ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 3, 2019 Scripture: 1st John 2:12-14 Little children, I’m writing to you because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus’ name. Parents, I’m writing to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I’m writing to you because you have conquered the evil one. Little children, I write to you because you know the Father. Parents, I write to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I write to you because you are strong, the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one. Thought for the Day: Do you notice a pattern? Scripture is this wonderful and beautiful mix of writing styles and genres, some we understand and some are more culturally bound. There are times when it is as if you are looking at a political cartoon, but you do not know the political context. Categories of creative writing, including poetry and hyperbole, are wonderful ways of going beyond fact and dogma. They create entry points into emotional experiences not easily communicated in a straightforward expository approach. The author of 1st John has a repetitive bounce in the above words – little children, parents, young people – and then repeated. Each section has the word because, but most scholars would suggest it is a poor translation of the original Greek. Raymond Brown believes that in English, the best way to get at the original meaning is to make it into a colon. It would read: Little children, I’m writing you: your sins have been forgiven. There is no intended “because,” simply a statement of reality. Could this be a poetic catechism (a religious teaching tool) by which we understand our responsibilities as we grow in the faith? At each level, I know what I should know. And when I reach the level of parent, I not only know what i should know, but as the parent, I have a responsibility to help the little children and the young people embrace their responsibilities – the little children and young people who reside on either side of me. The reoccurring pattern reinforces in its very design the structure of a faith community that is serious about training people in the life of faith. Those who take anything seriously know they cannot be disorganized or indecisive. As we begin a new study this week, The Heart of the Love First Life, we will be working on patterns and structures in our individual and corporate life that will train us for the work of God’s Reign. Prayer: Assist me, Holy Teacher, as I find routines and patterns that honor the consequential work of living the Love First Life. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2zMmgFT
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ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 2, 2019 Prayer for the Week: You love me, Merciful God, you love me. There are days when those words flow with ease, when I am able to believe them and embrace them. There are days, Merciful God, when the convictions of faith do not match how I see myself. There are days when I perceive your love as freely given to others, but not to me. There are days when I have convinced myself that I hold a position outside your merciful reach. How can I love the world you have called me to serve when I do not regard myself as worthy of such a gift. I willingly assign love to others while placing myself outside that circle of gracious favor. How can I reflect Jesus if I do not believe the love of Jesus can pierce the barrier of self-doubt constructed around me? You love me, Merciful God, you love me. Do I believe what I pray and confess? Teach me once again the news of your Gracious Incarnation. Allow me to grapple with the difficult, yet beautiful idea of your unconditional love. Let the power of your Spirit eliminate every condition, every restriction, I or others have imposed upon your love. Let me breathe in your unmerited gift that is not bound by my insecurities or the culture’s favoritism. Let me claim it as I have already been claimed among your beloved. These are my struggles and my hopes offered in the name of Jesus. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2LngwYz ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS September 1, 2019 Scripture: 1st John 2:9-11 The one who claims to be in the light while hating a brother or sister is in the darkness even now. The person loving a brother and sister stays in the light, and there is nothing in the light that causes a person to stumble. But the person who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and lives in the darkness, and doesn’t know where to go because the darkness blinds the eyes. Thought for the Day: 1st John definitely presents a world view that is black or white, either/or. There is not a lot of nuance, but notice the criteria by which a person is assigned to light or darkness. It is entirely attributed to the treatment of the neighbor. In a religious world where too often faithfulness is connected entirely to doctrine or saying the correct creed, the author of 1st John proposes something entirely different. In fact, you can read between the lines and gain a glimpse of those who talk a good talk, but treat their neighbors horribly. That might have been the catalyst for writing this document in the first place. And even though I believe that every human being is a mix of light and darkness, good and bad choices, we cannot allow this inner-duality to become an excuse. It makes a difference if we chose to live in the light, not only for ourselves, but for brothers and sisters who come from another mother. The real transformation of the world will not come through an alignment of theological statements, but human beings making the daily choice to love. Prayer: I wish to live in your light, O God of Glory. You love me, and in that love, I experience the warmth of your light. Make it my mission to share that gift with as many others as possible. Amen. via WordPress https://ift.tt/2LnPOim |
AuthorRev. Bruce Frogge Archives
May 2024
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