One of the things I like about the branch of the Church into which God has placed me is the use of a defined Lectionary, or schedule of scripture readings to be used throughout the year. One of the reasons I like this is that it is another way of removing the preacher from the throne, while leaving him in the pulpit: His (and her) task is to explain, expound and apply the Bible, not to cherry-pick the verses that fit his particular slant. But, like anything derived by humans to keep us out of trouble, “the rules” sometimes provide their own slant on the text. I believe that this may have happened the last two Sundays. Continue reading
Category Archives: Theology
A Visiting Preacher, Esau, and looking forward to Romans
This morning, we had a guest preacher, the Rev. John Newton, Canon for Life-Long Spiritual Formation for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. He preached mainly from the Epistle reading for the day, from first chapter of Ephesians. He started in what I thought was headed for a standard corporate-church theme of God’s blessings (“we need to realize that God has already blessed us, yadda, yadda, yadda …”) Yes, he went there, and I can’t totally fault him for that; he has an excuse in that the point is correct.
But then he went somewhere more interesting. Continue reading
Filed under ALL, Bible, Christianity, preaching, Theology
On Questions and Mirrors, Truth and Images
“Would it possible to be tempted, in such a way that we miss God’s desire for us, by being part of a church that is almost perfect?”
As an answer to the question, I will suggest that part of the reason for the story of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament is to answer a related question. It is one I have sometimes heard from skeptics. It goes something like this:
“If God is real, why doesn’t he just “show up” and prove himself? Then people would believe in him! Instead, all we get are some writings in a book (and those kind of hard to understand), and the word of people like you who tell us just to ‘have faith and trust him.’
I’m sorry, but if he is real, and expects to be acknowledged, he needs to say so, directly. Then we would all see the truth, and could all believe. Until then…”
I think there is some merit to the question. Continue reading
Filed under ALL, Bible, Christianity, Church, Theology
The Last Post of This Story
“You give and take away, blessed be the name” Popular worship song by Matt Redman (Listen here)
“ …The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21
“…Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil (or disaster)? Job 2:10
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One of the more difficult things in theology is how we are to understand the existence of evil; particularly, since we Christians affirm that God is all good, all loving, and all powerful – that God is One, and has no rival equal but opposite dark force who fights for evil while our God fights for good. No, we are forced to wrestle with Isaiah 45:7 “I make light and create darkness. I make blessings and create disasters. I, the LORD, do all these things.”
I say it is difficult, but it is not beyond our depth. At least, it is not beyond our depth when we are just talking in the abstract, in the absence of the screaming pain of real, fresh loss. But that is when we must talk of these things, so that we may be equipped when the waves threaten to overwhelm us. If we avoid wrestling with the problem until the day of trouble, we will be like a swordsman who avoids learning about his sword and shield until the enemy is upon him. Here on the Gulf coast, we are in the early days of Hurricane season. If we wait to prepare, to think about what must be done, until the wind is howling around our doors, how shall we stand? The time of need is too late.
I long to write more exploring the idea; but today, that is a diversion and a temptation. I need to be more personal.
Meditation on Good Friday
Because today is Good Friday, I’ve decided to change the date and bring this post forward. It was originally written in 2007.
I had been pondering a part of the creed little used in the branch of the Church I grew up in: “He descended into hell” particularly in connection with Jesus’ words from the cross “it is finished” and “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.”
Filed under ALL, Christianity, Heaven and hell, Theology
“…to love what you command and desire what you promise…”
“Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.”
Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979
For those not familiar with the use of collects, I’ll get back to that in a moment, but for now, let me just say that this prayer, little altered from its earliest known form in the late fifth century is one of my favorites.
Here’s why.========================= Continue reading
Filed under ALL, Christianity, Church, Theology
“And the Word became flesh…” “The Gospel According to John” Chapter 1 (cont.)
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'”)16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. Continue reading
Filed under ALL, Bible, Christianity, Gospel According to John, Theology
“In the Beginning” – “The Gospel According to John” Chapter 1
In case anyone should stumble upon these notes while trying to learn something about “The Gospel According to John” and of the Christ John presents, I feel compelled to again offer an apology and an explanation. My posts on this topic as part of a project of writing through this account of the Gospel, with the primary end in view as the revelation of my own ignorance, and clarification of my own thought. I am no scholar, as will be painfully obvious. Nor am I a cleric. But I have discovered that one of the best ways to learn something is to try and explain it for someone else. To that end, I welcome your input in these writings; your questions, your comments, and (most helpfully), your challenges.
1 In the beginning was the Word, Continue reading
Filed under ALL, Bible, Christianity, Gospel According to John, Theology
“The Evolution of Adam” byPeter Enns: some early thoughts
I have been very slowly reading through The Evolution of Adam by Peter Enns. I am nowhere near the end, not even up to the meat of his topic, which I understand is to involve an examination of Pauline soteriology, how sin and its consequences entered into humanity via the sin of our one proto-elder, and that we are saved from sin and its consequences through the action and sacrifice of Jesus. I understand that Ennis intends to look at this teaching in light of current thought about evolution, with an expected absence of a unique common “Adam,” and also of current academic thinking about the nature of the Old Testament scriptures. The topic interests me greatly. Continue reading
Filed under ALL, Bible, Book Reviews, Christianity, Theology
The Cleansing of the Temple: The Gospel According to John, Chapter 2:13-17
Paul Zahl wrote once that the Holy Spirit interacting with mortal man is very analogous to the interaction between living magma and the environment at the surface.
Magma, (Lava when it gets to the surface of the Earth) is about as close to an irresistible force as can be found in nature as humans experience it; it devours or melts all in its path. The only thing that can contain it is the interaction itself. The same interaction inevitably cools the lava, so that it becomes as the other rock, and even a dam or plug against a fresh outpouring.
The Temple was to be the place where man could look to God. Continue reading
Filed under Bible, Christianity, Church, Gospel According to John, Theology
Random Musings 