06/18/2024
Here is an illustration that I wanted to include this past Sunday but ran out of time.
Comedian Turns Snarky Reply into Generosity
As a veteran comedian and improv actor, Patton Oswalt is known to have a ready retort for anyone heckling or giving him grief. But one particular time, his response caught his antagonist by surprise.
It started with a sarcastic tweet at President Trump. A Trump supporter named Michael Beatty tweeted back in response, lobbing accusations and insults at Oswalt. Out of curiosity, Oswalt began scrolling through Beatty’s Twitter timeline. What he found took him by surprise, which prompted Oswalt to tweet the following admission: Aw, man. This dude just attacked me on Twitter and I joked back but then I looked at his timeline and he’s in a LOT of trouble health-wise … He’s been dealt some [terrible] cards—let’s deal him some good ones. Click and donate—just like I’m about to.
The link that followed was to a GoFundMe account dedicated to help cover the burgeoning costs of care for Beatty’s health condition, which included diabetes and ketoacidosis. Because of Oswalt’s efforts at donation and promotion, the campaign began trending on social media, and has since exceeded several times over Beatty’s initial goal of $5,000.
Beatty responded to Oswalt with this: “You have humbled me to the point where I can barely compose my words. You have caused me to take pause and reflect on how harmful words from my mouth could result in such an outpouring.”
Archived Posts
The Loss of a Great Christian Leader
The death today of Pope Francis was particularly poignant, falling as it did on the day after Easter. As Protestant Christians we have a once removed interest in the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Yet the pope is the authoritative leader of 1.4 billion women and men around the world. It is worth our time to pause and consider what kind of man and what kind of legacy Pope Francis left behind.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Judas Iscariot
(Drawn from online sources)
Jesus Hears A Who
Few people know that Horton Hears A Who comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew.
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.
What Was the Crowd Celebrating on Palm Sunday?
I came across this list which feels a little like a "Greatest Hits of Jesus' Ministry". I share it with you today for your inspiration and edification. Enjoy!
The Best Kind of Trouble-maker
While working on this last week’s sermon I was looking through Phillip Yancey’s excellent book—The Jesus I Never Knew—when I came across a section that I found profound. It didn’t quite fit my sermon, but it caught my eye enough that I copied it down.