Soren Kierkegaard famously said, "purity of heart is to will one thing." To center back on our call to will one thing, namely the will of God, is the chief purpose of Lent. This week's gospel reading comes from Matthew 4:1-11. It's the scene of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. The Liar and Destroyer tempts Jesus, beckoning him to use God's power to turn stones to bread, to use God's power to call the angels to his aid, and he offers him the authority over all the kingdoms of the world, if only Jesus would will … [Read more...] about To Will One Thing; A Lenten Reflection on Matthew 4:1-11
jesus
Human Dignity, Slavery, and Sex Trafficking
In case you missed attending and/or watching SymposiaChristi's Human Dignity, Slavery, and Sex Trafficking (Purdue), the Livestream video is available. I read on the Facebook Wall that permanent links will be posted this week. But as you may have more time this afternoon/evening, consider this an opportunity for a head start. All of the sessions which I had opportunity to see were powerful, challenging, educational, and well moderated. … [Read more...] about Human Dignity, Slavery, and Sex Trafficking
Babies and Bethlehem
Few things arouse human emotion as strongly as babies do. They are one of the few remaining cultural icons of innocence, operating with the simplest and purest of human feelings. They cry when upset, they sleep when content, and their waking activities revolve around eating, pooping, and discovering that they have arms and legs. A baby's desires are not complex. And yet, as any parent knows, this does not mean that caring for them is an equally simple task. In fact, the inverse is true; the more primitive and … [Read more...] about Babies and Bethlehem
Best Christian Books of All Time Reviews: Knowing God, Pt. II
Last week I wrote the first part of what will be a several-part review of J.I. Packer's Knowing God. This week I'm going to take a look at the remaining chapters of Part I before moving on and moving through a bit of Part II. Knowledge and Idolatry Chapter 3, "Knowing and Being Known," deals more directly with the distinction between knowledge about and knowledge of (which I highlighted in last Thursday's post). I like to call the former "factual" and the latter "intimate." Concerning the latter, Packer … [Read more...] about Best Christian Books of All Time Reviews: Knowing God, Pt. II
White Martyrdom and the Unpersecuted People of God
To be a confessing Christian is to be one who longs to act, think and be more like Jesus, and one who, along that journey of transformation, admits deep need for God's power, grace and body. Lent is a time to re-admit this need. In the early years of The Way of Jesus, persecution was the norm. One of the readings from this Sunday's lectionary comes from an epistle Paul wrote from prison (Philippians 3:4b-14). He was in prison for being a Christian. There have been, and still are, countless “red martyrs”--men and … [Read more...] about White Martyrdom and the Unpersecuted People of God