Cesi n'est pas une pipe

It's Reformation Sunday, and that made me think about names, relationships, and our connections to both Jesus and the church -- how they are different. It also made me think of a painting by Rene' Magritte called "Cesi n'est pas une pipe." Unfortunately, I thought everybody on planet earth knew about this painting. I'm informed by my congregation that this is decidedly NOT so, therefore, I include a photograph. Come join the congregation of Community Presbyterian Church for our sermon on blind barTimeaus from the Gospel of Mark titled Cesi n'est pas une pipe.

Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.

The Story of Zinc

The Book of Job ends with God finally addressing Job's complaint, and God is strangely harsh. From our perspective, Job is the one who has been harmed. Why is God all snarky? It may have something to do with zinc. Join the congregation of Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky for this week's sermon, The Story of Zinc.

Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.

The Lamed Vovniks

The Book of Job is not an easy book to love. It's not even an easy book to read, and it offends most people who take the trouble to read it. But the Book of Job squarely faces our common observation that the world contains a lot of undeserved suffering. A lot of innocent people get beat up pretty badly in this old world, and it is cold comfort for some preacher to intone, "We suffer because we are sinners and bring it on our own heads." Not what *I* want to hear when I suffer.

The Jews offer a tradition of The Lamed Vovniks -- the 36 righteous men who must exist at any one time and who bear the suffering for the world. This opens the story of Jesus to us from a new light. Join the congregation of Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Ky for this week's sermon, The Lamed Vovniks.

Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.

A Side of Ribs

Barbra Streisand and Mandy Patinkin are arguing in "Yentl!" about the interpretation of one of the creation stories in Genesis. "Side!" she says. "The word can mean 'side'!"

Streisand's character is arguing that men and women are equal in the sight of God. Patinkin's character is insisting that women were created from man's rib, and is, hence, inferior. Should we ever read Scripture to say that God lifts up one at the expense of the other? Join the congregation of Community Presbyterian Church for our sermon this week, A Side of Ribs.

Community Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, Kentucky, was built on the casting floor of a 19th Century iron blast furnace. We use "The Casting Floor" as an image for the power of the Spirit to form us. Visit us at http://communitypresbyterian.org.