Podcasts Archives
A Clash of Wills: Four Perspectives on God's Will
A personal God is an offense to most people. Why? A personal God possesses a will and desires us to align our wills with God's will. A personal God makes claims on our lives and invites our response of respect, surrender, faith, and love. Most people prefer an impersonal energy that makes no demands.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
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A Faith Map for the Spiritual Journey: Final Session - Questions and Answers
In our final session on a Faith Map for the Spiritual Journey, we wrestle with questions raised by the congregation - questions concerning what we can do to nurture and sustain and stage five experience, questions concerning the wall, and questions concerning spiritual growth in general.The six stages are:
1. The Discovery and Recognition of God: Conversion / Awakening 2. The Life of Discipleship: A time of learning and belonging 3. The Productive Life: Consciously serving God through spiritual gifts 4. The Journey Inward: Deep personal – almost always comes as unsettling experience The Wall: face-to-face experience with God and with our own will 5. The Journey Outward: Outward focus from new, grounded center of ourselves 6. The Life of Love: God’s love demonstrated to others more clearly and consistently than we thought possible [Mp3] | [Manuscript] »MORE
A Faith Map for the Spiritual Journey: Insights from the Map
Having spent four weeks describing and illustrating each stage of the faith map for the spiritual journey, we now, in our final session consider five insights from the map as well as two shortcomings of the map. The importance of time, the place of suffering, and the necessity of perseverance are highlighted and explained. Overall, we have the formula: Time + Commitment + Training (Intentionality) + Experience (Practice) + Trials (Perseverance) = MaturityThe six stages are:
1. The Discovery and Recognition of God: Conversion / Awakening 2. The Life of Discipleship: A time of learning and belonging 3. The Productive Life: Consciously serving God through spiritual gifts 4. The Journey Inward: Deep personal – almost always comes as unsettling experience The Wall: face-to-face experience with God and with our own will 5. The Journey Outward: Outward focus from new, grounded center of ourselves 6. The Life of Love: God’s love demonstrated to others more clearly and consistently than we thought possible [Mp3] | [Manuscript] »MORE
A Faith Map for the Spiritual Journey: Reviewing, Clarifying, and Illustrating the Map
A map is a tool to ascertain your current position in respect to your desired destination. Maps not only record travel over land, but also progress in the journey of life. Just as we map physical growth, we can also map spiritual growth. In this message I introduce a "faith map" that incorporates insights from the last two thousand years of the Christian spiritual tradition.The six stages are:
1. The Discovery and Recognition of God: Conversion / Awakening 2. The Life of Discipleship: A time of learning and belonging 3. The Productive Life: Consciously serving God through spiritual gifts 4. The Journey Inward: Deep personal – almost always comes as unsettling experience The Wall: face-to-face experience with God and with our own will 5. The Journey Outward: Outward focus from new, grounded center of ourselves 6. The Life of Love: God’s love demonstrated to others more clearly and consistently than we thought possible [Mp3] | [Manuscript] »MORE
A Faith Map for the Spiritual Journey: The Final Stages
In our current exploration of a faith map for the spiritual journey, we have now come to the final two stages: The Journey Outward and The Life of Love. These stages represent the pinnacle of spiritual growth and maturity. In this session, I develop the final two stages, offering examples from the life of Paul, Jesus, and Henri Nouwen. My goal is to paint such an attractive picture of spiritual maturity that it prompts us to continue on our journey with joy and hope.The six stages are:
1. The Discovery and Recognition of God: Conversion / Awakening 2. The Life of Discipleship: A time of learning and belonging 3. The Productive Life: Consciously serving God through spiritual gifts 4. The Journey Inward: Deep personal – almost always comes as unsettling experience The Wall: face-to-face experience with God and with our own will 5. The Journey Outward: Outward focus from new, grounded center of ourselves 6. The Life of Love: God’s love demonstrated to others more clearly and consistently than we thought possible [Mp3] | [Manuscript] »MORE
A Few Words About Everything: The Cosmic Significance of the Cross (Colossian 1:15-20)
In order to grow in faith, Paul urges his readers to see Christ as the key to everything (note the repeated use of words, "all things"). It is through Christ that all things have been created and it is in Christ that all things are redeemed. This divine redemption of creation is achieved through Jesus' death on the cross. Jesus is thus the bridge between old and new creation.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Colossians 1:15-20: 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. »MORE
A Glimpse of Home (Revelation 21:1-8)
In the Seer's final vision, we receive a glimpse of the fulfillment of God's purposes for all the world. Everything is made new. Evil is conquered and destroyed. Justice is celebrated and enjoyed. With this restoration and renewal of all things, the purpose of the cosmos can now be realized. God's presence pervades this new creation bringing comfort, healing, and renewal to all. This is the hopeful vision of the future that inspires and guides our faithful efforts in the present.[Mp3]
Revelation 21:1-8: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’ 5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ 6 Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.’ »MORE
A Strange Victory: "It is Finished" (John 19:30)
It is from the cross – after six hours of public humiliation, mental anguish, emotional turmoil, and excruciating physical pain – that Jesus declares his victory: "It is finished!" This is certainly a strange victory revealed in a strange place and at a strange time. How could it possibly be that the Crucified One is triumphant – even victorious?[Mp3] and [Manuscript]
John 19:30 When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. »MORE
All Together Now: Let Everything That Has Breath Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150)
We cling to a vision of ourselves at the center of the universe and God at the periphery. Corporate worship shatters this illusion, and in the process, spiritually transforms us. Worship invites us to give God the highest place in our hearts – the first place – so everything else can be put in its proper place, in relation to God.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Psalm 150: 1Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that breathes praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! »MORE
All You Need Is... What is Love? (1 Corinthians 13)
