Tony Romeo's sermons have been making people laugh for the past 35 years. But two and a half years ago, he decided to take his skills beyond church doors. Today he can be found in comedy clubs around New York City, where he makes friends and learns new skills that enhance his ministry as a pastor.

RD: Tony, tell us a little bit about yourself, your Italian background and your family.

Throughout the first eight chapters of Romans, Paul has repeatedly stressed the inclusiveness of the gospel. This emphasis is one that resonates with most of us. As tolerant, accepting, and open-minded readers of Paul’s letter, we rejoice in the announcement that the gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). Paul’s proclamation that “righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Rom 3:22) rings beautifully in our sensitive ears.

It was 8:00 AM on a Sabbath morning and I was kneelling on a prayer riser at the Episcopal Cathedral. Normally at this time I would be getting ready for services at my home church. I felt somewhat strange and out of place. Then the Deacon began to pray…

The Need for an Eschatological Spirituality

We are about half way through the Book of Romans. I hope by now we are all realizing again, maybe for the first time, how central and clear Paul’s message is. Yet, we have also seen those issues where Christianity has split itself, even in Paul’s day down to ours! Something about Romans brings out the worse and best in us.

It isn’t that no one wants to occupy the center; it is that you cannot occupy it. Choose, or it will be chosen for you.

This article applies the principles of Wholistic Worship, part 1, to the African-influenced worship experience. Please read The Theater, the Laboratory, the Playground first.

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If worship is an expression of love to God, then it must be done with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It must involve the emotive, the cognitive, and the physical. It must be whole to be a full and true expression of worship.

The seventh chapter of Romans is a continuation of Paul’s discourse on the Christians relation to the law, the reality of sin and the grace of God. In first-century Judaism everyone was familiar with the law and for many it had become a noose around their neck, an unyielding set of rules that only highlighted how far a person was from God’s holy precepts. How different this picture is from our own western society.

Creation is a fundamental theme in the Bible. Faith affirms God’s creative action. Creationism, on the other hand, is the manipulation of biblical stories by those who pretend to convince others that they have scientific validity.

Rachel Davies joined the Spectrum team two years ago and is editor of the spirituality and interviews columns. Here Rachel talks about her stay at the French monastic community of Taize and the relationship between doubt and faith, especially in the experience of Mother Teresa.

BD: You plan and edit the spirituality section of the Spectrum website. When did your interest in spirituality begin?