by Steve Thomason | Dec 11, 2017 | Devos
We’ve come to our final week in the Advent Conspiracy. The fourth way to conspire against the consumerism of this season is to LOVE ALL. Our texts are Matthew 1:18-25, Colossians 3:12-17, and 1 John 3:16-18. In addition to meditating on the image below, I also invite...
by Steve Thomason | Dec 9, 2017 | Youth Ministry
I experienced my second visit to Temple Israel in Minneapolis last night. This morning it is still Sabbath. Shabbat Shalom my friends. These visits were part of our ninth grade confirmation program at Easter. Last month we visited the Burnsville Mosque. Each small...
by Steve Thomason | Dec 6, 2017 | The Missional Church
How can we find unity in a world that seems so divided with hatred and violence? That is an incredibly important question that has life and death implications. There are a few things converging this week, and today specifically, that address this question. First, our...
by Steve Thomason | Dec 4, 2017 | podcast, sermons2017
The Second step to conspire against consumerism this Advent season is to simply spend less. This sermon explores why we have associated gift giving with Christmas in our society and how we might bring it into balance. [slideshare...
by Steve Thomason | Dec 4, 2017 | Devos
The Advent Conspiracy takes an ironic turn this week. The way to conspire against consumerism, we said last week, was to “spend less.” This week we’re saying “give more.” Wait a minute. How can we give more, but spend less? I invite you...
by Steve Thomason | Dec 2, 2017 | Art, The Trinity
If you have spent any time around my blog or in earshot of my teaching ministry, then you know that I geek out about the Trinity. The Social Trinity was the theological underpinning of my dissertation. (Geek out here) So, of course, the Trinity wove its way into my...
by Steve Thomason | Nov 30, 2017 | Devos, postfoundational, Suburban Studies, The Missional Church
Two terms have played an important role for me in discussing the church. The first term was important for me during the season in which we experimented with house churches. It was during that time that I realized I was swimming in the Emerging Church conversation. The...
by Steve Thomason | Nov 28, 2017 | podcast, sermons2017
This is the first sermon in a four-part series called Advent Conspiracy. The texts are Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Philippians 2:9-11, Luke 1:39-55. The first step in overcoming the consumerism of this season is to focus our hearts on the presence of God. [slideshare...
by Steve Thomason | Nov 27, 2017 | Devos
Spend Less. That is the simple message of our second week in the Advent Conspiracy. Do we really need to give so many gifts to our children? Should we ever go into debt in order to give gifts? Read our three texts for the week Micah 6:6-8, Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew...
by Steve Thomason | Nov 24, 2017 | Devos
Conspiracy is a strange word to associate with Advent, isn’t it? The word has a subversive undertone. Exactly. We will join a growing movement at Easter this Advent that seeks to undermine the rampant consumerism that has overtaken the season and attempt to focus on...
