When children die by “outdated targeting data,” silence becomes another weapon ___ Derek Penwell writes, "what’s been taken from you on top of everything else, is the simple decency of being told the truth by the people responsible." kakistocracyreport.substack.com/p/the-kakist...

Reflections on the Epistle (Romans 6:12-23) - 5A after Pentecost, Proper 8 [13] (06.28.2026) ___ Paul insists that the Romans not let sin reign in their bodies. Sin is portrayed as a power and the dominion of humanity in the world. preacherslectionarynotebook.substack.com/p/the-preach...

Reflections on the OT (Genesis 22:1-14) - 5A after Pentecost, Proper 8 [13] (06.28.2026) ___ The binding of Isaac is one of the most troubling stories in the Bible. God orders Abraham to take Isaac and give him as a burnt offering? preacherslectionarynotebook.substack.com/p/the-preach...

Look for America ___ Kristen Du Mez writes, "I’m... envious of people whose job it is to write about goodness and truth rather than about pastors who give cover to pedophiles and such." kakistocracyreport.substack.com/p/the-kakist...

In the Western world, genealogies are often neglected as they are very repetitive or unimportant. But for the ancients, genealogies were preserved identity, heritage, and God’s work in the form of generations. allanrbevere.substack.com/p/ishmael-ge...

The newest addition to the MAGA Children's Library.

Reflections on the Gospel (Matthew 10:40-42) - 5A after Pentecost, Proper 8 [13] (06.28.2026) ___ In the kingdom of God, participation is at many levels. Some are public, while others quietly make that proclamation possible. preacherslectionarynotebook.substack.com/p/the-preach...

Connecting the Texts, 5A after Pentecost - Proper 8 [13](06.28.2026) ___ These texts reveal that faithful discipleship involves trust, obedience, and a willingness to place God above every other claim on life. preacherslectionarynotebook.substack.com/p/the-preach...

The SBC, Women Pastors, and the Same Old Biblical Interpretation ___ Dan Hawk writes, "...the vast sweep of the Bible subtly undermines patriarchal structures even as it articulates them. kakistocracyreport.substack.com/p/the-kakist...

Micah’s prophecies primarily focused on issues of social justice, ethics, and the moral conduct of the people. He denounced corruption, oppression of the poor, and idolatry among the leaders and people of Israel and Judah. allanrbevere.substack.com/p/who-was-th...

Good morning, folks. Give thanks to God. Have some coffee. Find good trouble. Don't create imaginary problems.

Hagar was not part of the covenant line through Isaac, but she was known and loved by God. Divine compassion extends beyond the boundaries we often create. allanrbevere.substack.com/p/god-loves-...

Today is World Refugee Day. The RCL OT text for tomorrow is the casting out of Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 21:8-21). And I am preaching tomorrow. 🙂 An accidental convergence?🤔 No preacher can ignore the obvious connection.

I don't write Limericks very often, but some events seem to require one. ___ There once was a reflecting pool, That Dear Leader declared should be blue. But the paint peeled away, And the algae held sway, Showing a clown staring back at the fool.

This needs to be said. Among other things, our president is a jerk. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." - Isaiah 5:20

Toward a More Perfect Union: Why Juneteenth Matters ___ "One of the things about the telling of history is that no story in and of itself is complete. History is the story of human beings attempting to get it right and sometimes failing." kakistocracyreport.substack.com/p/the-kakist...

Good morning, folks. Give thanks to God. Have some coffee. Find good trouble. Happy Juneteenth!

#kakistocracy HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS A PAINT REMOVER The peeling began less than two weeks after the Donald Trump-directed renovation officially reopened on June 6. Large pieces of the "American Flag Blue" coating have lifted off the pool floor and are floating in the water.

Logical. Flawlessly logical.

A Brief Rant: Stop pitting Jesus against Paul. To do so is to misunderstand both. That is all.

250 Years of American Myth: With God on Our Side? Part 1: The Lament ___ Randy Woodley writes, "if God is on our side, what does that make God? What does that make us?" kakistocracyreport.substack.com/p/the-kakist...

It's where we are, folks. Good morning.

Reflections on the Epistle (Romans 6:1b-11) - 4A after Pentecost, Proper 7 [12] (06.21.2026) ___ The Christian life is not just about making a few moral improvements. It is about participating in the new life that Christ has made possible. preacherslectionarynotebook.substack.com/p/the-preach...

