Sermon: Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin Presbyterian Church of the Covenant

When, as an ex-Christian, I became curious about progressive Christianity several years ago, I was thrillingly surprised by what I saw in a church in my town.

Will there come a day when all human behavior can be understood as clearly as natural disasters? Will these behaviors still be considered evil?

So, how did Christianity become so mean? Although many factors contribute to mean Christianity, the primary culprit is that large numbers of American Christians, both Republicans and Democrats, care more about partisan politics and culture wars than they care about following the example and teachings of Jesus.

Science and Religion should never be in conflict, as Dr. James, a Ph.D. scientist and Christian mystic, carefully demonstrates. He employs many personal experiences in the science realm and in the Christian realm to show how the two are wonderfully complementary—as long as each remains in their respective places.

Join Mark and Caleb for this live recording as they enjoy a themed drink (or two) and bring their high-octane progressive Christian perspectives of the multiple Oscar award winning movie, "Poor Things."

The fact is that civil-minded folk outnumber the forces on the other side. There are just more of us than there are of them. The problem is that we have not recognized the current existential threat. We slide along the path we are on, pretending as though next year will be the same as this year. It will not.

Thomas Jay Oord and Tripp Fuller offer an open and relational vision of God. This vision makes sense, fits our experience, and is livable. The open and relational view aligns with our deep intuitions about love and freedom.

So what about loving our enemies? What do we normally feel, what do others who have modeled destructive behavior and attitudes expect us to feel and what can we possibly feel? Why should we choose not to feel what virtually everyone expects us to feel?

When the intellectual history of the 20th century is written, a few achievements will tower overall. Einstein’s theory of general relativity will be one; the laws of quantum mechanics will be another. The Big Bang Theory of the origin of the universe will be a third.

Fifty years ago, in 1974, the Combahee River Collective was founded in Boston by several lesbian and feminist women of African descent. As a sisterhood, they understood that their acts of protest were shouldered by and because of their ancestors—known and unknown—who came before them.

Join Mark and Caleb for this live recording as they enjoy a themed drink (or two) and bring their high-octane progressive Christian perspectives of the newest Ghostbuster's film, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire."

Only an Economic, Social, Political, Philosophical, and Religious Mind-Change Can Save Us. How could the most clever and brilliant primate ever to evolve on Planet Earth be bringing this extinction dilemma upon itself?

No matter what happens this election year in the United States, there is going to be further polarization, hateful rhetoric, and very likely, violence.

I’m not sure why we can be so idealistic about human love when human love is profoundly imperfect and so often unreliable.

What I know is that I need to not beat myself up for having a hard time when I’m having a hard time.

A paradigm-shifting journey into God as Self and the World as Heaven on Earth.

Native American racism, then goes even deeper to the historic Christian documents that have infected not only Christian teachings but also have been fundamental principles embedded in laws, policies, decisions, and cultures ever since to the present. His research and documentation are extensive, unnerving, and compelling reading.

Almost Heretical is a podcast by a former pastor (who used to plant churches with Francis Chan, but then stopped believing in Hell) and a bible scholar. They reexamine the Bible and unlearn the fundamentalist American evangelical theology they used to teach.

Join Mark and Caleb for this live recording as they enjoy a themed drink (or two) and bring their high-octane progressive Christian perspectives of Netflix's inverted fairy tale staring Millie Bobby Brown, "Damsel."

Who could have imagined only a few years ago that there would be controversy in the United States of America about the importance of democracy? 

Herman says every survivor she interviewed or worked with has wished above all for the following: Acknowledgment and vindication, apology and amends. Those 4 things are what justice looks like for the people directly affected.

Will American politicians stand up to Putin? Will they learn anything from the sacrifice of Navalny?

Join Mark and Caleb for this live recording as they enjoy a themed drink (or two) and bring their high-octane progressive Christian perspectives of Part 2 of Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" based on the classic books from Frank Herbert

I pray, and look to scripture, and consider our role as people on an ever-changing planet as residents in and stewards of creation.

Our perceptions of gender are changing. The role of gender in our society is changing. The relationship between gender and sexuality is changing. It’s a paradigm shift that has crested and simply will not be rolled back.

Join Mark and Caleb for this live recording as they enjoy a themed drink (or two) and bring their high-octane progressive Christian perspectives in consideration of Australia's slow-burn sci-fi/thriller film, "Monolith."

When they sang together, you could hear the harmony that should define this country’s relationships across race.

The Intensive Journal method is a series of integrated writing exercises about different areas of your life (i.e. personal relationships, body and health, life history, dreams and imagery, meaning in life, etc.) that are designed to help you get to know yourself better.

Join Mark and Caleb for this live recording as they enjoy a themed drink (or two) and bring their high-octane progressive Christian perspectives in consideration of the most recent movie in the Sony Spider-Man Universe, "Madame Web."