By Kyle Childress

• Improvisational Gospel by Kyle Childress (5/3/2016)
  ...essness and we take that and improvise, transpose, and turn it into something for God’s glory. This is the meaning of worship and witness.<!--more--> Acts 16 is a story about this kind of improvisational singing. Here is a story of two people who knew the improvisational power of the gospel. Paul and Silas are in Philippi when this possessed girl starts following them around shrieking at th...
• It's About Jesus by Kyle Childress (2/3/2016)
  ...e are two dramatic encounters when Jesus Christ is revealed for who he is: Jesus’ baptism back in Luke 3 and this transfiguration on the mountain. In this story, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up with him on a mountain. He is praying and, as usual, they want to go to sleep, bored while Jesus is over there praying. Suddenly, Jesus’ appearance changes. He turns dazzlingly white. A brightne...
• Living Out of Control by Kyle Childress (11/24/2015)
  ...equisite official sign posted on every entrance that firearms are not allowed). I know folks who are senior faculty at universities taking early retirement from the fear of being in the classroom with armed students. Some churches are divided over whether or not to post the legally required signs because they fear that the presence of the signs will act as a magnet for people wanting to make a...
• How Much is Enough? by Kyle Childress (9/24/2015)
  ... “Because of you I’m entangled in the affairs of countries that cause me headaches.” Next frame, while he is slumped in his seat in bumper-to-bumper traffic, “Because of you our central cities are empty and I waste half my life in traffic to the burbs.” Next frame, kids are getting in and out of the car, “Because of you my family is one big frantic snarl of hectic schedules.” Next frame, while hol...
• Inside and Out by Kyle Childress (8/25/2015)
  ...ies, was that they were ecumenical, even interfaith, so I never thought twice about whether our moderator was Unity or Baptist or Muslim. Apparently, not everyone agreed. Since the Unity minister’s election, most clergy in town had quit coming to the ministerial alliance and my own suspicion was that they were boycotting the alliance, (a suspicion later proven true). The Unity pastor was invit...
• Large Things in Small Parishes by Kyle Childress (6/10/2015)
  ...usand head. But they will attract no attention ... In the West a ranch will cover perhaps the same area as the thousand farms, and will have perhaps ten thousand head, roundups, rodeos, men on horseback, and all that goes with ranching. ... The East did a large business on a small scale; the West did a small business magnificently” (p. 227). I like Webb and I like what he says. The romantic not...
• Two Christianities by Kyle Childress (5/13/2015)
  ....” Trying to avoid public criticism of another preacher I said, “Where in the Bible does he get this?” She shot back, “Well, I don’t know where he gets it. All I know is that he says we’d better get our guns ready because zombies are real.” “Where do you go to church?” I asked. “I go to the Cowboy Church outside the loop. You know, you can see the rodeo arena out back.” “How many ...
• Loving the World by Kyle Childress (3/11/2015)
  ...ing to Jesus during the night and being told earlier in the conversation that he must be born again, this was our canon within the canon and it interpreted everything else. To this day in most Baptist churches in my part of the world I can stand up in the pulpit and say, “For God so loved” and the entire congregation will respond reciting the rest of the verse from memory. Unfortunately, for mo...
• Learning to Squint by Kyle Childress (11/26/2014)
  ...e looked at everything. Walker Percy, tells in his novel <em>Love in the Ruins</em> and its sequel novel <em>The Thanatos Syndrome</em> about a small, remnant church out in the woods of Louisiana. They are fragile and exiled from the mainstream, conventional and successful American church. They have a small AIDS clinic where they care for the sick and dying and care for each other. Their pri...
• Priests at Every Elbow by Kyle Childress (10/21/2014)
  ...d with the Gospel,’ so that we have imparted ‘to you not only the gospel of God but our very selves.’ These are not exactly expressions of humility. What would you think if Kyle said that of himself? ‘God has entrusted me with the Gospel so that my very self makes present God to you. Indeed, if I fail in the ministry then all our salvation is in doubt.’ I suspect you would think if Kyle expressed ...
