Spend Less
What does it look like to make Christmas meaningful again? How do we resist the powerful forces of consumerism and consumption? In week two of Advent, Emily Morrison explores the theme of “Spend Less” with a sermon from I Timothy 6.
Worship Fully
This Advent, Roots is joining with hundreds of other congregations in conspiring against consumerism in our Christmas celebrations. The first theme of Advent Conspiracy is “Worship Fully.” In this sermon, Pastor T. C. explores the way we are formed by embodied practices. The apostle Paul teaches us to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices” to have our “minds renewed.” Every day in a thousand subtle ways we are being formed into individualistic consumers. Corporations don’t aim their ads primarily at…
Abraham-like Faith
In this sermon, Pastor Der teaches on Paul’s argument to the so-called ‘Weak’ and ‘Strong’ factions in the house churches of Rome about how both Jewish and Gentile disciples are justified by “faith” in the same way that Abraham was.
Paul’s Rhetorical Trap
In Romans 1.18–32, Paul employs language that echoes common Jewish stereotypes of Gentiles as particularly depraved and deserving of God’s wrath. Examples of this rhetoric can be found in Wisdom of Solomon. But Paul uses this rhetoric not to reinforce division between the Jewish and Gentile disciples in Rome. No! Paul uses it as a rhetorical trap to expose prejudice and teach against judgment.