Tag Archives: Bible

June 27, 2012 · 10:16 pm

Bring to the Light …

I have mentioned the persistent presence in my thought of Ephesians 5:13

“But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

-That even those things that bring shame can bring the light of God if exposed to the light.

But in this, as in so many things, I must confess that my thoughts are more persistent than my deeds.

There is an area that I have been reluctant to bring to the light. But a fellow blogger, whose comments I have greatly valued both here and on her site, has inspired me to make real this idea, which I so often profess.

I bring it up now only on trust that it might do someone some good; either to know that someone else has walked this path and come out the other side, or to know what I learned about my own dis-ordered thoughts, or just that they are not alone. Continue reading →

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April 16, 2012 · 8:54 am

On the upper room, peace, and scars

Very interesting message this past week from the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of Texas (Episcopal). Now, having participated (on the losing side) in some minor ways in the recent wars of the Episcopal Church, I am not automatically receptive to most bishops, including my own. But here I think Bp Doyle got it exactly right:

He was preaching from John 20:19-26, The post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to the disciples in the upper room. Continue reading →

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February 24, 2012 · 9:31 pm

“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 →

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February 24, 2012 · 9:18 pm

“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 →

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February 8, 2012 · 9:31 pm

“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 →

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January 29, 2012 · 7:12 pm

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 →

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January 17, 2012 · 12:10 am

The Wedding in Cana, Water into Wine: The Gospel According to John, Chapter 2

(This is written as an early Lenten exploration, as described in an earlier post – I encourage you to comment!)

The Wedding at Cana

1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Continue reading →

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January 16, 2012 · 11:50 pm

Write a Commentary for Lent

I have begun a new project, one that is so far above me that it embarrasses be to mention it. I would not, except I have found that when I don’t confess my plan, I am likely to shrink back. When I don’t make my thoughts public, I am free to make them sloppy. So I am writing my own commentary on “The Gospel According to John”
Continue reading →

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November 19, 2011 · 10:34 pm

Is the Bible the “Word of God” or is it a human book?

I had a thought last week during a Bible study class on Deuteronomy.  The leader of the group is a thoroughly “Bible-Believing” Christian. He is highly educated, with advanced degrees in Biblical scholarship, and is thus immersed in current academic understandings of the authorship of the ancient texts of the Hebrew scriptures.

 This presented a challenge, and something of a threat, to some members of the group, who understood the Torah as being of Mosaic authorship, and any move away from that as a move away from Divine inspiration.

 Now, I have no dog in that fight. But the ideas expressed had a familiar ring to them. Continue reading →

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February 28, 2011 · 4:24 pm

On the closing of The Church of the Redeemer

“My place in Redeemer & vice versa, ”compare and contrast “ with life in general and personal history, with particular emphasis on the themes of plans and expectation (see subtext “Judas”)…”

OK, yesterday eve (well, late afternoon!) when I finally got to bed after staying up like I was half my age, I couldn’t write what I wanted. But I was too full to properly resist, so I at least assigned a theme for myself, noted above. Upon reading my “assignment,” today, I am dismayed, and thankful on behalf of my non-existent class, that I do not teach High School English, nor do I assign term papers.

I have been dodging this topic all morning, and my available time is near an end. Some would say I have been dodging this topic for 20 years, maybe 25. Time to get to it… Continue reading →

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