The poor in spirit, mourners, meek, hungry, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, the persecuted. These are the blessed. (Matthew 5:2-11) From one vantage point, these reflect societal classes or segments of the population. From another viewpoint, this listing reflects attributes of a rooted and fruitful faith. From the societal perspective, when we revile, mock, ignore, […]
Tag: Lifestyle
On Marveling
Our modern society is information driven. We seek out facts, desiring to know the answers to everything. We rarely step back and simply marvel. In the Gospel narratives, those encountering Jesus frequently find themselves in wonder when they hear Jesus’ teachings or see His actions. Different translations have used different words for this: astounded, amazed, […]
On Sin and Grace
Jesus re-defined the Ten Commandments, saying “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:34-40) In effect, He also re-defined sin. We can now diagnose sin simply, like this: Sin is when we do not […]
On Tension
Up to this point there has been an undercurrent theme in these posts. We could call that theme “tension” (other words like “balance” or “discernment” could also be used). Understanding that rooted and fruitful faith means living a life of tension sets the stage for future reflections on this blog. When we embrace tension (both […]
Relevant Reformation 