-
Circumcised Relationship
Genesis 17:1–14, Deuteronomy 10:14–22, Luke 1:59–80 The ritual of circumcision existed before the people of Israel came into being (yes, Abraham was their forefather). This was a ritual the physically made the people of Israel different than those around them. It was (and is) the ceremony that “enters” a boy into the covenant. In the
-
By Their Sin, They Are Known
Genesis 18:16–33, Luke 13:1–5 The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is often used as an object lesson regarding the result of select sins. In today’s passage, we don’t address those sins, for they aren’t really the subject of today’s section in Genesis. What do you think of God and Abraham in this story? God debated
-
Freeing the Rules
Psalm 119:153–168, Deuteronomy 6, Galatians 5:1–15 Rules and regulations. We often don’t like them. At the same time, there are many who are calling for more and more rules and regulations. People want to control people’s thoughts and their expressions of their thoughts. People want to control others’ behavior, but don’t want theirs controlled. When
-
Faith and Tradition
Psalm 40:1–16, John 7:21–24, Acts 15:1–21 To this very day, churches (and thus the church) struggle with what exactly their faith means and its implications. Certain things appear to have been settled, but others haven’t. Although, perhaps it is better to say that when push comes to shove people will finally get to the point
-
The Greatest
Luke 22:24–30, Philippians 2:1–11 “I am the greatest,” said Muhammad Ali before his match with Sonny Liston. Michael Phelps is the greatest. Usain Bolt is the greatest. They can’t all be the greatest. Yet, Muhammad Ali was the greatest boxer, for a time. Michael Phelps remains the greatest Olympic swimmer, for the time being. Usain Bolt
-
Dehardening Hearts
Psalm 105:1–4, Deuteronomy 24:17–22, Acts 6:1–7 “Solitary religion is not to be found there [inward]. “Holy solitaries” is a phrase no more consistent with the Gospel than holy adulterers. The Gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness, but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length and breadth and depth
-
Struggling in Unity
John 17:20–23, Philippians 1:27–28 E Pluribus Unum. If you look at US currency, most (if not all) will have this saying. In Latin, it means “Out of many, one.” While the US might be the gathering place of people of many nations, it is the church that should be living out this saying more than
-
Dreaming of Next
Genesis 25:21–26, Luke 1:5–25, 57 What’s next? Parents have hopes and dreams for their children. In the last few decades, however, a disturbing trend has occurred. For many parents, children have become the target of their worship. Yes, worship. The strands have been there for quite some time. You might remember the Cabbage Patch Doll
-
Against Captivity
Isaiah 49:25–26, Deuteronomy 16:11–12, Galatians 3:23–26 Captivity. When we go to a zoo, we see animals in captivity. In an attempt to keep the animals healthier, zoos invest more and more money to improve the “habitats” of the animals. It feels good to us for this to be. We have an understanding that while the
-
Prophet of Peace
Jeremiah 28:1–9, Luke 12:49–56, John 14:27–31 There is something quite jarring in Jeremiah’s response to Hananiah. Did you catch it? Only when peace actually comes true will a prophet who prophesied peace be considered a true prophet. If you prophesy war, famine, pestilence, death, it’s all good. What? Think about that for a moment. The