taken from http://www.jamyesack.com (All Rights Reserved)
Below is the link to the sermon I preached entitled “Stuck In The Middle” based on John 18:33-7 and Revelation 1:4b-7.
[audio http://k002.kiwi6.com/hotlink/13a5updhv0/stuck_in_the_middle.mp3|titles=Stuck In The Middle]
(Recorded by Voice Record Pro by Bej Bej Apps for iOS)
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Corcovado jesus (Photo credit: @Doug88888)
Below is the link to the sermon I preached entitled “Here Is My Servant” based on Isaiah 42:1-9.
Sermon Link
(Recorded by Voice Record Pro by Bej Bej Apps for iOS)
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)–it’s OK… many people have never heard of it, too.
I could bore you with the history of the Disciples of Christ but in a nut shell it is the oldest Christian denomination founded on American soil and follows a few basic principles.
You can read more about the Disciples by clicking here and watch a nice video by clicking here.
Every two years the denomination gets together for a conference of sorts called the General Assembly. It is a time of worship, reflection, sharing, learning and discussion. Every year ministries and groups with in the denomination go through a process of proposing resolutions before the Assembly. There is a lengthy process of discernment before the general board sets the agenda. In years past things have been debated ranging from immigration reform to moral injury study to how the church understands itself in the 21st century and everything in between.
This year one resolution in particular is generating a lot of buzz. It’s resolution 1327. You can read it in full here.
In a nutshell the resolution calls upon the church to be a place of grace and welcome to all people understanding that all our welcomed at the table of God and thus that radical grace is extended to all.
Some people believe that this resolution is over reaching with regards to how the church is structured. If the church is autonomous from the national church then who a church welcomes or not welcomes is up to them. Some believe that it is a good resolution but fails to address certain issues that have been plaguing the DOC for many year.
But I think it goes deeper than that.
I believe that this resolution calls upon the church to be the church. In the church we have put up artificial barriers. We decide who is in and who is out, who has the power and who is a by standard. The church needs to step up to the plate and open its doors to all people from every walk of life and even differing sexual orientation. If the church is to have any relevance in the 21st century and beyond then it has to stop judging people first and then giving them a relationship. It works the other way around. People (especially those disenfranchised with the church) are not looking for a place for people think they are better than everyone else in the world all under the guise of religion. No, people are looking for something greater than themselves and for a community that does more than pay lip service to how all people “have fallen short of the Glory of God.”
After people are welcomed despite their faults (or perceived faults) then and only then can a congregation have conversations about sin, morality, interpretation and the authority of scripture or whatever. It’s about relationships first not judgment. Christ welcomed people from all walks of life and even had the audacity to call a Samaritan good (a big non-no in his time).
How can grace and welcome ever be a bad thing? In my opinion never.
Watch the video below; I believe it articulates the intent of the resolution well.
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Below is the link to the sermon I preached entitled “You Will See Great Things” based on John 1:43-51.
Sermon Link
(Recorded by Voice Record Pro by Bej Bej Apps for iOS)
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Now that I am a Chaplain in Beaumont, I thought I wouldn’t be preaching as much, but I was wrong. I have been asked by a Disciples of Christ congregation in Beaumont (Northwood Christian) to fill their pulpit for the month of June. I was honored that they asked and happy to do it.
Below is the link to the sermon I preached entitled “Doctor, Doctor.”
Sermon Link
(Recorded by Voice Record Pro by Bej Bej Apps for iOS)
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
On May 26, 2013, I preached my final sermon at Bethany Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
I was serving there as their Interim Minister. On June 3, I will be a Staff Chaplain at Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Beaumont, Texas.
Leaving is never easy to do but I am looking forward to the new opportunities that await me.
To the members and friends of Bethany, thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Interim Minister.
Sermon Link (Romans 5:1-5)
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
Kimberly Rae is a best selling author, blogger and world traveler. She blogs about a variety of topics but one that is close to her heart is human trafficking. She was kind enough to blog about my letter to Victoria’s Secret and I am happy to have her as the first guest author on this blog. If you would like to be a guest contributor, click here for more info.
Below is her guest post; be sure to check out her site- www.kimberlyrae.com
The Problem of Human Trafficking is Too Big-Why Bother Trying to Help?
A 15-year-old girl and her 14-year-old cousin got permission to walk down to a local Wendy’s late one night to get a couple of Frosties. While they were walking, a car drove up, and by the end of that night, these two girls had become just a tiny, tiny addition to the thousands of minors trafficked in the United States of the America, the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”
Now those two girls have been rescued and are home again. The older girl tells her story in a video on the website www.truckersagainsttrafficking.com, a video that will hopefully be part of required training for men joining the trucking industry in the future.