The Beatles told us that all we need is love. But then the J. Geils Band told us love stinks! Def Leppard warned us that love bites, and Nazareth sang that love hurts. Pat Benator voiced that love is a battlefield while Babs quietly consoled us that love is soft as an easy chair. Those of us raised on radio are confused: What is love? Thankfully, St. Paul provides an eloquent and powerful definition in one of the most famous chapters in the Bible: 1 Corinthians 13.[Mp3]
Bible Passage: If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. »MORE
An Honest Sinner: The Positive Power of Negative Confessions (Psalm 32)
Confession gets a “bad rap” in contemporary culture. It is considered a negative, morbid, and overly-introspective practice for puritanical prudes who delight in self-abasement and perpetual misery. The author of Psalm 32 does not view confession in such dismal light. For him, confession is a positive practice that bears rich fruit in the life of the believer. To neglect confession is the “negative” and depressing way to live, leading to misery, inner turmoil, and unending sorrow. Put simply, failure to confess sins is to miss out entirely on the blessing of God![Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Bible Passage:1 Blessed are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’, and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. 7 You are a hiding-place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you. 10 Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD. 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart. »MORE
Ask the Pastor 2008
I take questions from my congregation during both services on subjects ranging from interpreting revelation, heaven, hell, purgatory, the Christian life, and more. My answers are given, not in order to stifle discussion, but in order to provoke further reflection on the great themes and practices of the Christian faith.[Mp3]
Quotes: The average child asks in an average day... more than one hundred [questions]. Some parents would say their toddlers ask three hundred a day! By the time we're middle-aged adults, the average is down to a handful of significant questions a day. As we grow older, we have a tendency to lose our inquiring sense of awe and wonder. We forget how to be childlike. We quit asking questions. (Mike Slaughter, Unlearning Church, 82) In the progress toward religious understanding, one does not go from answer to answer but from question to question. (Thomas Merton) Questions are not scary. What is scary is when people don't have any. (Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis, 28) The goal of a good question... is not just to get an answer; it is to provoke reflection. (Stephen Sorenson, Like Your Neighbor, 44) »MORE
Barren! The Prophecy of the Forerunner to the Messiah (Luke 1:5-25)
As they go about their normal lives, a faithful priest and his wife are given shocking and unexpected news. Zacharias is told that his elderly wife Elizabeth will bear a child, and that this child "will be great in the sight of the Lord" - the one predicted by the prophet Malachi who will be a forerunner before the coming of the Lord. Zachariah's doubts leads to a period of dumbness that will end at the birth of the special baby - John the Baptist.[Mp3]
Bible Passage: Luke 1:5-25 5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. 8 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10 Now at the time of the incense-offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15f or he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ 18 Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’ 19 The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.’ 21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. 24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25 ‘This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favourably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.’ »MORE
Between Thieves: "Truly, I say unto you, Today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:39-43)
In the midst of the horror and madness of Jesus’ crucifixion, one lone voice of sanity arises from a completely unexpected source: a convicted death-row criminal. Somehow, in a startling turn of events, the last person anyone would expect to speak truth and sanity – a violent criminal, an evil terrorist – witnessed of the truth concerning Jesus.[Mp3] and [Manuscript]
Luke 23:32-43 33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” »MORE
Beyond Blood: The Family of Faith
Perhaps no one has wanted to give up on spiritual community more than me. I am naturally independent, competitive, and self-sufficient. I know how to find the resources I need to survive and even thrive as a professing Christian. Furthermore, no community has hurt me more than those within the Christian community. I've been mocked, spurned, hated, betrayed and rejected by Christians within the church. Quite frankly, I don't need this kind of anxiety-producing pressure in my life. Or do I? Perhaps God knows best. Perhaps God knows that only in the dirt and grime of real relationships with real people will I be what God wants me to be. Perhaps God knows that only personal relationships truly possess the power to transform me. I would like to think that if I learn enough principles, memorize enough laws, and obey enough rules that I will be transformed. But human transformation is not so simple, tidy, and abstract. No, real human transformation is messy and sloppy. It comes about through interaction with others, not interaction with abstractions.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Galatians 6:10 Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. »MORE
Bond in Blood: The Space between Promise and Fulfillment (Genesis 15)
God promised Abram an heir who would be a blessing to the nations. Ten years after God's promise, nothing had changed. In this story, a frustrated Abram complains to God of God's slowness to fulfill his promise. God reminds Abram that the promise will be fulfilled and gives him assurance by entering into a unique covenant with Abram. This story has much to teach us about God's faithfulness and the response of faith that God desires. It helps us learn how to live in the awkward space between God's promise and its fulfillment. Why does God make promises and why does God take so long in fulfilling them?[Mp3]
Bible Passage: After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ 2 But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ 3 And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ 4 But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ 5 He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ 6 And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
7 Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’ 8 But he said, ‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ 9 He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ 10 He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. (Genesis 15:1-11, 17-18) »MORE
Carpe Diem, Memento Mori (Ecclesiastes 11:7-10)
