Thursday, March 26, 2009
preaching Christ in a credit crunch
Blog question: If you had the opportunity to teach a four-week sermon series to a congregation that would help them sift through some of the current economic issues, what would your topics be? (And just to be clear, I’m not talking about a giving or money management series, but something that reflects a biblical mindset towards economics in general).
My response: Hi, I’m working on this very question, down here in New Zealand, as my seminary has called a conversation (tonight) between business and community leaders and theologians (and I’ll be preaching on Christ and the credit crunch this Sunday at our Harvest Festival). Here’s my suggestion:
Week 1 – creativity – co-creators with God in 21st century – Genesis 1, Psalm 8, Parable of sower, parable of talents
Week 2 – justice – distribution of resources – Old Testament, host in Luke 14, Zaccheus, Joseph of Arimathea
Week 3 – sustainability – how to live within ourselves individually, communally, nationally
Week 4 – how then should we live – stories of how Kingdom is being earthed in local communities in response to credit crunch.
thoughts? comments?
I have been a bit disappointed that nobody else has taken up this subject….seems really important to me, especially when I consider how much Jesus, the Levitical laws and the OT prophets had to say about the topic. Maybe we are all too conscious of our own failure in this area. Like your starting points, establishing that everything belongs to God anyhow.. the outline flows naturally from there. I guess you are engaging in prophecy as much as preaching. May God bless your endeavour.
Comment by kerry Davies — March 26, 2009 @ 4:48 pm