Jesus Christ, Y’shua Messiah… the wild card in the pack, the court juggler of grace and truth. He was easy to describe, and impossible to understand. Some of his names were Rose of Sharon, Lion of Judah, Lamb of God, Morning Star, Stone of Stumbling, Root of David, Lilly of the Valley, Great Shepherd, Suffering …
(15.) Embracing the Characters “The more I considered Christianity, the more I found out that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild. He who has the faith has the fun!” (G. K. Chesterton) Every educator knows about the …
Of the three life essentials needed to survive, food is my favorite. Well, after clothing. There’s no doubt that the Co-Creator of this tasty world has a thing about food, too. Jesus’ first miracle, after all, was at a wedding feast where he refused to be a party pooper. He was indeed the Lord of the …
“May the All-Merciful One bless this table at which we have eaten. May it be like the table of Abraham our father; All who are hungry may eat from it, and all who are thirsty may drink from it.” (from a traditional Sephardic Jewish Passover liturgy). Abraham, that towering Patriarch who continues to be the …
Jesus the party planner. We know that Jesus is the host of the heavenly banquet. Who will he invite to that feast? Well, a clue… Who did he hang out with when he wined and dined on earth? Who did he enjoy rubbing shoulders with when breaking bread? Looking at his earthly guest list will …
“What is your name, that we may honor you?” He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding… It is a name of wonder.” (Judges 13:17-18) Hallowing and honoring God’s name is a dangerous business. We could easily delude ourselves into thinking that we are on a strictly first-name basis with the …
“Proper prayer begins with a desire that the name of God be hallowed, to make holy, to set apart for holy use, to respect greatly… To hallow also means to magnify, to enlarge in significance, to esteem. We hallow the name by lifting it up, speaking it forth worshipfully and respectfully with its fullest meaning, …
“It indeed is a hard discipline to be useless in God’s presence and to let him speak in the silence of my heart. But whenever I become a little useless, I know that God is calling me to a new life far beyond the boundaries of my usefulness.” (Henri Nouwen) Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Jesus …
Wisdom: the practical art of living skillfully; moral discernment; taking pleasure in the right things; practicing the truth in daily life; learning to live as our Creator intended. Based on understanding, not intelligence; on contemplation, not calculation; on faith, not insight; on practical spirituality, not personal giftedness. (paraphrases from various sources) Wisdom is like a …
“To meditate is to read a text and to learn it ‘by heart’ in the fullest sense of this expression, that is with one’s whole being: with the body since the mouth pronounced it; with the memory which fixes it; with the intelligence which understands its meaning; and with the will which desires to put …
“Is-is he a man?” asked Lucy. “Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the Great Lion.” “Ooh! said Susan. “I’d …
Pauline Blessings: Praying a “Good Word” Over Others (2). 6. “May you be resolute, encouraged in heart and bound together in love until you have the full riches of complete understanding in order that you may know the mystery of God, who is Christ, in whom are hidden all the jewels and treasures of wisdom …