This Side of the Pulpit » Entries tagged with "faith"
Angry Faces
I hadn’t run for six years or more, and even back then it was short-lived. It really had been more than ten years since I’d logged any appreciable miles. I’d moved to other exercise and enjoyed it and didn’t look back until two weeks ago. My cholesterol was high again, my weight was not budging and Marjorie wanted to shed some pounds too. We decided to run together, using the Couch-to-5K program. All was good the first two runs. On my third run my knees felt like fire. Surely it was just normal joint pain from new movement, so I ignored it, finished the run and showered. But the next morning my knees were still killing me. And the next. And the next. Eventually I self-diagnose and MCL injury, based on … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
Holy Week is Every Week
Ah, Holy Week. When you’re in or around a church Holy Week works its magic on you. No, it’s not in peaceful divine rays of blessing on your shoulders. Its magic is not in beatific visions of heaven. The magic of Holy Week is that it makes us cranky and stressed and sinful. Yet it is still Holy. Part of Holy Week for us in the church is simply stress. We have many extra worship services, more music, … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
There is Only Today
It’s an extra day. The world lengthened just a few hours, a 29th in a world of 28ths, an eighth day in a week. What to spend this extra day doing? For most of us it’s just the same: work and the usual Wednesday commitments. The same old same old grind. And its February. But it’s another thing. It’s “Today.” It is the day of salvation. Heaven and earth, angels and demons hang on this day and … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
Repenting and Not Repenting and Still Repenting
On this coming Sunday of the Pharisee and the Publican (in the One Year lectionary), I ran across the following and had to share: But if repentance is too much for you, and you sin out of habit even when you do not want to, show humility like the publican ( cf. Luke 18:13): that is enough to ensure your salvation. For he who sins without repenting, yet does not despair, must out of necessity regard … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
Master of Irony
I spent the three weeks of Pre-Lent (the good ol’ -Gesima Sundays of the One Year Lectionary, for you lectionary geeks) emphasizing the importance of preparing for Lent, what to watch out for, the need for prayer during Lent, the right understanding of fasting, the three Lenten disciplines of fasting, almsgiving and prayer. But guess what I did? In all my talk about preparing for Lent, I forgot to print out the fasting guidelines and resources that I prepared a couple of years ago. I also forgot to print out the devotional books that many folks seem to like. Who knows what else I forgot to do that I haven’t remembered yet. That’s one thing the Tempter is good at: irony and obviousness. He seems to hit us right in the hypocritical … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
Jesus Said There Would Be Days Like This
A Christian couple opposed to homosexuality have lost a battle over their right to become foster carers. Eunice and Owen Johns, 62 and 65, from Derby, said the city council did not want them to look after children because of their traditional views. The pair, who are Pentecostal Christians, say they were “doomed not to be approved”. The High Court ruled that laws protecting people from sexual discrimination should take precedence. (read more here) No doubt you’ll hear more about this from other places. If you’re into AFA and OneNewsNow and Pat Robertson it will be histironic, outrage and reationary garbage. For my part, I’m just somewhat sad. The United Kingdom was a Christian nation, where the head of state was also head of the (Christian) Church of England. Obviously that is no … Read entire article »
Breaking into Our World
This is a must read post from Steve Robinson. Read the whole thing and then watch the video after. It will make your day. Maybe your week. Maybe your life. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
Eucharisto
Perhaps the greatest single failure in the Christian life is the refusal to give thanks. Thanks that is dependent upon success or the fulfillment and pleasure of our own will is indeed thanksgiving – but is weak indeed. It is easy to give thanks for our pleasures and self-satisfactions (though even then we often forget to give thanks). Fr. Stephen Freeman (source) You could say that thanksgiving to God in every circumstance is the mark of a Christian; it is our daily activity, the source of our joy, the fountain from which our hearts beat and our days become something more than rote and given. They become life and joy and full. It is absurd and appears to be the height of foolishness to give thanks for the cancer, … Read entire article »
Filed under: The World
Mormon Education
I had to take my daughter to school at 6:45 this morning to get ready for a band trip, but on the way had to pick up a friend of hers who needed a ride. We were to pick her up not at her home, but at her church. Her Mormon church. At 6:30 in the morning. It sounded fishy to me. But we arrived, and there were other cars in the parking lot, and her friend came out and on the way to school I chatted with her about what she was doing and I learned a lot. From grades 9-12 on every school day she had “seminary” from 6:00-7:00 am. Every school day. For four years. I asked her if every Mormon church does it that way and she said some … Read entire article »
Filed under: Theology
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