Hopewit

Once upon a garden path II Corinthians 6:16-18, NIV (Paul writing to the Corinthian Church.) "What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.' [Leviticus 12: 26] Therefore, 'Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you,' [Isaiah 52:11] And, 'I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'" [II Samuel 7:14] Sometimes we're faced with the struggle of reconciling apparently opposed "truths." Like finding a way both to keep our children close and safe while releasing them so they learn to survive and thrive without us. The Christian life includes any number of such paradoxes i as, for instance, in "love your enemies," or "whoever seeks to save his...

Truth, facts, principles. You could say they're just words: truths, facts, understandings, laws, insights, principles . . .. But nothing is “just a word,” is it? I just read an interview with Abdu Murray in Bible Gateway in which he says: "Logically, truth is inescapable. The moment someone makes a claim, they’re invoking the truth. If, for example, someone claims there’s no truth, one can simply challenge that by asking “Is it true that there’s no truth?” If it’s true, then truth does exist. If it isn’t true, then the claim is meaningless. We simply can’t live in a culture that denies objective truth or subordinates the truth to feelings and preferences." Murray, some would argue, isn't talking about truth here, but about fact. Or maybe truth here is meant to mean (pun unintended) an indisputable , immutable i , undeniable principle . As is far from uncommon, Murray is using the truth word loosely. He's not alone in ...

The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? So begins the hymn we call Psalm 27 , a wonderful hymn of both despair and regained confidence. Elemental Earth - Prairie Grasslands I'm always a little uneasy about selecting a discrete passage and enlarging on it, but that's exactly what many sermons, meditations, blog posts do. Alternately, to pick a topic and scrounge around in scripture for affirmation in a supporting reference(s) has its own issues: it's called “ proof texting .” A manifestation of the latter is “ confirmation bias ,” or picking out passages or commentaries that seem to support what we've already decided is “right,” bypassing anything that seems to lean in another direction. What we apparently like best are the things that don't challenge —but rather support —that about which our minds are already convinced. Every preacher, teacher, writer can find corroboration supporting his/her viewpoint, even in the Bible...

Living persistence (Religions officialdom says to Jesus) “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’(Psalm 82:6)? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘ I am God’s Son ’? (John 10:33-37, NIV) ******* “. . . I know the truth of what my people say: that we are all spirit, we are all energy, joined to everything that is everywhere, all things coming true together.” (Wagamese, Richard, Embers) ******* The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God . . . (Romans 8:16) “ We are all sons of God,” some have said. And others have replied, “Oh, no we're not! God has only one so...

The saying “live by the sword, die by the sword” is an idiom that basically means “what goes around comes around.” More to the point, “if you use violent, forceful, or underhanded methods against other people, you can expect those same methods to be used against you. ” (Matthew 26: 52 - “ Then Jesus said to [Peter], 'Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.'”) “ There’s nothing wrong with firearms,” says McIntyre. “I own many of them, and they’re not scary, they’re not misbehaved or anything. They’re just another tool.” The StarPhoenix article is titled “ It's just a tool: Why guns are essential for rural life in Saskatchewan” The article presents a rural view on firearms rather well, and raises again the debate about gun control as a remedy for far too many gun deaths . . . yes or no. To call the ubiquity of firearms in ranching/farming communities proof of a “gun culture” is probably unjustified,...

Looking down on the world, eh? When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” (Acts 21:27-8, NIV) Charges of “you're a racist” were being made in Alberta's political discourse the other week. Again , I might add. I hate to repeat myself . . . again . . . but there's a difference between “What you said was racist ” and “You are a racist.” The former is a rebuke for a statement, the latter is an ad hominem, personal attack. There is certainly scope enough for someone to be so fundamentally convinced that race determines worth that the label of racist can be justified, but to use it easily and often as a knee-jerk criticism is simply not right. ...

. . . and give us this day our morning muffin, cheese and coffee . . . “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24, NIV; Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well.) I've been commissioned (not anointed, definitely not anointed) to say something in a post about—as I understand it—the contention south of the border among some American citizens that their current president is anointed by God to lead America to greatness once again. In his book, God and Donald Trump , Stephen Strang “ attempts to explain evangelical fervor for Trump and provides a window into the world of charismatics, a subset of evangelical Christians who believe God still speaks to people through prophesies and is still actively involved in arranging the world of huma...

Homage to the bare essentials In [Christ] we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11-14, NIV) Sometimes, reading Paul feels like listening to the frenetic explaining of a hyperactive child. Somewhere in the wordy density of his explanations of “what it all means” to the Ephesian church, there has to be a message that's extremely important to the gospel project. Wouldn't a thinking Ephesian Christian go home scratching his head...