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Jesus won’t be king like you want
15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (Jn. 6:15, NIV)
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Here I am
Genesis 22:1-14 is a frightening passage at face value. Over the years, as I have walked with Abraham and his example in Genesis, I understand the place in life where this happens for Abraham. This was after decades, and probably a century, of Abraham walking with God. He knew the voice of the Lord.
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The clash of cultures
This year Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day were on the same day. The last time that happened was 2018. The juxtaposition of those two events are odd enough, but throw in this: In 2018 there was the mass shooting at Parkland High School in Florida. This year there was a mass shooting at the end of the victory celebration for…
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Ash Wednesday
6 Isn’t this the fast I choose: releasing wicked restraints, untying the ropes of a yoke, setting free the mistreated, and breaking every yoke?
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Lent comes to an end… and I must find the way to HIM
John 6 may be my most favorite chapter. From v. 22 on, I find a pull in my spirit every time I read this passage. The words of Jesus draw me deeper every time. He is dealing with a crowd and finds a way to thin them out. Jesus wanted committed followers, not crowds.
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The power of the crucifixion
No one has helped me more with the complexities of the crucifixion than Fleming Rutledge and NT Wright. We’ve tried to make it a battleground where “my way is it and the other views are just wrong.” Rutledge cuts through the harsh battle lines and brings history into the equation. THIS INTERVIEW is well worth your time.
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Sin, death, resurrection
Today is the Fifth Sunday of Lent. A reflection from Fleming Rutledge’s book, The Crucifixion:
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The identity I must face
“…participation in Christ means abandoning our pretenses, openly acknowledging our identities as sinners in bondage, and in the same moment realizing with a stab of piercing joy that the victory is already ours in Christ, won by him who died to save us.” Fleming Rutledge, The Crucifixion (p. 171)
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We keep striving for greatness and power while Jesus constantly calls us to service
I am not a fan of the phrase “servant leaders.” I think it’s a cop out phrase in large part. Just serve. If people notice and follow in that path, then you’ve led in some way. Just not the way that people who throw out the phrase “servant leader” meant to say “lead.”
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The release we need in repentance
Lent is a season of contrition. It is sensing the sin against God and dealing with the ugliness. We have fallen short of the glory of God and there is a feeling in that, not just a forensic fact to have presented in court.
Category: Lent
