About a third of the way through the gospel attributed to Matthew, we are introduced to the twelve apostles and Jesus’ first charges to them as those called to be laborers for God’s harvest. Chapters 11 and 12 sound a lot like a recapitulation of the earlier Sermon on the Mount a few chapters ago. […]
Tag: God
On Our Virtuousness
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8) As the beatitudes progress, so does the difficulty to achieve these blessed characteristics that Jesus asks of fully devoted followers. The latter blessings require us to do more; to not simply be satisfied with ourselves as we are. They require intense character […]
On the Gospel’s Agenda
If we were to ask “what is the political agenda of the gospel” we might examine the gospel narrative attributed to Matthew. Indeed many squirm at the thought of the gospel having a political agenda. Those claiming a Christian identity might say the gospel is above politics, while those of a more secular-mind might say […]
On Church Worship
During this year in which I have been pondering the Church Calendar and its seasons, I’ve also been thinking a bit about church worship services in general. How do we keep our worship practices rooted in the Universal Church, which receives direct nourishment from the Holy Spirit of God? One of the arguments against the […]
On the Triune God
Wedged between the festival season of the liturgical calendar and Ordinary Time is a Sunday devoted to the concept of the Holy Trinity. This day acts as a theological seam between the two halves of the Church Year. The Holy Trinity is the concept that God has been revealed to us in three distinct ways, […]
On the Spirit of Pentecost
The midway point of the Church Calendar is marked with the holy day of Pentecost. On this day, Christians that honor liturgical traditions celebrate the receiving of the Holy Spirit. The most common story told on this day comes from the gospel writer Luke’s sequel: The Acts of the Apostles. The gospel text attributed to […]
On Point of View
A recurring theme on this blog has been that of respecting and honoring different perspectives. In the four gospel narratives, there is perhaps no greater point of deviation than what is told in the post-resurrection accounts. Each book seems to have an entirely different take on what happened after Jesus was buried. In the first […]
On the Table
The Lord’s Supper (also referred to as Holy Communion or the Eucharist) is venerated on Maundy Thursday, as we remember when Jesus first instituted this sacrament during his final Passover Seder. (Side note: The responses I received from my reflection on Maundy Thursday last year inspired this current year-long series on the Church Year.) For […]
On the Mystical Mountaintop
The Epiphany season of the Church Calendar opens and closes with mystical mountaintop moments. The season began with a figurative mountaintop moment, celebrating the arrival of magi coming to bow down and worship the Christ Child. And now we conclude the season up on a literal mountaintop with the story we call “the transfiguration”. First, […]
On Motherhood
A theme that caries from Advent through Christmastide is that of motherhood. While this is most commonly discussed in relation to the Virgin Mary and her older cousin Elizabeth, the entire birth narrative of Jesus invites us to ponder God’s motherly attributes as well. Elizabeth’s miraculous birth opens the Advent season. At an elderly age, […]
Relevant Reformation 