Tag Archives: Redemption

October 11, 2013 · 5:58 pm

Guest post -no words of mine need be added

Guest post today –

Back in the mid-late 1970’s I shared a house in Houston with a man called George O’Malley. George was the second-best roommate I ever had; I moved out only to get married, and nobody disputes the honest fact that George was the Best Man at that wedding.

Paul Simon wrote a song I like that goes “Some folks’ lives roll easy…” That hasn’t always been George. But in the midst of the tosses and turns of this life, George has maintained the central goodness of his heart. Today he posted something that I thought not only showed something of George, but also pointed for the rest of us the way forward. I argue theology. George simply does it. His is the more excellent way. Continue reading →

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September 18, 2012 · 10:02 am

“For I know the plans I have for you…”

“In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to the Lord at its border. It will be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and he will rescue them. So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them. The Lord will strike Egypt with a plague; he will strike them and heal them. They will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.’ “

Isaiah 19:19-25

This passage from the prophet Isaiah came up this morning. It raises so many thoughts relative to the news of the day that one’s mind flies from one idea to the next, trying to capture it all. But among all the thoughts of great prophetic deeds done thousands of miles away, there is one thought supremely close at hand.  I want to stick with that. Continue reading →

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September 3, 2012 · 1:09 pm

On the Redeemer and the Exodus, through Psalm 105 (with thanks to Lisa Tenney)

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!

Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!

Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,

O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

The beginning of Psalm 105

 This morning, the daily reading app (at YouVersion.com, of which I am quite fond, btw) on my phone served to me Psalm 105 which starts with this marvelous call to praise God.

I read it in the context of reading a post from another long-time member of Houston’s Church of the Redeemer (Episcopal) Lisa Tenney. Her thoughts were a joy to hear; and as I began to read this Psalm of praise and exhortation to   praise God for His mighty acts, I could not help but put the two together.

Continue reading →

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September 2, 2012 · 5:54 pm

Understanding the Voice of Pain

Time for a long, rambling bit of pop psychology. I am much more comfortable thinking of the big-picture mysteries, but there is a valid claim against that. While I happily affirm and declare that every point of theology and doctrine has implications as to how we must live, that does not mean that we (and I) will actually make the connection. It’s one thing to take good notes in the lecture hall, but if I can’t get the project to work right in the lab section, I probably did not understand it as well as I thought. Real life is where the theology is lived out. This is where it happens.======

I have noticed both in myself and others a linking of experience and interpretation, bound in lock-step, where they should not be linked. Indeed, I am surprised that we and I do it so readily, almost automatically as first response.

The first condition is the experience of pain; emotional, spiritual or physical. As I try to think through what I want to say, I find it almost impossible to confine myself to a few sentences. But that is probably OK. You know about pain. Everyone does. Continue reading →

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August 12, 2012 · 2:20 pm

A Letter of Recommendation… Still valid

While cleaning some files on an old hard drive, I came across a letter of recommendation I wrote a few years ago on behalf of my former wife Stephanie, and decided I wanted to share it with you. The letter does not involve me in any way, except in that I recognized the truths expressed in it.

So why make it public now?

In small part, because I believe it to be a necessary addendum to impressions I may have left before. But even more, I think it is important because it celebrates a large portion of Stephanie’s character. I believe it is very important that such things be celebrated. A recurring theme in these musings has been the observation that God erases nothing, but He instead redeems all things and works them together for ultimate good – that even things that are dark and painful are first enlightened, and then become vehicles of light as they are laid at the feet of our Lord. Stephanie’s living example is one of the reasons I am convinced that these things are true.

Last, there are many good people who struggle with seizure disorders, and with the stigma, “the box” into which most of us try to force them or their family members. I do not have the power of Stephanie’s witness, but if I can point people to her; if they, too can be encouraged and drawn to this reflective light, it is a good thing.

Here is my letter …………… Continue reading →

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June 29, 2012 · 11:19 pm

Thinking about Dirt

Over the last several weeks I have run into what is often called “The Parable of the Sower” from the Gospel According to Mark (It’s also in Matthew and Luke, but this month, it always seemed to come up in Mark). If you ever had any exposure at all to stories from the Bible, you probably remember this one; on its simplest level, it tells of a man sowing seed, somewhat randomly. The seed falls on four different kinds of dirt, and the story explores what happens to that seed in each. The link to the story is here: Mark 4:2-9. But what does it all mean? And why did Jesus say it that way at all? Well, as our good fortune would have it, Jesus’ followers asked those questions too, and He told them. We can read it right there in Mark. No need for fancy interpretation, “…move along, nothing to see here, it’s all been explained….”
However some of us can’t leave well enough alone. Here’s my addition… Continue reading →

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