Paul describes the unity and diversity of gifts in the body of Christ by saying: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each […]
I recently attended a baptismal service and heard many testimonies from those being baptized. Many of the testimonies shared a common characteristic: people had gone to church for years finally “got it”—and began to follow Jesus more intentionally, leading to great transformation. For some, it might have been a “born again” experience. For others a deeper […]
“The following dissertation concerning the Trinity, as the reader ought to be informed, has been written in order to guard against the sophistries of those who disdain to begin with faith, and are deceived by a crude and perverse love of reason.”(1) Thus begins Augustine’s dissertation on the Trinity, written for those whose perverse love […]
Finding Your Identity Several images are used in the Bible to describe the church: the body of Christ, the elect, the house of God, the saints. One of the most meaningful expressions the Bible uses is “the people of God,” the laos theon. The church, then, is people. The Roman Catholic Church once declared, “Where the bishop […]
September 10: God Doesn’t Promise Ease or Invisibility Amos 4:6–5:27; Acts 9:20–43; Job 20:1–11 As Christians, we might be tempted by the lure of invisibility—the fabled cloak or ring that gives us the power to walk undetected among our friends or enemies. Although it is true that “making much of God” means making little of […]
Spirituality “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.” Matthew 14:23 From the Justice Primer Couched between the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 and the miracle of walking on water, we find Jesus “up the mountain” alone praying. […]