An Anglicostal Connecting to a Real World
Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV)
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
I recently finished up another journey through the Sermon on the Mount and come away once again with awe. The Kingdom of God is so grand and powerful and our King invites us into this incredible life.
Continue reading “Our grand invitation”
D.L. Mayfield’s new book, The Myth of the American Dream, is timely. There is a lot of gold in this book and I will do a review later on. But this quote is incredible:
My husband likes to say that we need the church to be our recovery group; we need it to be a place where we can share how tempted we are by the values of our world: upward mobility, progress, success, programs, achievements, individuality.
We need the Church, and the Kingdom of God, to remind us we are not in control. This isn’t about our “liberty.” This is about our allegiance.
![The Myth of the American Dream: Reflections on Affluence, Autonomy, Safety, and Power by [D. L. Mayfield]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510W1BUwKTL.jpg)
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. (Mark 9:33-34)
We can be so clueless. Jesus talks about sacrifice, and we’re consumed with who gets the best seat in the house.
Quite probably an apocryphal story, but one I still find relevant in our time:
According to Cornelius a Lapide, Thomas Aquinas once called on Pope Innocent II when the latter was counting out a large sum of money. “You see, Thomas,” said the Pope, “the church can no longer say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’” “True, holy father,” was the reply; “neither can she now say, ‘Rise and walk.’”
Cited by F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, Revised Edition (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 77–78. (Found HERE in my meager search)
Matthew 21:12-22 is a passage I’m very familiar with in my reading… and know so little about in context of the story. For too long I have looked at each part without regard to the whole.
Continue reading “Tossing tables and disrupting worship”