Poetry of the Sacred

Trinity Series, Part 1As we consider the words we use to name and describe the triune God, we touch a place of artistry and beauty, the wellspring of the poetry of the sacred. When we go beyond the rigid dogmatism of “trinitarian formulae” we enter the rich territory of the

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In the Power of the Spirit: the Prophet

Christ Series, Part 5The prophets of the Hebrew tradition left a rich legacy of vision and truth about God’s purpose of peace and justice. In Jesus’ time, that prophetic voice had fallen silent, but in Jesus, people recognized that voice speaking again. However, Jesus’ prophetic voice had an immediacy, authority,

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New Covenant: the Priest

Christ Series, Part 4Jesus is portrayed a the High Priest in his role as mediator between God and humanity, but this image is transformed in many ways. The blood of this covenant is his own blood, his life released and shared with all. It is a final sacrifice, once for

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Wisdom of God: the Sage

Christ Series, Part 3Jesus was not primarily talking to wicked people, trying to pursuade them to be good; he was talking to good people who were living like fools, trying to pursuade them to open their hearts to sacred wisdom. It is an alternative wisdom that stands in ironic tension

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Son of David: Christ the King

Christ Series, Part 2The ancient promise of a kng who would rule Israel with wisdom, peace and justice stands in dramatic contrast with the brutality of the Roman empire of Jesus’ time. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God, which challenged, fulfilled and transformed both images. Today, this ironic expression, Christ

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Suffering Servant: Lamb of God

Christ Series, Part 1The suffering servant songs in Isaiah portray a redemptive meaning to innocent suffering and the connection to the passion of Christ is unmistakable. We have difficulty with this idea because it has been interpreted in ways that are tragically wrong. But we must ask, When we clear

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Light out of Darkness

This Christ-light now rises from the darkness of the tomb to shine far beyond the darkness of the world, inviting us to behold with Christ the light of eternity. This is the vision of eternity that transforms our perception of the world and our life in it.listen

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Forgiving Grace

Grace series, Part 3In the face of our own wrong-doing, we experience grace as acquittal after being found guilty. There is a healthy experience of guilt that we need not fear. There is a truly soul-destroying moment in life when we are broken and paralyzed by our guilt until we

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Awakening Grace

Grace Series, Part 2So much that is in our modern world is designed to put us to sleep, to domesticate us, to manipulate and controll us. We are lulled into complacency by our fears and our addictions. There is a kind of awakening that returns us to a wild state

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