Across Church Street
It would be just like him
The God of the Bible looks like Jesus, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being. It would be just like him to go to the cross.
It would be just like him to go to the cross. The God of the Bible is a gathering God. A difference-crossing God. A forgiving, cleansing, and reconciling God. A friend-making God. A healing, restoring, and sanctifying God. The God of the Bible looks like Jesus, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being. (Heb. 1:3)
I and the Father are one. (John 10:30)
Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. (John 14:9)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
Practicing Our Scales
Imagine if our walk with Christ, representing his kingdom in the world, were as practiced and pure as Hania Rani’s fingers on the piano keys.
INNtöne Jazzfestival 2021 | Wikimedia Creative Commons
A few years ago, my wife and I, and another couple, co-led a small group for young adults ⏤ the Friends and Followers group. There, I harped on about the benefits of ‘practicing our scales.’ That meant returning to a short list of essential statements that would (hopefully) guide our formation. The idea was that if we worked to practice these ‘scales,’ they would become embodied. Lately, I have been savoring Hania Rani’s piano genius. Just imagine if our walk with Christ ⏤ representing his kingdom in the world ⏤ were as practiced and pure as Hania Rani’s fingers on the piano keys.
Define or Describe
Humans seem to like to define, label, and categorize things. Good definition requires perfect perspective. We can have confidence in definitions like “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) and “Eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.” (John 17:3) These definitions come from God. Rarely is my perspective so exhaustive. But even when I can’t define, I can describe. And I can be confident in my descriptions provided I’m humble enough to consider a new insight or another person’s different description. Defining closes the knowing venture, while describing opens it up. That can be endlessly rewarding!
- love
- Holy Spirit
- humility
- church
- poverty & mercy
- politics & society
- mission & witness
- holiness
- parable & metaphor
- identity
- eternal life
- doubt & deconstruction
- leadership
- grace
- justice
- scripture
- spiritual life
- advent & christmas
- imagination & creativity
- technology & AI
- knowing God
- human dignity
- faith & trust
- incarnation & cross
- kingdom of God
- community
- reconciliation
- spiritual formation
- epistemology
- prayer
- gratitude
- culture
- creation & nature
- discipleship
I practice the spiritual discipline of rescuing earthworms on paved surfaces. It's a reminder to me that I can pause what I'm doing, get a little dirty, and help. Also, that I've been given the responsibility to care.