photo by GAC "Our hope depends not on the right technique or the proper phrase or gesture, which borders on magic, but on the promise of God to look with favor on those who throw themselves on his mercy and who acknowledge the efficacy of the atoning sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ, for their … Continue reading Quote of Note #119: The Grace and Hope of Prayer
Tag: Religion and Spirituality
Pastor Note #111: All Types of Pastor
Sedona, AZ; photo by GAC Pastoral ministry involves a dizzying variety of tasks and activities. Some days I go from counseling someone in a difficult personal crisis to untangling some issue in the church’s financial management and bookkeeping, from researching the best interpretation of the Greek of some passage in the New Testament to meeting … Continue reading Pastor Note #111: All Types of Pastor
Quote of Note #118: The Truth of the Resurrection
photo by GAC "I contend that the historicity [of the Gospels] does matter, and I do not see why we, who live nearly two thousand years later, should call into question an Event for which there were many eye-witnesses still living at the time when most of the New Testament was written. It is no … Continue reading Quote of Note #118: The Truth of the Resurrection
Bible Note #46: Simon of Cyrene–A Lenten Meditation
The old man stood among the group of worshipers, a part of the church at Rome. He had moved to the imperial city years earlier, raised his family there. He had joined others there in sharing the news of Jesus the Christ. His two grown sons stood beside him, Alexander and Rufus, both now leaders … Continue reading Bible Note #46: Simon of Cyrene–A Lenten Meditation
Pastor Note #109: Living as Hopeful People in Fearful Times
Are these hopeful times or are they fearful times? I write these words on a warm day, after a hard winter of snow and ice. The daffodils are poking up through the leaf litter in my flowerbeds. The crocuses have already begun to bloom. In fact, there are several dandelions in their yellow perkiness smiling … Continue reading Pastor Note #109: Living as Hopeful People in Fearful Times
Bible Note #45: Nicodemus & Joseph of Arimathea at the Cross–A Lenten Meditation
His old bones ached under the weight of his burden. Still, he thought, his pain was nothing compared to the pain of dragging a cross through the streets especially in that appalling condition. The weight of that rough wood grinding on the shredded flesh of the man’s back must have been near unbearable. Stained Glass … Continue reading Bible Note #45: Nicodemus & Joseph of Arimathea at the Cross–A Lenten Meditation
Bible Note #44: The Centurion at the Cross–A Lenten Meditation
The Centurion at the Cross--A Lenten MeditationRead Mark 15, especially verse 39 photo by GAC. The centurion had been summoned by the garrison commander. There was nothing particularly unusual about that. The centurion was one of the senior officers in the cohort that was stationed at the fortress in Jerusalem. Of course, all the centurions … Continue reading Bible Note #44: The Centurion at the Cross–A Lenten Meditation
Quote of Note #112: The Power of Servanthood, the Strength of Love
photo by GAC "The establishment of God's kingdom means the dethroning of the world's kingdoms, not in order to replace them with another one of basically the same sort (one that makes its way through superior force of arms), but in order to replace it with one whose power is the power of the servant … Continue reading Quote of Note #112: The Power of Servanthood, the Strength of Love
Quote of Note #110: A Christian’s Highest Loyalty
Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, NY; photo by GAC "There comes a time when, as Jesus said, 'He who is not with me is against me.' That time is now. The real hope that the world of tomorrow will be the kind of world we want our children to live in is not to be found among … Continue reading Quote of Note #110: A Christian’s Highest Loyalty
Pastor Note #103: Loving Like Crazy Jesus Followers
1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? Photo by GAC A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul,in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,and has set me free from the tyranny of the … Continue reading Pastor Note #103: Loving Like Crazy Jesus Followers