Most people are familiar with this Latin phrase that invites us to take life by the horns. The reason we should do this is simple and it is summarized in another, lesser-known, Latin phrase: Memento Mori, which means “Remember, you must die.”[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Bible Passage: 7 Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. 8 Even those who live for many years should rejoice in them all; yet let them remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is fleeting. 9 Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the inclination of your heart and the desire of your eyes, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 Banish anxiety from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the dawn of life are fleeting. »MORE
Changing Values: The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ (Philippians 3:7-11)
In the second of our four-week study of Philippians 3 - a study of Paul's spiritual journey - we discover Paul's supreme value, his most cherished treasure. Paul speaks of "the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." This knowledge is not achieved by ethnic privilege or spiritual achievement, but by faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone. Paul's experience of the gift of righteousness gives him a newfound freedom that the law never provided. He is completely accepted in the Beloved through the work of Christ. As his supreme treasure, Paul desires to know Christ more as Savior and follow Christ more closely as Lord.[Mp3]
Bible Passage: Philippians 3:7-11 7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ,* the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ* and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. »MORE
Cube: The Glory of the Holy City of God (Revelation 21:10-22:5)
John's final vision of the glorious city is breath-takingly beautiful. The vast city is ornate, secure, and designed as a perfect cube, reminding us of the Holy of Holies in the ancient temple. God's glorious presence pervades the city. Everything within it is holy, pure, and peaceful. We revisit the Tree of Life which blooms forevermore, bringing life to all, and healing to the nations. All people dwell in the immediate presence of God - seeing God's face, worshipping God and serving one another in love.[Mp3]
Revelation 22:10-18, 22-26; 22:1-5: 10 And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. 11I t has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The angel who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width; and he mea-sured the city with his rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, one hundred and forty-four cubits by human measurement, which the angel was using. 18 The wall is built of jasper, while the city is pure gold, clear as glass… 22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever. »MORE
Dying of Thirst: The Fifth Word from the Cross: “I am Thirsty” (John 19:28)
Had Jesus desired to do so, he could have satisfied his physical thirst. However, Jesus’ desire for water, for relief from his pain, was not as great as his desire to redeem humankind. In other words, Jesus’ thirst for us trumped his thirst for water. “I thirst” is not simply identification with human pain, but an expression of God's passion for humanity's redemption.[Mp3] and [Manuscript]
John 19:28-30 28 After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. »MORE
Embracing Mystery: Or Better, Embraced by Mystery
Sacred mysteries are beyond human reason, so they must be divinely revealed. Furthermore, once revealed, they remain incomprehensible mysteries. The greatest mystery is the mystery of Christ. How do we live with divine mystery? How do we embrace a mysterious God? How do we think about such a God? Love such a God? In this session, we wrestle with what it means to embrace the mysterious God. Perhaps it has little to do with the intellect, and much to do with a proper stance toward God that is best expressed in the phrase, "childlike faith"?[Mp3]
Colossians 2:1-10 For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. Romans 11:33-36 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways! 34"For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?" 35"Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?" 36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen. »MORE
Famous Last Words: “Father, Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit” (Luke 23:44-46)
Jesus’ final words reflected the course of his entire life. These eight words were directed to God as a final witness of Jesus’ life and ministry: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” What will your last words be? What will they reveal about your life – your values, your beliefs? How would you summarize your life in the space afforded by dying gasps?[Mp3] and [Manuscript]
Luke 23:44-49 44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. 47 When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.” 48 And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. 49 But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. »MORE
Fear No Evil (Psalm 23)
We all, like sheep, wrestle with fears and anxieties. It is impossible not to, for we live in a world full of dark valleys, inexplicable evil, and dangerous enemies. The only way to "fear no evil" is to "know the shepherd" - to know more intimately through green pastures and dark valleys what it is to bask in the greatest promise of all: "for Thou art with me." Only this truth is sufficient to calm our anxious hearts and still our fears: "I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me!"[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Psalm 23: 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. »MORE
Fearless? Why "Fear Not" Does Not Mean "No Fear"
Jesus call to discipleship is strong and demands faithful devotion, but not recklessness. Following Jesus must take priority over all relationships. This demands great love and risk - but not foolhardiness. Jesus encourages his disciples to count the cost before they commit. His disciples are called to the tender balance of offering complete devotion with great forethought and wisdom - not reckless abandon. Fearlessness is not a virtue, but a vice. It can only exist when one is lovelessly detached, blissfully ignorant, or proudly invulnerable. Find out why fear is a gift and fearlessness a curse.[Mp3] | [Dan Osman Speed Climbing]
Bible Passage: 2 Timothy 1:7 God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. »MORE
Fighting Fear 365 Days a Year: Keeping Perspective and Faith in a Culture of Fear
In the sacred scriptures, we are constantly admonished to “fear not” because fear is a spiritual and moral issue. Fear keeps us from becoming the kind of people God wants us to be. When fear rules our lives, there is no place for faith, courage, hope, risk, or love. Following Jesus requires that we fight fear and step out “into faith’s daring.”[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Bible Passages: Isaiah 43:1-7 1 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my sight, and honoured, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; 6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up’, and to the south, ‘Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.’ »MORE
Find Us Faithful: Octogenarian Insights on Life… and Death (Luke 2:25-40)