• The Greatest of All Shrubs by Kyle Childress (7/23/2014)
  ... be a cedar, about as big a tree as existed in the ancient Middle East. But a shrub? What’s going on here, Jesus?”<!--more--> We American Christians tend to think of God’s kingdom a bit more triumphantly than a mustard bush. Surely, God’s Reign has more substance to it than comparing it to shrubs and bushes and the smallest of all seeds? Mustard bushes are small and squatty. Furthermore, they d...
• Trusting the Way by Kyle Childress (5/14/2014)
  ... just shared this meal with him and watched him kneel and wash everyone’s feet. They’re shocked to hear that one of them is a betrayer and they’re highly aware that outside the doors of their small room, the powers are organizing to put a stop to their small movement that only a few days before looked like it might become a successful revolution. Now, things look dire. To top it all, Jesus tells t...
• Asking the Hard Questions by Kyle Childress (3/5/2014)
  ...ey will be given a free steak dinner and the chance to win one of 25 handguns, long guns and shotguns. The goal is to “point people to Christ,” says a church sponsoring the event, and the Kentucky Baptist Convention said 1,678 men made “professions of faith” at about 50 such events last year, most of them in Kentucky. Is anyone asking any questions about this?<!--more--> My friend, Pastor...
• What is the Good News Anyway? by Kyle Childress (11/13/2013)
  ... is a reminder of the work we pastors do: we’re prophetic – always proclaiming the vision and vocation of God’s reign; we’re pastoral – always helping a congregation be patient with one another as we fail to live up to the vision and vocation. The tension is always there and we’re caught right in the middle of it. It’s not easy living in that tension. The constant temptation is to ease up one w...
• Amazing Grace by Kyle Childress (9/10/2013)
  ...e knew what the dying priest knew in Bernanos’ <em>Diary of a Country Priest</em>, “It’s all grace.” The very meaning of the word “grace” is “undeserved favor.” We do not deserve it. If it is deserved, then it is not grace and it is certainly not amazing. Which is why Archie’s favorite hymn was “Amazing Grace.” As he said, “it is the one hymn most about me, especially the part about saving w...
• Listening to the Word by Kyle Childress (7/16/2013)
  ...icking up the newspapers that have piled up, and on and on. Meanwhile, sister Mary sits in front of Jesus listening to what he has to say. Martha, understandably frustrated says, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister just sits there while I do all the work? Tell her to get up and help!” Jesus replies, “Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things: there is need of only one thing. Mary has ...
• Our Place Redeemed by Kyle Childress (4/29/2013)
  ...times in fifteen years. He said he owned nothing that would not fit easily into his car. When talking about this with some friends, all of whom were in their twenties and thirties, all smart, well-educated and upwardly mobile, they compared notes and realized that between them they had lived in every state and dozens of foreign countries. Not one person lived near where they were born and raised ...
• Saying "Yes" and Saying "No" by Kyle Childress (2/13/2013)
  ... Bible, and loving God’s people. After the service, of course, we all joined in a country church dinner on the grounds of which legends are made. Soon thereafter, I escorted the old preacher to his car. He laid his Bible on the roof of the car as he opened the door and turned to me, “There are two more things you need to know about being a pastor. You’ll need to learn to say ‘No!’ and ‘Hell no!’” ...
• Outside the Inn-siders by Kyle Childress (12/5/2012)
  ...ing with Luke. In the previous chapter, the well-known and much beloved Christmas story of Luke 2, Mary and Joseph are told there is no room in the Inn and they must go outside, to somewhere else to have the baby, whom we know is none other than the very Word of God incarnate. Furthermore, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night” ...
