This morning at our men’s Bible study we talked about power. (Hey, it is a men’s Bible study. What else are we going to talk about?) At first glance, compared to Rome, Jesus looks pretty powerless. Sure, he turned over a few money changers’ tables in the temple and drove out some animals, but when Jesus came [...]
There is so much to love. Creation, Jesus, God’s Word, God’s will, and other people. So why aren’t we “smitten?” Why aren’t our spirits constantly buoyed by the glory and wonder of it all?
Because there is also so much to hate. About creation, Jesus, God’s Word, God’s will, and other people.
Our Father. Our Abba. Most of you already know this, but it bears repeating: the word “Abba” is Aramaic for Father, or better, Dad or Papa. It’s how Jews in first century Palestine, both children and adults, addressed their father. They would have never thought to address God as Abba. In fact they would have considered it [...]
This past Sunday I talked about the Lord’s prayer — not the usual one, but the shorter version: “Abba!” The apostle Paul refers to this prayer in both Romans 8 and Galatians 4: “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’” So it [...]
Does Jesus “loom large” in your daily life? The words “loom large” came to me this morning, seemingly out of nowhere. According to Webster’s, the word “loom” means “to appear in an impressively great or exaggerated form.” Is it possible to ‘exaggerate’ the importance of Jesus?
Maybe you heard or read this story in last week’s news. For me it’s an earthly glimpse into Trinitarian love and what it means to live out of our true glory:
With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had [...]
So how do we recover our original glory? (See yesterday’s post.) By seeking to glorify rather than to be glorified. In other words, our greatest glory is to give glory. We are most ourselves when we delight in others and give ourselves away.
Like God.
Last night I read a little further into Tim Keller’s The Reason for [...]
We’re all damaged goods. As the apostle Paul puts it, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Instinctively, we know we’re made to be glorious creatures. Instinctively, we also know that we fall short of that glory.
Religion is our attempt to re-attain that glory. Religion is our attempt. [...]
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