Author: Kyle
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I have a hunch: The church and the maker movement
I have a hunch. The maker movement is changing the way we think about education, formation, creativity, job training, and so much more. I think the church is going to learn a lot from this movement. I think the church is a natural participant and partner. “The world is a better place as a participatory sport,”…
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e-Formation FAQ
It’s that time of year again—the e-Formation Conference is almost upon us. Here’s my stab at the e-Formation FAQ blog challenge. Q: What is e-Formation? A: A learning community for ministry in a digital world, convened by the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at Virginia Theological Seminary. Q: Why should technology matter to churches?…
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We have been this way before: An Easter Vigil homily
Great Vigil of Easter We have been this way before. Once again, Jesus gathered us together in community. Once again, we left our betrayals and our brokenness at the foot of the cross. Once again, we were there when they laid him in the tomb. Once again, he proved to us that the powers of…
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Resolving to practice faith at home: A sermon for the Feast of the Holy Name
Feast of the Holy Name (Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:15-21; Psalm 8) PDF | Text: Some of you know that my job at Virginia Seminary is as a coach and curator in the area of Christian formation. So I spend my days immersed in the world of best practices for teaching and learning about faith, for claiming…
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Psalm 126 and National Lament: Black Lives Matter
Advent 3, Year B Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28 With profound respect and gratitude to the many people whose writing and witness helped me prepare, including Remington Gregg, Osheta Moore, Mike Kinman, Broderick Greer, the Theology of Ferguson/StayWokeAdvent/DearWhitePastor crew (especially Micky Jones and Jake Dockter), Mike Angell, and Emily Scott. PDF | Audio…
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Horcruxes, podcasts, and singleness of heart: A stewardship sermon
Proper 24, Year A Isaiah 45:1-7; Psalm 96:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22) PDF | Audio (or via Dropbox) | Text: Of all the profoundly adult spiritual insights J. K. Rowling explores in the Harry Potter series, the most fascinating to me is an object the wizards call a horcrux. Over the course of the…
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What I sent to TREC about ‘the contractor thing’
Last week I attended a churchwide meeting convened by the Task Force for Reimagining the Episcopal Church (TREC). It wasn’t a “reading a public statement” kind of affair, so I wanted to post the feedback I sent to the committee. I did ask a question that spoke to these concerns, and I’m writing about it today…
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Conforming to Christ: Romans 12 & Michelangelo’s Prisoners
Proper 16, Year A (Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20) PDF | Audio (or via Dropbox) | Text: I want to begin by passing on a word of thanks and admiration from a recent visitor. It was sent to our music directors and acolyte coordinators but applies much more broadly. The Rev. Dr. William…
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“Less certain, more convinced”: A sermon on the end of Romans 8
Proper 12, Year A (1 Kings 3:5–12; Romans 8:26–39; Matthew 13:31–33, 44–52) PDF | Audio (soon, or Dropbox) | Text: Do you ever get jealous of the disciples? Not for the mighty deeds or the heroic deaths, necessarily, but for the simple fact that they met and knew the Lord as none of us can?…
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Celebrating the Blessings of Social Media
I gave this sermon/forum thing about the promise and pitfalls of social media at Church of the Good Shepherd in Burke, VA on July 15. You can also read a reflection on the experience over at Key Resources, which is where I’m doing most of my blogging these days. [View the story “Celebrating the Blessings…