• How Much is Enough? by Kyle Childress (9/25/2012)
  ...eadaches.” Next frame, while he is slumped in his seat in bumper-to-bumper traffic, “Because of you our central cities are empty and I waste half my life in traffic to the burbs.” Next frame, kids are getting in and out of the car, “Because of you my family is one big frantic snarl of hectic schedules.” Next frame, while holding his paunch with littered paper cups and french-fry containers around ...
• Discerning What Displeases the Lord by Kyle Childress (7/31/2012)
  ...ed his power to have Uriah killed by the Ammonites. The last sentence of chapter 11 says, “But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.” The next sentence, which begins chapter 12, says, “And the Lord sent Nathan to David.” My question is “how does the church come up with Nathans?”<!--more--> Or as Moses wished, “How can all of God’s people be prophets?” How do we grow and form th...
• Following Jesus One Step at a Time by Kyle Childress (2/29/2012)
  ... Jesus was talking with his disciples. This was not a lesson for which they had set aside time; no appointments or class schedules had been made. They were on the way, in the middle of following Jesus, watching him serve and heal and preach and touch, and in turn, they helped and learned what being on the way with Jesus looked like. Out of breath, walking as fast as they could to keep up, and lo...
• And it was sufficient by Kyle Childress (12/13/2011)
  ... woman – really a teenage girl – who embodied extraordinary courage and faith in God to be able to say, “Let it be to me according to your will.” Or to put it more mundanely, Mary said yes.<!--more--> More than one theologian of the church over the centuries has said that the great miracle that surrounded the birth of Jesus was not the miraculous conception of Jesus or the virgin birth, but th...
• Who Decides? by Kyle Childress (10/11/2011)
  ...aesar that which is his and give unto God that which is his,” as a statement on the separation of Church and State. Only in the most indirect way is this a statement on church and state. It sounds like Jesus is saying that we should balance church and state, God and Caesar; sort of 50/50, half and half kind of approach. Jesus’ interest has little to do with making a statement about the separa...
• Mustard Seeds and Evangelism by Kyle Childress (7/20/2011)
  ...rom fries to storage buildings to football stadiums.  Politicians and economists of every persuasion keep telling us that a bigger economic pie is the answer to everyone’s concerns.  Closer to home, every day I receive mailings and emailings on how to grow, be bigger, reach more people, raise massive amounts of money, train more people, build bigger buildings, have a bigger sound system, a bigger ...
• Seeing the Lord by Kyle Childress (4/26/2011)
  ...bowski</em>, Walter is talking to Dude.  Donny, their other close friend, keeps trying to interrupt and ask a question.  Walter dismisses Donny with a line that has become famous, “Shut-up Donny, you’re out of your element.”  (Or something like that.) In other words, when you’re out of your element, what you say doesn’t make sense. In John 20, the resurrection of Jesus didn’t make sense to Thom...
• God Abstracted by Kyle Childress (3/8/2011)
  ...to bread; religion – spectacular religion which will make the crowds want to follow you anywhere; and politics – to get the power to make things turn out the way you want.<!--more--> <a name="more"></a> Jesus resists each temptation.  It is not that Jesus is opposed to economics, politics, or religion.  In fact, in his ministry, Jesus does talk – often – about economics, the dangers of wealth, a...
• Truth Dazzles Gradually by Kyle Childress (1/12/2011)
  ...– a financial commitment that provided extra incentive to practice. Adams tells this delightful story of his first year of learning to play the piano in his book, Piano Lessons.  Yet learning to play was a daunting task, particularly given his already demanding schedule.  He found it difficult and frustrating; he couldn’t simply sit down and make the beautiful music he wanted.  There were scale...
• Signs, Sheep, and Shepherds by Kyle Childress (9/8/2010)
  ...rd of John 10. We’ve had this shepherd’s staff with our congregation’s name written beside it out front on our sign since 1979 and it is on our letterhead, Sunday order of worship, and website. This shepherd’s staff is a constant reminder to us and to others of our vocation – who we hope to be and are called to be. More than that, it always reminds us who God is. Our congregation began in 196...