Hagar starts to weep. The terror and helplessness of a mother is seen when all human resources are exhausted. Hagar has no plan left and no visible source of hope. preacherslectionarynotebook.substack.com/p/the-preach...

Why does the Trump Administration continue to blame Biden and Obama for every stupid thing they do? Because they truly believe the MAGA faithful are stupid. Their propaganda is not directed toward those of us connected to reality, but to the cult of followers. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Between Despair and Determination ___ Benjamin Cremer writes, "Whenever I think of the state of the world, my heart vacillates between rage, determination, hopelessness, and despair." kakistocracyreport.substack.com/p/the-kakist...

Faith is more than believing God for what happens in our lifetime. Sometimes faith is about trusting God with a future that we will never be able to know personally. allanrbevere.substack.com/p/trusting-i...

Good morning, friends. Give thanks to God. Have some coffee. Find good trouble.

Reflections on the Gospel (Matthew 10:24-39) - 4A after Pentecost, Proper 7 [12] (06.21.2026) ___ Jesus comforts the disciples with an image of God’s care - sparrows, birds of little value - not one falls apart from the Father’s knowledge. preacherslectionarynotebook.substack.com/p/the-preach...

Connecting the Texts - 4A after Pentecost (Proper 7 ]12]) - 06.21.2026 ___ It isn’t that faith is enough to eliminate hardship. Rather, faith encourages us to believe that when in hardship, God is there and God is leading us to life. preacherslectionarynotebook.substack.com/p/the-preach...

America at 250, But Whose America? ___ Dan Hawk writes, "Narratives tie together various elements of national identity, that is, the symbols, monuments, and ceremonies that explain and reinforce a nation’s sense of its distinctive identity." kakistocracyreport.substack.com/p/the-kakist...

Joshua's success is not a matter of military skill, personal charisma, or political strategy. It will be the presence of God. allanrbevere.substack.com/p/to-be-stro...

Good morning, folks. Give thanks to God. Have some coffee. Find good trouble.

Good night, folks.

Bingo!

Good morning, folks. Have a blessed Sunday.

Faithfulness More Than Success ___ Jesus is not simply a teacher sharing information. He is bringing God’s reign into people’s lives through both word and deed. His message and his actions belong together. allanrbevere.substack.com/p/faithfulne...

Good morning, folks. Give thanks to God. Have some coffee. Find good trouble. Be like Pope Leo.

Junia Is Not Alone,* and Neither are Plenty of Others: Women and Leadership in the New Testament ___ In light of the Southern Baptist Cnvntion’s recent move toward excluding women from pastoral ministry, I want to take a trip through the New Testament. kakistocracyreport.substack.com/p/the-kakist...

Good night, folks. Be courageous. Have hope. Imitate Jesus. Run to where God is.

It is difficult to think of a movement more anti-Jesus and manipulative of Scripture than Christian Nationalism. It tribalizes the Gospel.

Good night, folks.

Today's Excellent Read. ___ "And the system generates a political theology with no vocabulary for corporate sin, structural injustice, or the common good, because those categories require a salvation with a telos beyond the individual. drinkwisely.substack.com/p/american-c...

The Hard Mercy of Accountability ___ Derek Penwell writes, "Real people paid real prices. People who were already vulnerable got more vulnerable because of the choices you made. And the people who suffered that stuff don’t get to un-suffer it...." kakistocracyreport.substack.com/p/the-kakist...

It must be noted that what the people of Sodom desire is not consensual sexual relations, but assault. The matter of consensual sexual immorality is dealt with in the Bible, but not here. allanrbevere.substack.com/p/what-were-...

Yep. And it ain't pretty.

Michael and Allan get beyond the memes and drill down in answering the question of whether Republicans or Democrats are worse for economic prosperity. allanrbevere.substack.com/p/which-poli...

MAGA 'christianity' - Making hypocrisy great again. inews.co.uk/news/world/maga-traditional-american-families-cant-stop-having-affairs-4439687?utm_campaign=PNIlFs3pHsli4pc&ito=gifted_article&data-target

Reflections on the Epistle (Romans 5:1-8) - after Pentecost, 3A (06.14.2026) ___ In the opening verses of Romans 5, St. Paul presents the Christian life as a movement from hope to hope. preacherslectionarynotebook.substack.com/p/the-preachers-lectionary-notebook-04a