Why Should We Christians Keep Gathering As The Church? - Martha Tatarnic in The Christian Century

The inescapable truth for every creature on this planet is that we are connected.  (All of) our lives are finally and forever bound together.  When done correctly, we as the gathered church bear witness to this. 

We Christians gather together because the church bears witness to the truth of who we really are. Whether or not an individual participates in a faith community, the inescapable truth for every creature on this planet is that we are connected.

I might wish that I could pick and choose which parts of the universe and which of God’s creatures share in that connection, but God is a pretty good door crasher when it comes to the gates of my heart.

As COVID made clear, we are radically infected by one another’s oxygen and water vapor and germs and skin molecules.  At the same time, our souls actually can’t know and love God without one another. The great crises of our (current era) are all rooted in having lost sight of that truth.

The gathered church bears witness—for us and for the world—to the inescapable truth of how our lives are finally and forever bound together.

The full article is available here

Benediction: God's Tenacious Love And Inexhaustible Mercy (based on Lamentations 3:22-24)

As we go from here to face the joys and challenges of the coming week, may we remember that God's love is bottomless and that God's mercy and compassion are inexhaustible.

May this reminder be our source of hope as we strive to tap into that love, mercy, and compassion of God which can be found anywhere and everywhere. 

Benediction: Let's Stay On Track With God's Kingdom Work (based on Matthew 6:10)

God created the universe in goodness. Jesus taught us to work for the restoration of that original goodness; to strive to help God's kingdom to come here and now - as it is in heaven - by seeking peace, justice, and mercy for everyone.

May we be strong in faith and hope when other narratives attempt to derail us; ones that tell us to win at all costs, to see our fellow beings as competitors to be bested, or to value others solely based on what benefit we can derive from them.

May God keep us on track and dedicated to helping to bring out the best in everyone and everything.

Pilate's Military Entry To Passover Jerusalem: The Other Palm Sunday Procession - Father George Corrigan

Jesus’ procession proclaimed the kingdom of God; Pilate’s proclaimed the violent military power of empire and Roman imperial theology, worshiping the emperor as god. Which procession will each one of us choose?

Each year at Passover, Pontius Pilate, Governor and representative of the Roman emperor, came to Jerusalem from his coastal residence in the west. He entered Jerusalem at the head of a column of imperial cavalry and soldiers. From the east, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey.

Two processions: Jesus’ procession proclaimed the kingdom of God; Pilate’s proclaimed the violent military power of empire and Roman imperial theology, worshiping the emperor as god. Pilate’s procession embodied the power, glory and violence of the empire that ruled the world. Jesus’ procession embodied an alternative vision, the Kingdom of God.

Which procession will each one of us choose?

It is easy to just wave a palm branch at church, sing a few rounds of “Hosanna,” and go home. The actual praise and worship Jesus invites me to enact on Palm Sunday is far riskier.

The full article is available here

Benediction: Like Jesus, May Abundant Life And Grace Flow Out From Us (based on John 10:10)

The spirit of our life-giving, life-restoring, and life-fulfilling God both surrounds us and dwells within us. May we be always aware of this hopeful reality. May abundant life and grace flow out from us as we continue that work which Jesus did to bring out the best in everyone and everything.

Biblical Understanding Of "Satan" Differs From Miltonian Understanding Of Western Christianity

In the Old Testament, the word "satan" is used more as a descriptor than a name. Characters called "satan" alternately test, torment, and spare various righteous people.

If you ask just about any Christian what the word “Satan” is, they will tell you that it is the name of The Devil. Those who are fans of Milton’s “Paradise Lost” will say that Satan is the name of Lucifer after he fell from heaven. Ironically, this understanding has a somewhat shaky foundation in Scripture.

Satan is often used as a proper name in Western Christianity today, but it is actually a descriptor or a title. In the ancient Hebrew versions of the Old Testament, there are repeated appearances of figures called satan or sometimes ha satan. These words mean, respectively, “an adversary” and “the adversary.” The figures do not always act like the Devil that Christians envision. The various figures alternately test, torment, and spare various righteous people.

Depending on how satan acts in each story, modern translations refer to the character in a variety of ways. The Hebrew ha satan is translated as “the Enemy,” “Satan” and, in one notable case in Numbers, "an angel of the Lord." The word satan is also used to describe human enemies of the tribes of Israel such as Hadad the Edomite.

The use of the word “satan” gets a bit more complicated in the New Testament due to how many different languages the ancient texts were written in. Sometimes “satan” is used as a proper name, but other times the tradition of the Old Testament continues, and the word is used more as a descriptor than a name.

The full article is available here

Benediction: Seeking God's Everyday Guidance For A Wider Perspective (based on Proverbs 3:5-6)

God's goodness and love throughout time are gifts of grace which we can trust in with all our hearts. 

Let's continually be on the lookout for the guidance which God provides in so many different ways in our everyday lives. This guidance can help us to have a wider perspective than just our own.  It can provide us with insight which our blindspots might otherwise cause us to miss out on. 

When we align the way we lead our lives with how God has designed us to, we are better able to bring out the best in everyone and everything. 

Benediction: God's Promises Are Trustworthy And Can Be Our Refuge (based on Psalm 62:5-8)

Our souls can find rest in God and in the unforced rhythms of grace. God's promises of love and goodness are trustworthy. They can be both our steady foundation in good times and our refuge in difficult times.

In gratitude for that provision, may we be people through whom God's love and goodness pours out in abundance in our everyday lives.