• Knowing the One Thing by Kyle Childress (7/15/2010)
  ...me and Martha gets busy doing the many things a good hostess does: preparing food, setting the table, straightening the room, picking up the newspapers that have piled up, and on and on.  Meanwhile sister Mary sits in front of Jesus listening to what he has to say.  Martha, understandably frustrated says, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister just sits there while I do all the work?  Tell her to ge...
• Courage to be Whole by Kyle Childress (5/5/2010)
  ... off of the street, and is surrounded by porticoes offering some shade and shelter. Legend said that on occasion an angel would trouble the waters of the pool and the first person into the water would be healed. Hence, the pool and the surrounding area had become the gathering place for anyone and everyone with some sort of sickness, but especially the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed. All gath...
• Sooner or Later by Kyle Childress (3/5/2010)
  ...full of preachers, “We must always hold before our people God’s commands to obedience.  Always.  But we must also always be patient with one another as we fail to heed those commands.  Always.” The readings for this Sunday are all about God’s commands to obey and our failure to obey.  According to Luke, Jesus found himself in a conversation about some current tragedies, the gist of which had ev...
• God in Particular by Kyle Childress (12/23/2009)
  ... of Scripture attached to it to give it biblical validity. On the third night we were given the assignment of going out to neighborhoods and college dorms, knocking on doors, and if the person answering the door would allow us, we were to tell him the four spiritual laws. If the person said “yes” to the last law, we were to pray with him, asking for Jesus to enter into his heart. After the pray...
• Thanks, but No Thanks by Kyle Childress (10/8/2009)
  ...pecially things like speaking clearly, looking a person in the eye, standing straight, and shaking hands with a good firm grip. One 9-year-old boy, who came to church when he was four from an abusive home, used to hide under the chairs when you talked to him and the only way he showed any affection was to come up and hit. We’ve worked with him, been very patient and loving, and we’ve taken the t...
• Kings? by Kyle Childress (8/13/2009)
  ...17196601">Psalm 111</a> or <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=117196626">Psalm 34: 9-14</a>; <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=117196650">Ephesians 5: 15-20</a>; <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=117196676">John 6: 51-58</a> The Old Testament reading this week culminates the summer-long focus on the David cycle throughout I and II Samuel. We’ve followed David from his anointing by old S...
• This Year in Jerusalem! by Kyle Childress (3/27/2009)
  ...an see the very route from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee that Jesus walked. Furthermore, clustered along the lake’s coastline, all within view because they are no more than a few miles from one another are the remains of the villages of Magdala (the home place of Mary Magdalene) and Capernaum. Beyond that, up where the Jordan River runs into the Sea of Galilee, is Bethsaida. All of these villa...
• Why Share? by Kyle Childress (9/27/2008)
  ...ery has just gotten in a case of fresh cod. “Frozen, but it’s fresher than what’s been in his freezer for months. In the grocery business, you have to throw out stuff sometimes, but Ralph is Norwegian and it goes against his principles.” On the other hand, more and more people have been “sneaking off to the Higgledy-Piggledy in St. Cloud, where you find two acres of food, a meat counter a block l...
• Getting Small by Kyle Childress (8/5/2008)
  ...veryone to come to his house and “get small.” Martin said that “getting small” was dangerous for children because they would get “really, really small” and it was also impossible for the police to put you in jail for being small because you’d walk out right between the bars. It was a short, quirky piece of the sort that made Martin famous.<span class="fullpost"> </span> If it was countercultu...
• Walking with God Slowly by Kyle Childress (8/1/2008)
  ... things, paying attention to details is a recurring wonder to me the more walking I do. My preferred walk is the Tucker House trails behind the SFA Native Plant Center. There’s no traffic, not many people, beautiful woods and plant life, and I spot plenty of animals, birds, and reptiles (copperheads!) when I pay attention to what’s around me. Once I leave those quiet trails I’ve noticed a lot of o...