Two aged saints who've given their lives to God and temple service praise the coming of the infant Messiah to the temple. Simeon blesses the Lord for allowing him to live to see the Christ-child. He also warns Mary that Jesus will serve as a catalyst. Some will respond positively; some, negatively. Ultimately, Mary's heart will be pierced with grief by the coming crisis. The prophet Anna proclaims this news to all who will listen. Both Simeon and Anna represent Israel at its best - devout, obedient, prayerful, led by the Spirit, at home in the Temple, and longing for the fulfillment of God's promise.[Mp3]
Bible Passage: Luke 2:25-40 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. »MORE
Friends of God: Spiritual Friendship, Part 1
Spiritual friendship is friendship with the "friends of God" - those intentionally nurturing a personal friendship with God. Those who pursue friendship with God do what they do from their experience of God's love. Their relationship with God is central to their relationship with others. Their activities flow from and are enacted for the sake of their friendship with God. And since friendship is a circle that is open to others, as a "society of friends," God's church invites others to share and experience God's friendship. In order to pursue spiritual friendship, we must learn to highly value the love of friendship. In this provocative study, I seek to advance philia (friendship love) as the highest form of love, and wrestle with whether agape is the only "ideal" love or the only "Christian" love.[Mp3]
John 15:13-15 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. »MORE
Fully Alive 01 - Brain-In-A-Vat Spirituality: Introduction to Experiencing God with all Five Senses
Contrary to my initial wishes, the goal of Christian spirituality is not to be a brain percolating in a boiling vat of nutrients. The goal is to be a human being fully alive – all thoughts, affections, and senses experienced as channels of the divine. Our senses can be gateways instead of obstacles to God’s Spirit. Quite possible, “every sensuous experience is at heart a spiritual one, a divine revelation.”[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 1 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"
Bible Passage: We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:1-4)
“Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53) »MORE
Fully Alive 02 - Sight Unseen
Sight practically monopolizes our senses. However, sight is not always reliable. Appearances can be deceiving. Our eyes are tricked by optical illusions. Because of its limitations, “we walk by faith and not by sight.” In spite of its incessant desire to rule our lives, we must put sight into its proper place.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 2 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses" »MORE
Fully Alive 03 - We See Glory
The Westminster Catechism begins with this question: What is the chief end of human beings? To glorify God and enjoy him forever. Glory is central to the Bible's story. God's glory points to God's immense significance, unspeakable beauty, and immeasurable worth. Glory's connection to beauty is often ignored by Christians. Glory appeals primarily to our sense of sight: "We beheld his [Jesus] glory." In this session, we speak of God's glory, and how God's glory is central to our understanding of God, self, sin, the world, and all of creation.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 3 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses" »MORE
Fully Alive 04 - Behold the Beauty of The Lord: The Holiness of Beauty and the Beauty of Holiness
To know God is know beauty; to know beauty is to know God. Just as God is the source of all truth and goodness, God is also the source of all beauty. God is the Supreme Artist – the Creator of all. Thus, everything that is beautiful reflects God’s artistry. Indeed, God is Beauty itself. If this is true, why does beauty play such a limited role in our spiritual experience?[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 4 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"
Bible Passage: One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to meditate in his temple. (Ps. 27:4) »MORE
Fully Alive 05 - Spiritual Beauty: The Art of Christlikeness
In Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, Prince Myshkin, the Christ figure declares: “Beauty will save the world.” How does this sound to you: Sappy? Sentimental? Interesting? Profound? If God is Beauty itself, Jesus is Beauty personified, and the Spirit is the Beautifier, then our lives take on the quality of spiritual beauty through artistic faithfulness to God's revelation in Christ. What is spiritual beauty and how do we nurture it?[Mp3]
This is Part 5 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"
Bible Passages: Adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. (Titus 2:10)
Let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. (1 Peter 3:4) »MORE
Fully Alive 06 - Images and Words: Faith Comes by Hearing
"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." Why is hearing celebrated in scripture while sight is held in suspicion? What advantages does the word have over the image to the life of faith? These are vital questions in an image-saturated culture that has great difficulty listening to liturgy and preaching, must less reflect on their significance.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 6 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"
Bible Passages: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:16)
“The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63) »MORE
Fully Alive 07 - The Lost Art of Listening: Hearing as a Means of Grace and An Act of Worship
Sacred words are a means of grace, a sacrament of Christ, a tool of the Spirit. Attentive listening with “ears that hear” is our way to appropriate these words, receive the sacrament, and be shaped by the Spirit. Listening is not passive or non-participatory. It is a spiritual discipline. We do not simply listen; we listen worshipfully![Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 7 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"
Bible Passages: 13 The reason I speak to them in parables is that “seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.” 14 With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: “You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.” 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. (Matthew 13:13-16)
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4) »MORE
Fully Alive 08 - Ooh, That Smell! The Aroma of Christ a Fragrance of Life
God ordained worship to be full of sweet fragrances and pleasing aromas. True worship was meant to smell good. Those immersed in worship would go away bearing this smell into the world. The scriptures call us to make our lives a fragrant aroma to God. The very name “Christ” carries with it the memory of sacred smell. “Christ” is Greek for “the Anointed One.”[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 8 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"
2 Corinthians 2:14-16: But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? »MORE
Fully Alive 09 - Reach Out and Touch
