Preparation for the Radical by the Radical The text this week is Mark 1:1-8. This seems like a true Advent text compared to the one last week. It talks of John the Baptist preparing the way for the arrival of Jesus. Mark cites the Old Testament prophet Isaiah about making straight the paths and of …
The Idea Comes From the Bible There is a long history of references in popular culture to the idea of not being “in between”. The idea is to take a stand, to dig in, to let the world know what you think is important. The immediate such reference that comes to mind is from Bruce …
But in Those Days These words begin this week’s text, which is Mark 13:24-37. This passage has Jesus talking about the end times, and what they might look like. This seems an odd way to begin a new church year, but there it is. It also seems that Jesus has the timing a bit off. …
The Often-Harsh Reality As we finish up another season of Thanksgiving in America, I cannot help but feel thankful. I sit stuffed to the gills after a series of stunningly bad food choices, having left neither the couch nor my lounge pants since Wednesday evening. In the dictionary under “cosseted existence”, there should be a …
The Gathering This week’s text is Matthew 25: 31-46. This is the tale of the end of it all. The final sorting. All the talk about wheat and chaff, tossing out some into the outer darkness, etc… is coming to fruition in this text. This is the proverbial sheep and goats time. The sheep get …
We Have Been Here Before (in fact we never left) The culture wars are all the rage. It seems that everywhere you look you can see evidence of people tearing each other apart. One side is a bunch of “deplorables”, clinging to their guns and bibles, while the other side is advancing some radical agenda …
Sounds Like Sound Financial Advice The text this week is Matthew 25:14-30. This is the famous tale of the man entrusting his property to his servants while out on a trip. When he returns, he wants an accounting. He had given 5 talents (one talent equals approximately 20 years of work), another received 2 talents …
What Does it Mean to Bear a Cross? There are several passages in Scripture that discuss the notion of carrying a Cross on behalf of our Lord. Luke 9:23 “Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” …
Another Insightful Analogy The text this week is Matthew 25:1-13. This is yet another metaphor for what the Kingdom of heaven will be like. It is true enough that many parts of Scripture can be difficult to discern. It was written 2000 years ago in a language not our own and referencing a very different …
A Continuing Story In June I published a piece titled “There He Is! Visible Grace in Our World” detailing some stories of people engaging in an amazing response to God’s gifts of Grace upon Grace. From time to time I plan on revisiting the idea of “visible grace”, if only to not become too despairing …