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The Message of Advent and Our Desire for Being “Neat”
Yesterday’s Advent readings included some very “not nice” language in Isaiah. Today, even Psalms isn’t safe! 3 Our God is coming; he won’t keep quiet. A devouring fire is before him; a storm rages all around him. (Psa. 50:3, CEB) Devouring fire? Where is this nice little baby in the manger? What is happening? In this season we really need our…
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Whatever you do, do NOT read the Advent passage today!
You can read the New Testament passage, the Gospel, maybe even the Psalms. But do NOT… I repeat… do NOT read that Isaiah 1:21-31 passage! Something is really wrong with whoever put THIS in an Advent reading! I find is SOOOO rude to have Advent and thinking about Christmas and the nice and neat stuff we see all around us,…
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Getting to the Authenticity of Ministry
My other blog for pastors has this thought today. Go HERE.
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Knock off the fake worship!
The reading in Advent will usually get around to Isaiah and this year it dives right into Isaiah 1. To put it succinctly, God is not happy. As I work on the Sermon on the Mount and a “pro-life ethic,” I am drawn to the parallels here in Isaiah 1. A quote I posted from Craig Keener really drives at the…
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Advent — Righteousness and Justice
14 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days…
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We are not good at grieving
Probably over time we will learn more about what caused Jovan Belcher to turn to killing his girlfriend, then driving to the Chiefs training facility and taking his own life. What puzzles me is the decision for the Chiefs to go on with the game tomorrow. The players apparently want to play. I can understand that to a point. However, what…
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The Sermon on the Mount and a Pro-Life Ethic
Jesus was serious about the Kingdom bringing a righteousness back into play that would exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. The goal of a true pro-life ethic in the Kingdom of God should be to move away from the emphasis on the regulations of the Law and return to the character of the Law. The Kingdom ethic demands more of us. A true pro-life ethic may…
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The Purpose of the Following Christ
As I am working my way through the Sermon on the Mount in studying a true pro-life ethic, I was caught by Craig Keener’s words in his work on the background of the New Testament. This particular quote on Matthew 5:13-16 is incredible: A disciple of the kingdom who does not live like a disciple of the kingdom… is worth…
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Israel, Palestine, and an Effort Toward a True Pro-Life Ethic
I began some thoughts on what it means to have a “pro-life” ethic (HERE), and on that same day the United Nations voted to allow provisional recognition of Palestine as a “state.” This came over the loud objections of the United States and Israel. This is a perfect areas to try and hash out a true “pro-life” ethic. It’s a…
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An Attempt on a Life Ethic
We have passed the election season and are now in “fiscal cliff” season. We’ve had about 48 hours of feel good talk (about two weeks ago), and since that time Democrats and Republicans alike have re-trenched their positions. Politics, culture, and religion are such hot topics. When I try to work my way through this mess, I’ve tried to articulate…
