 Michigan Disciples of Christ Women’s Retreat was “Our Stories, God’s Story.” This was the sermon I offered on the last day of the retreat, after two days of workshops that invited us to go deeply in sharing our personal journeys, our connection to scripture, our experiences of being peopleContinue reading “Singing a new story—God, Oakland, and hope amidst change”
Monthly Archives: June 2013
Love in the Time of Theodicy
I don’t manuscript sermons, but this final sermon in the series, “Everything you ever wanted to know about the Bible but were afraid to ask,” at First Christian Church of Oakland, was on one of the toughest questions out there: “If God is all-loving and all-powerful, why is there suffering?” So I’m doing my bestContinue reading “Love in the Time of Theodicy”
How non-attachment might have improved my ministry
When I think of the number of moments when I felt emotionally spent, overwhelmed, despairing, and even resentful in my first five years of ministry, it makes me ache a little for my younger, more enthusiastic and foolhardy self. The last two years went a little bit better—for me if not for my congregation—and theContinue reading “How non-attachment might have improved my ministry”
The Cross and the Lynching Tree—Atonement Theology and Beyond
Several people have expressed interest in my recent sermon about my concerns with atonement theology. Let me first say that I might never have preached this sermon if our church weren’t doing a sermon series on “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Bible But Were Afraid to Ask,” where congregants got to submitContinue reading “The Cross and the Lynching Tree—Atonement Theology and Beyond”
Sandhya Rani Jha 