You may recall that on Easter evening, Jesus’ apostles were behind locked doors for fear of the Jews and Jesus came to them and said, “Peace to you.” Jesus’ proclamation of peace to them is important for at least three reasons. First, they were afraid of how Jesus might respond to their abandoning Him; what … Continue reading Breath giving, breath taking!
Category: EasterTIDE
He is . . . missing?!?
“He is RISEN!” Response: “He is RISEN, indeed!” This prompt and response is common at Easter, but the text for chapel on Easter Tuesday at CUI, John 20:1-9, suggests a different exchange. The passage records Mary, Peter, and John visiting the empty tomb but no appearance of Jesus Himself. According to the text, “He is … Continue reading He is . . . missing?!?
Pray Awaiting Pentecost
Yesterday was the 7th Sunday of Easter, an interesting Sunday because it falls between the ascension of Jesus (40 days after Easter) and Pentecost Sunday (50 days after Easter). All three readings for the 7th Sunday of Easter refer to prayer (Acts 1:12-16; 1 John 5:9-15; John 17:11-19). What were the apostles and disciples supposed to do … Continue reading Pray Awaiting Pentecost
The Center III
Atheism concludes that there is no God anywhere. Agnosticism concludes that if there was a God we wouldn’t be able to know for sure. Deism concludes that there is a God but far away and uninvolved. Eastertide confronts all of those conclusions with Jesus, God incarnate, risen from the dead and coming among His disciples … Continue reading The Center III
Obedience
Have you ever noticed how much people are in favor of obedience when they are giving the commands but how little when others are doing the commanding? Jesus was perfectly obedient to the will and command of only One, His Father because that is His nature and because that is love. Thus, Christianity begins with … Continue reading Obedience
The Center II
Remember the difference between geo-centric and helio-centric thinking from last week? Another problem with geo-centric thinking is that we tend to think that nothing happens unless we make it happen; as if we are born into an empty space; no history, no creation, nor ancestors, nor God, nor salvation. My life is what I make … Continue reading The Center II
The Center
Friends, is our universe helio-centric or geo-centric? Is the sun at the center or the earth? You may have thought that we settled that question a long time ago but today it sounds like people are convinced that not just the earth but the earth that makes up their human nature is the center of … Continue reading The Center
EasterTIDE 2021
Like Christmas, Easter is just beginning on Easter day. There are 49 days until Pentecost and this season is called EasterTIDE because the significance and benefits of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection continue to rise up in our hearts and minds. Like the tide coming in that lifts everything in its wake, so Jesus' resurrection … Continue reading EasterTIDE 2021