Archive for the 'Christianity' Category

Amnesty for Adam: Pastoral Ministry in a Border Community

August 17th, 2010 by Neal Locke

This is part three in a three-part series on border/immigration issues written for my summer internship work with Pasos De Fe.  For more information, please read the introduction. Previously:  Who Is My Neighbor? (Luke 10:25-37)Previously: The Law and the Lions’ Den (Daniel 3 & 6) Amnesty for Adam Definitions of Amnesty: from Merriam-Webster Online: The [...]

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The Law and the Lions’ Den: Pastoral Ministry in a Border Community

August 16th, 2010 by Neal Locke

This is part two in a three-part series on border/immigration issues written for my summer internship work with Pasos De Fe.  For more information, please read the introduction.  Previously:  Who Is My Neighbor? (Luke 10:25-37) The Law and the Lions’ Den Some of the most vehement and passionate arguments against immigrants are directed specifically at [...]

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Who Is My Neighbor: Pastoral Ministry in a Border Community

August 15th, 2010 by Neal Locke

This is part one in a three-part series on border/immigration issues written for my summer internship work with Pasos De Fe.  For more information, please read the introduction. Who Is My Neighbor? There is little doubt in my mind that the parable of the Good Samaritan, which Jesus gives in Luke 10:25-37 as an answer [...]

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Pastoral Ministry in a Border Community: A Series

August 14th, 2010 by Neal Locke

Although I grew up in El Paso and Mexico was (quite literally) a stone’s throw from my house, I never really connected much with Mexican culture or the issues (like immigration) that are an inherent part of living and working in a border community.  So for my internship this summer at 1st Presbyterian Church in [...]

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Preaching Tomorrow: I Am No Prophet

July 10th, 2010 by Neal Locke

Tomorrow will be the first of three sermons I’ll preach during my internship here at First Presbyterian Church of El Paso, Tx. This one draws from the lectionary passage (Amos 7:7-17) as well as a few scattered reflections from General Assembly 219 and my personal angst over the ongoing “numbers crisis” in the PC(USA). While [...]

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Confession of Faith for the Church in Virtual Worlds

June 11th, 2010 by Neal Locke

(Also posted at Sacred Space in Cyberspace) PREFACE In a time of deep cultural change, the church has both great opportunity and great responsibility.  It is propelled into the future by its mission, while connected to the past by traditions, teachings, and writings stretching back to the beginnings of our faith.  It is often tempting [...]

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SecondLife, New Church Development in the PCUSA, and Discerning my Calling

August 31st, 2009 by Neal Locke

What follows is my application essay for a PCUSA New Church Development Discernment  Conference this October, answering the simple question “Why do you want to attend this event?”  Since it marks some major changes (or clarification) in my thinking, and tracks some things I’ve been involved with recently, I thought it might be good to [...]

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