Acts 1 “The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began to do and teach . . . ” (Acts 1:1). I find this to be one of the most illuminating verses in the New Testament. Yes, it is a little strange to think so, but then if you’ve been reading Give Us This Day you have seen strangeness and oddity (and even weirdness) bubble up from the surfaces of the page, like crude oil, black gold,... Read more
Hebrews 4:14-5:10 We should all remember the vision of Jesus Christ that St. John records in Revelation 1 (you might want to read it today). I want that image of the bright-as-the-sun Christ to be seared into your memory forever. Maybe we should all go out and stare at the sun for a few seconds to remind us of who Jesus really is. He is not the baby-faced, Bearded Girly Man Christ of Victorian pictures: He is the visible glory... Read more
Luke 24:44-53 The last verses of the Gospel of St. Luke are the final measures of the greatest symphony ever written. The final movement of St. Luke’s Symphony includes the last several chapters of Luke, and here in verses 36-53 we have the final resolution and bringing together of all the themes and actions Luke has introduced earlier in his masterpiece. In these several verses, St. Luke actually reaches all the way back to the Old Testament, to Moses, the... Read more
James 4:8-17 In the beginning of Chapter 4, James unveils the lowest layer, the very foundation, of our spiritual warfare: it is the battle within each of us between pride and humility. All throughout the Bible, the two paths a man may walk are presented in terms of a binary choice. In Genesis 3, it is the choice between obedience and disobedience. In the Psalms and Proverbs, it is the choice between the way of the wise (righteous) and the... Read more
James 1:1-17 Et tu, James? You, too, along with St. Paul and others are commanding me to rejoice in my trials? To which St. James replies simply: “Exactly.” Do you think maybe God is trying to tell me (and you) something? Like St. Paul, St. James begins his letter not with a whimper but a BANG! “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” From the beginning of his letter, James makes it clear that trials,... Read more
Ephesians 6:10-24 Have you ever gotten involved in something that suddenly revealed itself as being a lot more serious than you thought? For some, this happens in marriage, and they are like Jacob who thought he had married Rachel. But Behold! it was Leah! For Diedre Cobb, it was joining the Army Reserves and facing the difficult task of trying to explain why it took her 2 years to ask herself whether or not she believed in fighting wars. She... Read more
Ephesians 6:1-9 There is a person who is above you, and you must obey him, even when you don’t want to. Be honest: what’s your first response to such a statement? As a good modern or American, you might be offended. You might get red in the face and arm yourself to defend your right to autonomy. If you think I’m talking about God – you’re right. But I’m also talking about those who God... Read more
Ephesians 5:15-33 We’ve come this morning to a difficult passage of Scripture – not difficult because it’s hard to understand, but difficult because it’s hard for us to accept what God wants to teach us. The passage is Ephesians 5:21-33, and in itSt. Paulgives us clear commands about the relationship between husbands and wives. Our passage this morning is part of a larger passage all about submission – and this will help us to see clearly what Paul teaches. Though... Read more
Ephesians 5:1-14 Have you ever been on a walk that was more than just a walk? Perhaps it was a romantic walk; or maybe an important business matter was discussed during a walk; or a life-changing decision was made during a walk. I remember going on many walks with Jackie during which we discussed my many attempts to understand God’s call on our lives together. We have walked and talked about having children and what we will name them; we... Read more
Ephesians 4:17-32 The drama of good vs. evil grips us because it hits so close to home. Some of the most compelling myths today – things like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings – grab us precisely because they dramatize the battle between good and evil. But the most dramatic version of the battle between good and evil is not lived out in a galaxy far, far away or in an age that is long, long ago: it is... Read more
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