Source Many of the elders of this Jewish community have passed away in this tragic senseless shooting, including one Holocaust survivor. At a press conference Sunday morning, officials said victims of a shooting rampage at a Pittsburgh synagogue range in age from 54 to 97. All but two of the victims were over the age of 65, and include one married couple, and two brothers. Six others were wounded, including four police officers. The Allegheny County Chief Medical Examiner released... Read more

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen. BCP Read more

We condemn the attacks on innocent lives and the murder of Jews at the the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The anti Semitic rhetoric and behavior that incite these violent acts are inexcusable and indefensible. We pray for our Jewish friends and neighbors and call on all people to turn from violence and perform deeds of mercy, love, and justice. We call on Christians and churches to be God’s agents of love, reconciliation, and peace. Read more

JS saved me this week for Meanderings as I was tied up often enough not to get many on my own. Thanks to JS. We say a big “We’ll miss you!” to Eugene Peterson while we affirm with him life eternal. I love the Boston Red Sox #1: In his first year as manager of the Boston Red Sox, Alex Cora is already making history: His team set a franchise record for the most wins in one season and, after clinching the... Read more

God’s Story in Romans – KR 108 Stories have power. Rev. Amanda Holm Rosengren shows how Paul captures and leverages God’s story to form the community of God’s people in Rome. This community and their story have deep roots in the story of what God has been doing through his people since the beginning of time. Listen to Everything You Need to Know About the New Perspective in 30 Minutes here >> https://soundcloud.com/user-212639123/11-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-perspective-in-30-minutes Follow along with Church of the Redeemer’s... Read more

Two Step Miracles, by Mike Glenn As Christ followers, we find ourselves uncomfortable, even a little embarrassed, by the story of Jesus’ healing of the blind man in Mark 8. You remember the story. A blind man is brought to Jesus, and Jesus pulls him aside. Then, Jesus spits on the man’s eyes (see what I mean?) and rubs the spittle into the eyes of the blind man. When Jesus asked him if he can see, the man says, yes,... Read more

I believe in the Holy Spirit Working through the Apostles’ Creed, the next topic is a one-liner, or perhaps a two-liner if we consider the reference to the Holy Spirit in the incarnation (Jesus was “conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit”). Yet the Holy Spirit is an important part of Christian belief – traditionally represented as a dove as in the image of the baptism of Jesus shown to the right (image credit). Although the understanding of the... Read more

In our series on the patristic writings, we return to 2 Clement 10-11. Our series uses for its text Michael Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers. This series began because of the challenge given by Kenneth Stewart’s wonderful book, In Search of Ancient Roots. We need to read the patristics, and that is what I’m doing with you on this blog — inch by inch! What’s 2 Clement about? It’s an exhortation to faithfulness to the way of Christ in the face of... Read more

Luke Timothy Johnson, in Miracles: God’s Presence and Power in Creation, contends miracles in an age of secularity present enormous challenges that can only be countered with a concerted counter-challenge. I agree. The challenge facing contemporary Christians in the matter of miracles is daunting. The condition of double-mindedness is pervasive and entrenched. Christians wishing to profess the central tenets of the faith—the convictions by which they live and for which, often enough, they die—cannot avoid mythic language. Incarnation and resurrection alike... Read more

What about those trumpets of terror that unfold in Revelation 8-11?  For our posts on Revelation we are reading Craig Koester Revelation and the End of All Things and Ian Paul, Revelation. I have reformatted Koester’s wonderful summary into separable points: First, Context: Seven trumpets are blown in succession, creating the third cycle of visions in Revelation. At the conclusion of the previous cycle, a graceful silence lingered in heavens chambers after the voices in the celestial chorus had sounded the... Read more