Why? Because things will never change unless people care enough to act. I think many of us look at the huge statistics and decide, why bother? There are 20 million slaves in the world today. It’s a problem too big, one person can never make a dent in it.
That’s true to an extent. Each of us on our own are pretty powerless to change the huge statistics. None of us can expect to do the impossible.
However . . . we can make a difference in one life. It may not seem much, but if that one person was your daughter, or your friend, or yourself, wouldn’t you want someone to “bother”–to put forth the effort to make a difference even if they couldn’t save everybody?
I would. As I place myself in those young girls’ shoes, being forced to sell myself to strangers, staying because of threats against my family or my own life, I know I would desperately want to escape but likely not have the courage. Or the resources.
But if someone came along, someone who didn’t just look through me but really saw me, if they cared enough to ask one or two important questions, then make just one phone call–a call that would deliver me and give me back a future, I would reach out for the freedom offered me. I would grasp hold of the possibility of a future and a hope.
Isn’t that, after all, what Jesus gives us? (Jer. 29:11)
And wouldn’t He rejoice to see us doing that for others?
That’s what happened recently when those girls who’d been trapped for 10 years in a home in Cleveland were rescued. All across our country, girls (and some boys too) are being taken, trapped, and forced to sell themselves against their will. A major part of this happens within the trucking industry. Girls are taken to truck stops, where they are forced to go from truck to truck, offering their “company.” They even have a name. Lot lizards.
But things are changing. Thanks to Truckers Against Trafficking, men are finding out that many of the girls they see do not want to be there, no matter how they pretend. Truckers are making phone calls to the human trafficking hotline—1-888-373-7888—and girls are being rescued.
One man called in his suspicions and, without endangering himself, caused the rescue of 9 young girls and broke down a 13-state trafficking ring. Just one person! Just one phone call.
Helen Keller once said,
“I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”
If this can be said and lived by a woman who could not hear or see, shouldn’t we be inspired that we can do our part, too?
So let’s stop looking at the massive need, the big statistics, or our own limitations. Instead, let’s become aware, and be ready to respond if God places someone before who is in need. Our actions and reactions may make all the difference in the world to someone who right now is trapped, and desperately wants to be free.
Go with God,
go for God,
go because God goes with you.
For of Him, and to Him, and through Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11:36
Kimberly Rae has lived in Bangladesh, Uganda, Kosovo and Indonesia. Her Christian suspense/romance novels on international human trafficking (Stolen Woman, Stolen Child, Stolen Future) are all Amazon bestsellers. Rae is currently working on a new series on trafficking for teens. Find out more at www.kimberlyrae.com or like Kimberly’s facebook page, Human Trafficking Stolen Woman, to get updates on the fight against human trafficking.
Two months ago today I clicked publish on a post about Victoria’s Secret Spring Break Collection called “Bright Young Things.” The aim of the letter was to let Victoria’s Secret know (as well as whomever would listen) that I disliked their marketing to a younger demographics and how they set up an unattainable standard of sexuality and beauty.
To date the letter has been read/viewed on this site nearly 3.8 million times from all around the world. The letter is still be read today and shared over the internet.
To date the letter has been shared on Facebook over 765,000 times, on Twitter over 5100 times, almost 100 times on LinkedIn and over 550 times on Google Plus.
I want to take this time to say thank you for everything!
Because of the exposure I received, I have begun to contribute to a few websites- the Good Men Project, Sojourners and RadicalParents.com. I am humbled and honored to contribute to these great sites. I will try to post my articles here whenever I can.
I have been completely overwhelmed by all of this and I all of you to thank. Without you sharing, liking, emailing and commenting- none of this would have ever happened.
I still have not had an official response from Victoria’s Secret (and I do not expect to), but another clothing company did.
About month ago Fruit of the Loom contacted me to let me know that they had seen my letter online. They liked it and wanted to send my daughter “age appropriate” underwear. They sent my daughter 10 pairs! She was so excited to get them in the mail.
I want to take this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU to Fruit of the Loom. Thank you for generosity and for thinking of my daughter! (The items pictured can be found here and here.)
Thank you again! Keep reading, sharing and liking!
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
My latest piece for Sojourners
Having a 3-year-old daughter opens your eyes to a world that you did not know existed, the world of princesses. Disney has cornered the princess market; there are currently 11 official Disney princesses, and if you are brave enough to travel to Disney World/Land or even a Disney store, you will soon find out that there is a plethora of accessories — dresses, placemats, and cups (just to name a few).
Disney has come under fire in the past for focusing only on Caucasian women — Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and others. But over time, non-white princesses were introduced, like Mulan, Pocahontas, Jasmine, and Tiana.
