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Advent 2014, Part 1: Generous Hope

March 24, 2015April 7, 2015Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

What has Nietzsche to do with Christmas? And what has either to do with rock bands, HIV and clean water? In a word: hope.

Having just described generosity as one of the highest virtues of the church, one of the surest signs that a community is following Jesus, we turn now to the content of that generosity – what we have to give away. The list is lengthy, of course: resources, talent, energy, creativity… But there are a few gifts that only the church can give. And thus we have a special obligation to give these unique blessings in as much abundance as possible.

Today we explore hope – the sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life and the restoration of all things. For the biblical authors, hope is not a verb (to be hopeful), but a noun (the possession of those who recognize that the tomb was empty that Easter morning). Christians are not those who life with optimism. They are the ones who know how the last chapter of history is written and live in light of God’s already-determined victory. And as such, we carry on the mission of bot declaring and embodying that hope to the world.

In addition to a look at the book of Hebrews, we have a guest appearance from Jake Smith of the non-profit, Blood:Water Mission (an exceptional charity!) to give (one) very tangible look at how we can bring hope to hopeless places.

This is a sermon that was originally presented at Canvas (a Presbyterian church in Irvine, CA), November 30, 2014. To learn more about Canvas, click here!

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Turning Theology into Church 06: Generosity

February 26, 2015February 26, 2015Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

One of the surest signs an individual or community is following the Jesus way (of life) is that they possesses a thorough-going spirit of generosity. For them, it truly is better to give than to receive as they have every confidence that they will receive again. Gifts are not to be clutched and hidden, but freely shared, as it is only by so doing that the full measure of their value is found.

In this episode (which forms the heart of the following series), we examine the biblical call to generosity not mainly as a demand of obedience, but as a the natural outgrowth of gratitude – as a response to grace. In particular, we look at generosity in manners that go beyond the sharing of material goods. While the Bible certainly calls us to material generosity, the gifts God bestows upon us go far beyond finances and possession (e.g., compassion, justice, reconciliation…). It is as the church brings these to the world, that we experience for ourselves, the full joy of sharing in God’s project of love.

This is a sermon that was originally presented at Canvas (a Presbyterian church in Irvine, CA), November 23, 2014. To learn more about Canvas, click here!

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Turning Theology into Church 05: Gratitude

February 6, 2015February 6, 2015Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

What sort of community should grow out of the biblical story? A grateful one.

In this episode we explore the concept of hesed – the Hebrew word usually translated as “steadfast love.” It is used throughout the Bible to describe the fundamental nature of God and is meant to explain why God is so committed to the work of salvation.

Why does God forgive? Because God loves? Why does God heal? Because God loves. Why does God bless? You get the idea…

In particular we will look at Psalm 136 as the poet pours forth reasons for thanksgiving by recounting God’s great acts of deliverance in Israel’s history. It is a moving work and one that reminds the reader that the proper response to grace is gratitude. No wonder, then, that centuries later Paul would regard thanksgiving as an essential mark of a healthy church (look again at Col. 3:12-17 – our text from last week).

If you are asking how to choose a church, be sure that gratitude is part of your answer!

This is a sermon that was originally presented at Canvas (a Presbyterian church in Irvine, CA), November 16, 2014. To learn more about Canvas, click here!

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