How are you?
Galatians 5:16-26 (9/9/2012)
The mystery and the wonder of the religious way of being is that when I give away my life, I get it back again. When I bind myself as God’s servant, then and only then am I truly free. When I acknowledge that I cannot do anything by my strength alone, I am given strength for … everything.
Self-control
Mark 8:37-38 (9/16/2012)
Maybe because Christian virtue is not about gaining control over myself, but about giving control to God’s Spirit in me. Maybe because Christian virtue is not merely about subduing my desires, but about replacing them with a higher and better desire!
Humility
Mark 9:30-37 (9/23/2012)
Knowing that I am loved by God leaves me secure and unthreatened and confident, secure enough and unthreatened enough and confident enough to be just fine being last.
Kindness
Mark 9:38-50 (9/30/2012)
It is kindness – not creative programs, not powerful preaching, not great music, not exemplary community involvement, not charismatic leadership – but kindness that will impress people and will convince them there is something important going on here, something that must come from God himself.
Faithfulness
Mark 10:2-16 (10/7/2012)
Jesus really didn’t have that much to say about marriage. It was not one of the main themes of his gospel proclamation. In fact, Jesus talked about marriage only when somebody else brought it up!
Like this time …
Goodness
Mark 10:17-31 (10/14/2012)
Because God does not play favorites, God’s goodness is shown in us when we do not play favorites. Because God doesn’t take sides, God’s goodness is shown in us when we do not take sides. Because God gives sun and rain to bad and good alike, God’s goodness is shown in us when we too are generous, with those who deserve it and with those who do not. Tell me, who deserves your generosity? And, tell me, too, who among us deserves God’s generosity?
Peace
Mark 10:35-45 (10/21/2012)
When we have enemies, when we are threatened, when we are attacked, physically or otherwise, what comes naturally to us? What is the easy thing, the natural thing, to do? The natural thing to do when we are threatened or attacked is to defend ourselves …
Did Jesus defend himself?
Joy
Mark 10:46-52 (10/28/2012)
And yet, if that were the sum of his joy – getting what he wanted – wouldn’t he have said, “Thank you very much” and gone his own way?
Love
Mark 12:28-34 (11/4/2012)
Faith and service and witness, all that we do in the name of God, all that we stand for, all that we believe, means nothing … without love.
Patience
Mark 13:1-8 (11/11/2012)
My dear friends, we are pregnant! We are pregnant, the church is pregnant, the world is pregnant … with the kingdom of God!
How are you?
Galatians 5:22-25 (11/18/2012)
Either you are living by your own resources, doing what comes naturally, relying on your own innate wisdom and common sense and character, whatever they may be, following the crowd or tradition or common expectation or your own intuition. Or you are living by the Spirit, letting the Spirit direct your lives, guided, empowered, strengthened, shaped by the work of the Spirit in you and among you, following not the crowd or tradition or expectation or intuition, but following Jesus.