Disney’s latest princess was Merida from the film Brave broke most of the Disney princess rules. She didn’t like pretty gowns, she liked to shoot bows and arrows, and her crowning glory was frizzy, wild red hair. Some people believed that Disney had finally broken the mold of the “damsel in distress” model of princesses that has been a dominant theme throughout many of the films. The trend actually started with Pocahontas and Mulan; maybe the theme of strong women role models would continue. Brave was a cute film with a wonderful message. Merida had a round face and was rough and tumble with her triplet brothers. She didn’t want fancy dresses or even want to be a princess; Merida just wanted to be Merida. She was the example of girls being girls, no matter how they look.
However, in a recent update, Disney decided to take the idea of Merida in Brave and throw it out the window. Merida, for her official induction into the Disney princess cohort, got a bit of a makeover. Merida 2.0 was taller, skinnier in the waist and had a slimmer face. Her famous bow-and-arrow set are missing, and her iconic wild hair has been tamed.
After the uproar that followed, Disney quietly pulled the newer version of Merida.
But my question for Disney stands: Why? What was so wrong with Merida that it warranted the change?
Disney made a statement with the creation of Merida, and it inspired girls around the world to live into who they wanted to be, not what society wanted them to be. Merida’s makeover told girls that, yes you can be who you want to be, but at some point you are going to have to fit in.
Brave’s director called the change “atrocious” in an interview with the Marin Independent Journal.
She continued: “When little girls say they like it because it’s more sparkly, that’s all fine and good but, subconsciously, they are soaking in the sexy ‘come hither’ look and the skinny aspect of the new version. It’s horrible! Merida was created to break that mold — to give young girls a better, stronger role model, a more attainable role model, something of substance, not just a pretty face that waits around for romance.”
Girls today need characters and princesses that are strong and powerful and reflect the society of today. I know that no one princess or character on Disney will ever be 100 percent inclusive of all people, but Disney at least needs to try.
Maybe sexualized images are more marketable, but that is not the point — empowering our girls is. I’m pleased that Disney has reversed its decision to alter one of their best examples of an empowered girl. I hope the trend of strong princesses started by this character continues.
Film poster for For the Bible Tells Me So – Copyright 2007, First Run Features (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
One of the most divisive topics that is dividing the Church today is the issue of homosexuality. For decades (if not longer) this has been an issue (whether we like it or not) on the forefront of Church. Recently some denominations have had decisions and votes on whether or not to ordain open homosexuals; it has caused dissension, grief, hurt feelings and in some cases it has cost ministers their job. Many churches and even denominations have decided that in the interest of keeping everyone happy, they have not or will not broach the discussion at all.
In matters of church conflict or even church doctrine, the normal question to ask is “What does the Bible says regarding this issue?” It is a natural place to start. However, there are varying ways on which the Bible can be interpreted and thus a problem can emerge.
The film, For The Bible Tells Me So, explores the issue of homosexuality as it relates to the Church and Christianity. This film tries to demystify the stigmas that have been placed on a certain group of people and tries to look at the issue from different angles.
Film Synopsis from forthebibletellsmeso.org:
Can the love between two people ever be an abomination? Is the chasm separating gays and lesbians and Christianity too wide to cross? Is the Bible an excuse to hate? Through the experiences of five very normal, very Christian, very American families — including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson — we discover how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard’s Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity.
This film dives into the Biblical text from a number of different perspectives trying to encapsulate the essence of the text as the original authors intended. Scholars from many different denominations and faiths weigh in on this issue.
This film is presented in a way that brings in new ideas and understandings about homosexuality and how the Bible has been used and mis-used to subjugate a particular group of people. The interviewees do not hold back with their position and thought process when it comes to the controversial issue. They are open about their feelings and in some cases have regret for the way that they treated their child when their child came out.
One of the positives of the film is that it does try to show different view points with regards to how different families react to their children telling them they are homosexual– not all families reacted the same way then or even now. For many it has been a journey that they have to take one day at a time.
I believe that this film is an excellent conversation starter no matter what side of the issue you are on; the key (as with many controversial topics) is that those watching must do so with open eyes, hearts and minds. For many Christians this has become a hallmark issue; it has become the benchmark of righteousness and orthodoxy. It is easy to hear something counter to your belief system and immediately get defensive and stop listening. It is in those moments of struggle where we can learn and grow. It is through difficult situations and conversations when we are able to open up to the possibilities of seeing a particular issue in a new light.
The website for the film also has two discussion guides (here and here) for further study and dialogue.
Overall, this film is well done and thought provoking.
I highly recommend it.
★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars
Film Website
In Christ,
Rev. Evan
(Trailer Below)
Trailer
Rev. Dr. Evan M. Dolive 