Through touch we receive sacraments and by touching others we become sacraments of God to others. The limitation of touch is its greatest strength. In order to physically touch others we must be in their immediate presence. Touch connects us with others - not as abstractions - but as "neighbors" God has placed in our lives.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 9 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"
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Fully Alive 10 - Acquiring the Taste
We can see, hear, and smell from afar, but with taste, we must completely give ourselves over to the object we consume. When food enters our mouth, dissolves in our saliva, and goes into our stomach, it becomes part of us. It affects us – empowering, enabling, delighting or disgusting us. But there can be no impact apart from direct experience.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 10 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"
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Fully Alive 11 - Transcending the Senses: Beyond the Limits of Perception
A secular worldview exhumes reality of all traces of the transcendent. What we see is what we get. This is as good as it gets. The best we can do is enjoy the day, for its significance is exhausted in its use. In contrast, a sacred worldview embraces the ordinary, but recognizes the eternal significance of every moment. It imagines a world open to something greater than we currently experience. It assumes that the limits of human perception do not exhaust the infinite possibilities of our shared reality. It embraces the fact that reality is not what it seems to the senses – it is always more. We do not find out what is real just by seeing, touching, smelling, hearing, or tasting things.[Mp3]
This is Part 11 in a series titled: "Fully Alive: Experiencing God with All Five Senses"
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God's Good Conspiracy: All Things Work Together for Good (Romans 8:22-30)
Until the redemption of all things in Christ, Paul speaks of three sources of groaning - three areas where the longing for renewal is intensely pronounced: we groan within ourselves (23), all creation groans (23), and the Spirit groans (26). In the midst of this suffering - both within and without - a suffering so profound we often do not know what to pray for, we are given a promise: All things work together for good for those who love God. What is "the good" toward which all things contribute? Verse 29 and 30 hold the key.[Mp3]
Bible Passage: Romans 8:22-30 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes* for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. »MORE
God's Story - Your Story: Finding Yourself in the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-26)
The point of Christian spirituality is to get caught up in the Gospel – to passionately and holistically participate in God’s story. In 1 Corinthians 15, St. Paul's longest extended reflection on the significance of the resurrection, we are invited to find our identity within a story much larger than our own - God's story summarized in three days: Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. It is our belief and participation in the good news of Christ's resurrection that brings hope in the midst of hopelessness.[Mp3] | [Icons]
1 Corinthians 15:1-6, 12-26: Now I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2 through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.
3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died…
12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. 17 If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. 19 If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. »MORE
God-Forsaken: "My God, My God, Why Have you Forsaken Me?" (Mk 15:33-34)
Faith does not come without a fight. Hope is empty apart from hardships. Love without lament is superficial. We should never imagine that we can have a deep intimate relationship with God without all the doubts, frustrations, and complaints that accompany an authentic relationship – substituting "pious froth" for "fighting the good fight of faith."[Mp3] and [Manuscript]
Mark 15:33-34 33 When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” »MORE
Good News, Bad News: Simeon's Sour Note (Luke 2:21-35)
Two aged saints who've given their lives to God and temple service praise the coming of the infant Messiah to the temple. Simeon has good news and bad news. Simeon blesses the Lord for allowing him to live to see the Christ-child. He also warns Mary that Jesus will serve as a catalyst. Some will respond positively; some, negatively. Ultimately, Mary's heart will be pierced with grief by the coming crisis. Unlike most "Good News, Bad News" jokes, the bad news does not eclipse the good news. In the gospel, the good news outshines the bad news - being established in spite of and through the bad news.[Mp3]
Bible Passage: Luke 2:21-35 21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. 22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’ 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 29 ”Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” »MORE
Growing Pains: Even for the Holy Family, It’s Not Easy! (Luke 2:39-52)
Adolescence is not easy for any family – including the holy family. Jesus must have been an ideal son. Mary and Joseph were surely godly parents. And yet, even for the holy family it was not easy. Growth comes at a price. It is impossible to escape growing pains. If the holy family could not do it, then neither can we.[Mp3] and [Manuscript]
Bible Passage: Luke 2:39-52 39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. 41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor. »MORE
Hide & Seek 01 - Just Lift a Finger: Insights from Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam
The first session in the new January 2007 series - Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God.God’s greatest desire is that we would live all of life coram deo, that is, before the face of God. God is closer than we think, offering us access into the divine life. God furiously pursues us – in spite of our lethargy – and desires for us to awaken to his presence. “He is never farther than a prayer away. All it takes is the barest effort, the lift of a finger.”
[Mp3] | [Manuscript] »MORE
Hide & Seek 02 - Coram Deo: The Divine Presence in Biblical Revelation
God’s greatest desire is that we would live our lives coram deo, that is, before the face of God. It is this divine passion that pulses through the biblical narrative from beginning to end. In order to demonstrate this, we embark on a brief survey of every major section of the sacred canon: the Torah, the Psalms, the Prophets, the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Book of Revelation.It is important that we not only believe in God, but that we live before God. The former without the latter is irrelevant to our daily lives – it is religion without relationship. Even worse, it is empty of any meaning whatsoever. Simply consider how many people believe in God, and yet, this belief has absolutely no significance in shaping any aspect of their lives.
