Creation – Apprentice 2 Jesus

Worship in the ordinary

A Theology of the Ordinary by Julie Kanlis is a small work with a powerful punch. It is a call to move us away from the hype of “radical” or “cutting edge”, etc. It is a call to find God in ordinary.

Watching God continually create

In the work of creation, God came to a place of hallowing (making holy) a day. A day to pay attention to what God is doing.

The creation story humbles me

How GREAT is our God! And how GREAT is the work to which HE has called US.

The incredible danger in my life is the lurking of the Pharisee. Reading the Common English Bible helps me identify that ugliness a bit better. Jesus told this parable to certain people who had convinced themselves that they were righteous and who looked on everyone else with disgust… (Luke 18:9) I am tempted in thisContinue reading “The Pharisee in all of us”

Anchored in the Creation Story

This week I will begin a sermon series tentatively called “Anchor in God.” It has morphed into several forms, but all of them begin in Genesis. At this point, it may only be a series out of Genesis to take us to Lent. The more I teach the Old Testament as an adjunct the moreContinue reading “Anchored in the Creation Story”

Made to reflect God’s Glory

One of the powerful reminders I have every time I begin to teach Old Testament survey is the creation and the thought God gave to creation of humanity. We need a solid understanding of just who we are in creation. We don’t need to be overly “fond” of ourselves, but we don’t need any falseContinue reading “Made to reflect God’s Glory”

Look! A Barth Post!

Finally, I have braved the thought of trying to pick up Barth again. About every 300 pages I find something I understand… or I think I understand. I don’t know why I’m trying to pick up Barth again. My life is so crammed full of stuff, this isn’t exactly devotional reading. But for today, I try to lookContinue reading “Look! A Barth Post!”

The Broken Promises of Humanity and the Majesty of Our God

Today’s reading was once again out of the Deuterocanonical Books. I have found the Common English Bible to be a great help in reading a portion of text I am unfamiliar with in my tradition. It keeps me aware of the importance of good translations that are easier to read. Sirach 43 is a tributeContinue reading “The Broken Promises of Humanity and the Majesty of Our God”

Holy Creation!

Last year this time the word was “hell.” Rob Bell, Mark Galli, Francis Chan… all got in on hell. Now… the buzzword is CREATION. CREATIONISM. DARWINISM. All kinds of things flying around. Must be some new books flying off the presses in the next few months… Have fun.

Is the Creation Account Our New “Shibboleth”?

“Shibboleth” comes from a story in Judges. When one tribe was asked how to pronounce the word, they would miss the “h”, thus the enemy tribe could pick out their enemy and kill them when asking them that word. We look for those places of differentiation and we choose places to “make our stand.” IContinue reading “Is the Creation Account Our New “Shibboleth”?”