Christians should be in the front line when it comes to preserving people and the environment. Caring for the poor is a command that deserves our whole-hearted participation, and our concern for the eco-systems of the natural world is not only an expression of a stewardship of creation, but of our love for others.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Reflection for the Week - June 23rd
When it comes to the Christian faith, don’t be afraid to improvise. That does not mean to make it up as we go along, but to join in with the symphony of Scripture and to find your place in interpreting and becoming part of the composition.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Reflection for the Week - June 16th
Despite the many obstacles and false paths we take, Jesus says he is the way, the truth, and the life. Follow him and find community with God.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Reflection for the Week - June 9th
Might we be living in times where what we have known as church and culture are falling apart and beginning to disintegrate? And if so, where are we going to turn to find renewal and hope? If Western culture and church are to be revived, fervent prayer and the power of the Spirit will be essential. Further, I believe that one of the crucial elements of recovery will have to be a deep commitment to the reading, study, and appropriation of Scripture. Living the practices embedded in the biblical text is central to Christian existence and having an impact on church and culture for the sake of Christ.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Reflection for the Week - June 2nd
Lamentably, the founding stories of our faith are so often entombed in church buildings that lack the presence of God, or in electronic boxes that perpetrate a mindless faith in consumerism. By contrast, the subversive and radical power of the mission, ministry, and person of Jesus illumines the path towards authenticity. Cherish the Gospels, read them diligently, appreciate their relation and distinction, and above all, live their truth in love.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Reflection for the Week - May 26th
The times are mystifying. Everyone is searching for a spiritual life. One person goes this way, another that. So many trends and options are available today. In the midst of the driving enthusiasm and obsessive quest for a spiritual life, spirituality has come to mean everything, yet nothing. Christians have to help lead the way out of the maze by embracing and living the truths of the faith. We should embody and demonstrate the existence of God, the redemption of Christ, and the power of the Spirit.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Reflection for the Week - May 19th
There is nothing more spiritual, no other way of having the fullness of life, than following the crucified and risen One, which is both a joy and a task.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Reflection for the Week - May 12th
Remember we’re not alone. As we celebrate Pentecost we can be thankful that the Holy Spirit was poured out and that he guides and directs our lives as Christ’s presence with us until the end of the age.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Reflection for the Week - May 5th
Impoverished spirituality separates sacred and secular into ironclad compartments. Living spirituality resists this unfortunate framing, stressing that it is crucial to realize that Christ is Lord of all of life and to live in the light of that truth.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Reflection for the Week - April 28th
Theology cannot remain stuck in books and classrooms, but must become part of our own stories. Making truths our own is crucial and there is nothing more vital for living spirituality than welcoming new and foreign redemptive perspectives into our lives, that in turn will be lived out for others.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Reflection for the Week - April 21st
The “present” is never complete because it’s always a present for me, and as it’s for me, it will always be too small to be complete. Don’t fight being finite and limited, but embrace it and it will bring you closer to the truth.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Reflection for the Week - April 14th
The Bible is not God. In many circles of Christianity, I fear, there is a growing bibliolatry that assumes that having and reading the Bible is enough. This ignores the truth that the Bible itself points us past itself to an encounter with the living God, who invites us into community with him. Text and encounter are essential to a vibrant and living spirituality.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Reflection for the Week - April 7th
When we experience oppression, suffering and a sense of the absence of God in the Christian life, these experiences are not to be left unconnected or unrelated as if they stand on their own. Rather, we are to integrate these difficulties into the cross of Christ, which provides community and mediation. Christ shares our plight and reconciles our sorrows, and this is the lens through which we are to see our lives.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Reflection for the Week - March 31st
We who are Christians need not look to the consummation of God’s rule in fear and trepidation. We too can shout, “Hallelujah!” for our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Reflection for the Week - March 24th
The crucified and risen One is alive. Christ is raised. Celebrate the victory of life over death. Joyous Easter!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Reflection for the Week - March 17th
Throne theophanies in Scripture are visions of God enthroned. God is holy, almighty, and who was, is, and is to come. He lives forever and ever. He is worthy for he has created all things. Revelation 5 captures one of these awesome scenes. In this majestic scene there is assurance that those facing dire circumstances and life-threatening persecution can trust God. In a world that may seem to be out of control, in a world of suffering and death, God is there, moving history to its cataclysmic consummation.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Reflection for the Week - March 10th
In Revelation 3:14-22 Christ wishes that the Christians in Laodicea were either hot or cold. It is often assumed that hot means ‘on fire for the Lord’ or a full commitment, while cold means, ‘no fire for the Lord’ or no commitment. If this is the case, the question we’re faced with is why Christ would approve of no commitment at all? This doesn’t make sense. Hot and cold are not to be taken as positive and negative descriptions, but both are positive in regard to what the church’s actions should be. Problem is being lukewarm, which seems to identify all too many churches. We, as the Laodiceans, proclaim we’re rich, but Christ says we’re impoverished. True riches are spiritual, not found in material possessions, but in Christ himself.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Reflection for the Week - March 3rd
Christ stands at the door and calls, awaiting a response from anyone who hears his voice. The crucified and risen One standing at the door is not a threat, but a promise. There he is calling out. No doubt this imagery should jolt and challenge us. Whenever we hear his voice, it is time to open the door. He assures us that our hospitality will not be deceptively abused.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Reflection for the Week - February 24th
Have you ever reflected on the silence in heaven in Revelation 8? This occurs just after the opening of the seventh seal and before the sounding of the seven trumpets. A dramatic scene if there ever was one. Then an angel is given a massive amount of incense to offer with the prayers of the saints, which both arise to God. The prayers of the saints are important enough to God that there is silence, an awaiting the arrival of these prayers, and then action in response to them. After this the angel unleashes a series of natural warnings to highlight God’s coming judgment. Prayer is important—vital —and does not take place in vain. God has created a world in which our prayers make a difference in the total outcome of his involvement in the world.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Reflection for the Week - February 17th
Struggling to find the way in the desert is no easy task. God seems distant, yet we know he’s there. During these times we ask, oh God, for cold refreshing cups of water to sustain us and for a growing trust that will provide strength to continue on until we once more intimately meet you again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
