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.
Tag Archives: Repentance
The purpose of Lent
“Lent is a season of repentance and preparation. In many churches, it is a time when those who will be baptized prepare for their new life with God. It is a time when those who have been estranged from the church can be reconciled to the body of believers. It is also a time forContinue reading “The purpose of Lent”
The healing we refuse
My daily office reading has my New Testament reading in Revelation to finish out the year. I needed to land this NT Wright quote on Revelation 6 somewhere, so I place it here. It is a stark reminder to how we, as American Christians, have been asleep at the wheel for so long.
Holy Week
We are about to enter Holy Week in the Church. This marks the most powerful week to commemorate in the life of the Church. It is time to follow him into the hardest places to find the deepest power. It it time to sit with him as he looks over the city of Jerusalem andContinue reading “Holy Week”
The healing and the warning for the white conservative American church
Read Luke 13:10-17 HERE. Jesus is dealing with Israel and their final opportunities for repentance as he heads toward the cross. He is trying to wake them up to their poisonous nationalism and desire for open rebellion against Rome. He is calling one more time for them to wake up, turn around, and head towardContinue reading “The healing and the warning for the white conservative American church”
Always reforming… this should be the Church
First, distinguish between deconstruction and reform. The church is a Christ-made institution, but it is also a sinful institution. It always needs reform. If a person’s frustration with the church arises from the biblical vision of community, that’s not deconstruction. It’s calling the church back to the gospel. More HERE. There is a deep workContinue reading “Always reforming… this should be the Church”
Why repentance still matters
We carry an arrogance with us in American Christianity. “I didn’t have slaves, so how am I responsible for this so-called racism?” Or, “Our church doesn’t have abuse problems so why are you saying I need to repent? Repent for what? And then what?”
Lent needs to deal with our callousness
My Lenten reading has me in Jeremiah. It wasn’t that long ago I was in Jeremiah in my Daily Office readings… It is a constant pummeling, but for good reason.
The refusal of repentance, pt. 2
The American Church falters and it grows more and more obvious that it does so without a clue. My reading to day was from Jeremiah 8, so I will continue on this theme of refusing to repent because it runs parallel to our own day.
The refusal of repentance
It’s probably an apocryphal story, but I do love it: According to a popular story that has circulated for a long time, a well known London newspaper in the early part of the twentieth century (usually stated to be The Times) asked the question “What is wrong with the world?” and received many replies. TheContinue reading “The refusal of repentance”
Apprentice 2 Jesus 