Scripture has two major representations of the ascension;[1] the first is a very short description of what happened: Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy, worshipped him, and were continually in the temple blessing God (Lk 24:50-53 RSV). The other presentation of the ascension fleshes out the event.... Read more
When a unique, personal human life begins, is not something easy to discern; indeed, the more we try to examine all that we know about the formation of human life, and consider the implications of we have learned, it becomes more and more difficult to say anything definitive. Science does not know the answer. What it does tell us is the processes which are used to establish that life. What it cannot tell is when we have a living human... Read more
“And he called the people to him and said to them, ‘Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man’” (Matt. 5:10-11 RSV). Language, communication with others, is a great thing, because by using it, we share with each other our thoughts and ideas, indeed, our very selves. As such language is a means by which we can come into communion with each other. That is,... Read more
Paul once got in trouble trying to silence a woman from speak out the truth. He was jailed because he canceled her voice: As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by soothsaying. She followed Paul and us, crying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” And this she did... Read more
This week, Congress conducted a hearing investigating UFOs, trying to determine what exactly military officials know about them and the dangers they pose, not only to the United States, but to the world. Congress was given reports showing that, indeed, the military has had several encounters with flying objects which they cannot identify. While some think this means we are dealing with extra-terrestrial life, the reports which indicate that we do not have the evidence necessary to say without a... Read more
God needs nothing from us; the divine nature is unchangeably perfect. All the qualities we associate with God, qualities such as wisdom, goodness, truth, and love, all of them are expressions or energies of God’s simple, eternal perfection. God’s actions, God’s energies, are eternal, though we relate to them in derivative forms through our temporal engagement of them, experiencing them as if they were active in time, and therefore changeable due to the progression of time. All that happens in... Read more
Nicholas of Cusa reminds us of the vast difference between the absolute truth and the truth which we can apprehend. This distinction allows us to recognize what we apprehend as being true even if it is not the absolute truth. We should not confuse the two. The fullness of truth is infinitely transcendent to us, making it incomprehensible as it is in itself to us; but its presentation towards us provides us something to apprehend and so allows us to... Read more
God’s grace is for everyone; everyone is called to drink from the spiritual well and have their thirst quenched. Christ wants to share the Holy Spirit, and all the gifts of the Spirit, with everyone; Jesus is the anointed one; we can and should be united with him, and through that unity, become anointed as well. Man, woman, Jew, Gentile, sinner, would-be saint, all can come to Christ and have their spiritual thirst quenched. All are called; we should not... Read more
Senator Rick Scott, and with him, many of his fellow Republicans, are taking their aim at the poor, the needy, the vulnerable. They want to find ways to make the poor pay more and more to society, even if the poor do not have the means, while making sure they receive less and less in return for what they give. Scott and his compatriots are doing this, it seems, so as to make sure that the rich and powerful do... Read more
People dealing with difficult situations often find themselves going to the same people, time and time, again, asking the same kinds of questions, and getting the same kinds of responses. They might fear they are wasting everyone’s time in doing so. But they are not. The more they hear the responses they need, the more they can be and are helped by them. Sometimes, we just need to hear things enough times to fully appreciate or understand what we are... Read more
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