[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 2 in a series titled: "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God." Part 1 is titled "Just Lift a Finger" and can be found Here. »MORE
Hide & Seek 03 - The Hiddenness of God (Part 1): Toward an Understanding of Why God Hides
“Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior” (Isaiah 45:15). What exactly is the “hiddenness” of God? What reasons could God have in hiding? Could God's hiddenness actually be an expression of divine love? Perhaps in God's hiddenness, God is up to something. Perhaps God has good reasons to hide.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 3 in a series titled: "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God." Part 1 is titled "Just Lift a Finger" and can be found Here. Part 2 is titled "Coram Deo" and can be found Here.
Bible Passages: “Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.” (Isaiah 45:15)
“Although you have not seen him [that is, Jesus], you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.” (1 Peter 1:8)
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Hide & Seek 04 - The Hiddenness of God (Part 2): Toward an Understanding of Why God Hides
God’s revelation must never be detached from God’s ultimate will for humanity. God is interested in much more than our becoming theists over atheists! God desires to transform our hearts in order that we might freely participate in loving union with God. God achieves this through the means of divine hiddenness - God's gracious and loving response to our fallen condition and human finitude.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 4 in a series titled: "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God." Part 1 is titled "Just Lift a Finger" and can be found Here. Part 2 is titled "Coram Deo" and can be found Here. Part 3 is titled "The Hiddenness of God (Part 1)" and can be found Here.
Bible Passages: “Truly you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior.” (Isaiah 45:15)
“Although you have not seen him [that is, Jesus], you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.” (1 Peter 1:8)
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Hide & Seek 05 - Spiritual Sight: Faith as a Way of Seeing
Faith is spiritual sight. Faith finds the hidden God in nature, relationships, events, and objects. Since “this is my Father’s world” where Christ is Lord and the Spirit is given, all creation holds the possibility of manifesting the divine presence. Faith does not change the facts about the world we live in, but it changes the way we see these facts, and this makes all the difference.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 5 in a series titled: "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God." Part 1 is titled "Just Lift a Finger" and can be found Here. Part 2 is titled "Coram Deo" and can be found Here. Part 3 is titled "The Hiddenness of God (Part 1)" and can be found Here. Part 4 is titled "The Hiddenness of God (Part 2)" and can be found Here.
Bible Passage: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen… And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:1, 6) »MORE
Hide & Seek 06 - How to Spend a Day with God
All the ordinary places and events of our lives hold the potential to become houses of God, gateways of heaven. Every moment holds the possibility of revealing the hidden God in our midst. The reason knowing God does not consist of an endless stream of ecstatic and extraordinary experiences is because God wants us to learn to see him in the ordinary![Mp3] | [Manuscript]
This is Part 6 in a series titled: "Hide and Seek: Experiencing the Absence and Presence of God." Part 1 is titled "Just Lift a Finger" and can be found Here. Part 2 is titled "Coram Deo" and can be found Here. Part 3 is titled "The Hiddenness of God (Part 1)" and can be found Here. Part 4 is titled "The Hiddenness of God (Part 2)" and can be found Here. Part 5 is titled "Spiritual Sight: Faith as a Way of Seeing" can be found Here.
Bible Passage: He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the LORD stood beside him and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:11-21) »MORE
Holier-Than-Thou Wholly-For-You: On Jesus' Sinlessness
When we think of a "perfect" or "sinless" person, we usually think of someone who is “holier-than-thou” and snobbish. But in Jesus we discover that the only one who is truly “holier-than-thou” is wholly for us. His holiness is that of otherly love – love of another kind! His perfection does not make him less-than-human, but rather, truly human.[Mp3] and [Manuscript]
Bible Passages: Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14-16 14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. ... 4:14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. »MORE
Holy Fear - A Gift of Grace
The fear of God is a gift of grace, a work of God's Spirit. It is the fear of God that allows us to put all our other fears in proper perspective. This tension is best expressed in the second verse of the old hymn, Amazing Grace: 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. Listen and learn how the fear of God is a good fear, a holy fear, a gift of the Spirit, and a product of grace. It will only take you 18 minutes![Mp3]
Quote: May you love God so much that you love nothing else too much; May you fear God enough that you need fear nothing else at all. - Anthony Robinson, Common Grace, 81. »MORE
Home: Life in God (John 14:25-27; 15:4, 8, 9-12)
Through union with God we have entered into the "home-life" of the Trinity. We are invited to share Jesus' "abba-spirituality." What does Jesus see when he looks into the eyes of the Father? What Jesus experiences is what he offers us: "my peace, my love, my joy." We experience this by abiding in Jesus, that is, by intentionally finding our "home" in the "home-life" of God. One evidence of this is that we obey Jesus' one commandment: "love one another as I have loved you."[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
John 14:25-27; 15:4, 8, 9-12 14:25 'I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid… 15:4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me… 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. 12 'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. »MORE
Humanity Matters: Toward an Incarnational Spirituality
Authentic Christian spirituality is fully human, fully embodied. In our culture, human limitations are often perceived as obstacles to unhindered union with God. On the contrary, it is precisely in and through our humanity that we experience God. Christian spirituality is not an attempt to escape our humanity but to embrace God in and through it.[Mp3] and [Manuscript]
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I Can't Get No Satisfaction (Isaiah 55)
