Monthly Archives: March, 2012
Father, Forgive Them
Luke 23:34: Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” This first saying of Jesus from the cross is traditionally called ‘The Word of Forgiveness’, theologically interpreted as Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness for those crucifying him, the Roman soldiers and all involved in crucifying him. Jesus on the cross …
Where There Is Darkness, Light
Where there is darkness, light I am preparing a class on the St. Francis prayer. This prayer while not necessarily straight from St. Francis is a portrait of the life he led. This was his life. From the moment he saw his first vision until his death he lived the words of this prayer. He …
Every Life Counts
God cares about everyone. There is not a single person, animal, or section of our universe outside of the love and care of God. Every life counts. Every life matters. God sees the pain of this life, hears our cry, and understands the brokenness and misery all too often common to life on earth. He …
Liberals and Conservatives In The Kingdom Of God
At the end of the third chapter of book The Myth of a Christian Nation Gregory Boyd writes briefly about how the American church is divided on political lines. “While Jesus never sided with any of the limited and divisive kingdom-of-the-world options routinely set before him, the church today, by and large swallows them hook, …
To Be Yourself
I often refer to myself as the purple marble in a bag of black and whites. Growing up, I never felt like I belonged. There are times when I still don’t feel quite to fit in, though I am more at peace with who I am and learning to be me, the real me as …
This Is Grace
Jesus died so that we might live through him to the glory of Our Father in Heaven. This is how God loved the world: he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes may not perish but may have eternal life. (See John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1John 4:9) Paul’s cry from Galatians (He loved …
Where There Is Despair, Hope
Where there is despair, hope I am preparing a class on the St. Francis prayer. This prayer while not necessarily straight from St. Francis is a portrait of the life he led. This was his life. From the moment he saw his first vision until his death he lived the words of this prayer. He …
Jesus In Politically Troubled Times
The third chapter of Gregory Boyd’s challenging book The Myth of a Christian Nation begins with a quote from Dietrich Bonheoffer, “Jesus concerns himself hardly at all with the solution of worldly problems… His word is not an answer to human questions and problems; it is the answer of God to the question of God …
Where There Is Doubt, Faith
Where there is doubt, faith I am preparing a class on the St. Francis prayer. This prayer while not necessarily straight from St. Francis is a portrait of the life he led. This was his life. From the moment he saw his first vision until his death he lived the words from this prayer. He …
On The Gospel Of Mark
I attend a Thursday Night Bible Study at my church. Recently, we finished a study of the Gospel of Mark. I thought I would highlight this little read gospel. This gospel is often overlooked and is the earliest gospel. It’s terse, succinct, direct style differs from Mathew and Luke who seems to have used this …
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