Through the prophet Isaiah, God invites all people to satisfy their desires in God. Our problem is that we often attempt to satisfy our deep desire for satisfaction, peace, and meaning in things other than God. Though this may satisfy us momentarily, it inevitably brings frustration. We long for the Eternal! In the words of Augustine: God has made us for Godself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in God. This is the reason we desire something so elusive as eternal peace - we have been made for God! This is the reason that though "we try, and we try, and we try, and we try" the satisfaction we desire eludes us.[Mp3]
Bible Passage: Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. (Isaiah 55:1-3) »MORE
Introducing Incarnation: What It Means and Why It Matters
Christmas confronts us with the profound mystery of the Incarnation - the enfleshment, the embodiment of God in Christ. It is the moment God becomes one of us! Without ceasing to be God, the eternal Son assumes human nature. If the Incarnation is true, it forever transforms our perspective of both God and humanity. Jesus becomes the lens through which we truly see God and truly see what it means to be fully human. In this introduction we consider foundational texts regarding the Incarnation and begin to explore the significance of the Incarnation in respect to our view of God and ourselves.[Mp3]
Bible Passages: Luke 1:35 - The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. John 1:1-2, 14, 16, 18 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. … 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we beheld his glory; glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. … 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. … 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, who has made him known. Galatians 4:4-6 - But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6 And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ 2 Corinthians 8:9 - For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. Colossians 1:15, 19-20; 2:9 - He is the image of the invisible God … 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. ... 2:9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. Philippians 2:5-8 - Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Hebrews 1:1-3 - Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high… »MORE
Jesus on Prayer: Keeping the Heart of the Lord's Prayer
Our spirituality should be simple, pure, and honest. We do not practice piety to be noticed by others but to please God. Jesus teaches us a simple prayer to guide us. The "Lord's Prayer" is a basic framework for us. Through it we approach our tender Abba who is exalted in the heavens, whose name is holy, whose kingdom is sovereign, and whose will is good. We seek simple daily provision to preserve our life, daily grace to forgive our sins, and daily protection to guard our souls in the time of trial. As we pray we become more like God - more gracious, compassionate, and forgiving.[Mp3]
Matthew 6:5-15
5 ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 ‘Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. »MORE
Let It Be... : The Faith of a Twelve-Year Old (Luke 1:26-38)
Through the angel Gabriel, God visits a lowly peasant girl named Mary and announces that she will bear a son and call him Jesus. This one will be great, "the Son of the Most High," and will be given an eternal kingdom in the lineage of the house of David. In Jesus, God's promise to provide a deliverer for Israel (and for all the world) is fulfilled. This shocking news and the uniqueness of the virgin conception do not deter Mary. Instead, she humbly and willingly accepts God's will: "Let it be done to me according to God's will."[Mp3]
Bible Passage: Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. »MORE
Living Paradoxes: On Becoming Fools for Christ
Just as the mystery of God's kingdom is countercultural, the practice of living the paradoxes of God's kingdom is counter-intuitive. The truth appears upside-down in an upside-down world, for it is rooted in redemptive realities that transcend this present world and its systems. We follow the pattern of Jesus - "God's own fool." We must embrace the fact that if we seriously seek to follow Jesus and live according to God's kingdom, it will be impossible to not look silly to the watching world. We will most surely be laughed at and attacked. Our frantic attempts to discover a universally respectable way of life - a life that will not contradict and upset the present world's structures - will most certainly fail. A completely rational, logical Christianity that the world will accept without question is a denial of the mystery of God's kingdom![Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Matthew 5:3-12 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. »MORE
Love the One You're With... While There's Still Time (John 12:1-8)
As opposition to Jesus increases, tensions mount among his disciples. During an ordinary meal, Mary demonstrates extravagant love toward Jesus by anointing his feet with expensive perfume. Judas self-righteously condemns her actions but Jesus stands up for Mary, and even assigns prophetic significance to her extravagant action. The passage clearly constrasts Judas and Mary: Judas pretends godliness for his own self-interest while Mary risks respectability through her outlandish display of devotion.[Mp3]
Bible Passage: Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 ‘Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?’ 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, ‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.’ »MORE
Luke's Big Fish Story: No "Perfect People" Allowed (Luke 5:1-11)
In Luke's narrative, Simon encounters his own theophany. The power and presence of God is revealed in and through the person of Jesus Christ. This manifestation of God's mighty work leads to his statement of fear and unworthiness. Jesus follows Simon's reaction with a word of comfort ("do not fear") and a word of commission ("you will be catching men"). Simon is promised a role in Jesus' mission. Simon truly is a sinner, and yet, this is exactly the kind of person Jesus calls to share his mission.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Bible Passage: Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ 5 Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7 So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:1-11) »MORE
Matter Matters: The Gnostic Controversy and the Orthodox Response
The central affirmation of the church is that God has come in the flesh in Jesus. God has truly entered into our human situation - experienced human limitations, weaknesses, temptations, emotions, suffering, and bore the weight of human sin. By fully entering into our human situation God has redeemed and transformed it. Our goal is now to live fully human lives, fully alive to God. Gnosticism denied the full humanity of Jesus. It therefore offered a different understanding of God, creation, Jesus, humanity, and salvation. In this session, I examine the Gnostic controversy and the reasons why the early church rejected Gnosticism as a viable expression of the Christian faith, and instead, offered a robust, embodied, fully human expression of faith - a material spirituality. Why is this important? Because Gnosticism never really went away. I argue that an implicit Gnosticism underlies much Christian expression.[Mp3]
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Mysterium Tremendum: The Gift of Holy Fear (Isaiah 6:1-8; 40:12-25)
From the beginning to the end of the sacred scriptures, the fear of God is both commanded and commended. It is viewed as a positive quality - a gift of the Spirit. This is hard to communicate in a culture that views fear primarily as a negative emotion. The fear of God is not an ordinary fear - that leads to fight or flight - but an entirely different kind of fear. This holy fear is the delightful terror and trembling fascination that arises from encountering a being completely unlike oneself - an uncanny otherly being of absolute inapproachability, overwhelming power, and explosive energy. We must maintain a holy fear because there is no one and no thing like God. Nothing and No one can compare. In both passages, God makes this point in order to invite people to trust in God's unfailing faithfulness and holy love.[Mp3]
Bible Passages: Isaiah 6:1-5 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ 4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5 And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ Isaiah 40:12-25 12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? 13 Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, or as his counsellor has instructed him? 14 Whom did he consult for his enlightenment, and who taught him the path of justice? Who taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? 15 Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as dust on the scales; see, he takes up the isles like fine dust. 16 Lebanon would not provide fuel enough, nor are its animals enough for a burnt-offering. 17 All the nations are as nothing before him; they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. 18 To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? 19 An idol? —A workman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts for it silver chains. 20 As a gift one chooses mulberry wood* —wood that will not rot— then seeks out a skilled artisan to set up an image that will not topple. 21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; 23 who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. 25 To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. »MORE
No Orphans in God's House: The Promise of the Paraclete (John 14:15-27)
On the final night of his earthly ministry, as Jesus heads toward the cross, he promises his disciples that he will not leave them orphaned. He will return to them. Jesus comforts them with the coming promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, who will comfort and help them. Unlike orphans, who have no place to belong or anyone to belong to, the disciples will experience God's indwelling power through the Spirit, manifesting the presence of Christ, offering them the comfort of eternal communion with God. They will never be alone, for God's Spirit gives them access to the divine life and love of Father and Son.[Mp3]
John 14:15-27 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. 25 I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." »MORE
Of Angels and Shepherds: The Birth of Jesus and the Angel’s Song (Luke 2:1-20)
In contrast to John the Baptist's birth, Jesus' birth is relatively low-key. The sign of the Savior's birth is nothing more than a child born in a barn to a poor family. The first recipients of the good news are simple shepherds who receive a divine visitation from a host of angels. In contrast to this miraculous vision of the angels, the "sign" is relatively unadorned and common. God comes among us in the poverty of a homeless couple and celebrated by simple people. Ultimately, we are meant to identify with the nameless ones of the Advent story - the shepherds.[Mp3]
Bible Passage: Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 ”Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. »MORE
On "The Way" With "The Way": Why We Need a Map for the Spiritual Journey
One of the great motifs of the Christian life is that of a person on a journey. The earliest name for the fledgling Christian movement was “the way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). The name was based on two biblical passages: Jesus’ claim to be “the way” to God (John 14:6) and the name for the path of righteousness declared by John the Baptist in fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” (cf. Mt. 3:3; Mk 1:2-3; Lk 3:4-5; John 1:23). The implication of this name is that the Christian life is “the way” (the path) to live with “the Way” (Jesus). It is a righteous journey with God’s righteous One.Every journey has a starting point and a goal. The journey is only successful if we enter at the right place, proceed in the right direction, and persevere until the goal is attained. As important as the proper starting point is, it is the goal that provides the impetus for the entire journey. If the goal is not realized, the journey is in vain.
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One Thing I Can Tell You Is You've Got To Be Free: The Gospel According to the Beatles - Part One
Every group has a message – a gospel, or good news – that they hope to transmit. This is certainly true for the “most popular, repeatedly covered, influential, and enduring rock group of all time:” the Beatles. The goal of this essay is to piece together from the music, lyrics, and lives of the Fab Four the Gospel according to the Beatles.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Galatians 5:1, 13-15
For freedom Christ has set us free. … For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:1, 13-15) »MORE
Ooh, That Smell! The Greater Love of the Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-50)
The participants in Luke's story of Jesus' dinner with a Pharisee could not escape a pervasive and overwhelming smell. In the midst of a pleasant meal the strong fragrance of perfume wafted throughout the entire room, drawing attention to a single woman with a notoriously bad reputation in the community. What the woman did with the perfume was considered shockingly inappropriate to almost everyone attending the dinner. Only one person at the dinner was not offended – Jesus. To him, the odor was not a disgusting stench but the sweet savor of sacrificial and adoring love offered by a heart touched by God's grace.[Mp3] | [Manuscript]
Luke 7:36-50 36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37 And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ 40 Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ 41 ‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ 43 Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ 44 Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’ 48 Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ 49 But those who were at the table with him began to say a