asking
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the Lord’s prayer, revisited (part 7)
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Not our kingdom. Not our power. Not our glory. It belongs to another. The only one worthy of it. The only one it cannot blemish or destroy. Whenever we take it upon ourselves we ruin it, it ruins us. Whenever we try… Continue reading
America, asking, bible, Christ, Christianity, church, deconstruction, doubts, empire, evangelicalism, Faith, forgiveness, God, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus, love, peace, prayer, questions, reflection, religion, Searching, seeking, spirituality, the lord’s prayer, Theology, Trust, weekly reflections, worship -
the Lord’s prayer, revisited (part 6)
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: What does this mean? Save us from ourselves. God is not the cause of temptation, of our choices and actions, nor of the resulting suffering. If people are the problem then they can’t be the solution. So we pray, Deliver us. From ourselves, our… Continue reading
America, asking, bible, Christ, Christianity, church, deconstruction, doubts, empire, evangelicalism, Faith, forgiveness, God, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus, love, peace, prayer, questions, reflection, religion, Searching, seeking, spirituality, the lord’s prayer, Theology, Trust, weekly reflections, worship -
the Lord’s prayer, revisited (part 5)
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Oh, forgiveness. One of the most difficult asks for humankind. You know. Who is it impossible to forgive? “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Are we forgiven only as we forgive? Do we forgive because we’re forgiven, or are… Continue reading
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the Lord’s prayer, revisited (part 4)
Give us this day our daily bread. Yet they starve by the millions, your children, without bread or water. Children die sick in slums or in the streets. Thousands perish every single day from preventable causes. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth… Continue reading
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the Lord’s prayer, revisited (part 3)
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Where is your kingdom? It is not in earth as it is in heaven. For what of the Ugandan boy who sat next to me in tears because someone he loved was dying or dead of AIDS. What of the young… Continue reading
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the Lord’s prayer, revisited (part 2)
Hallowed be thy name. The sacred name that’s been used by the apparent faithful throughout history to justify the persecution and killing of those who are different from and other than; the faithful who hold the supposed truth and dispense it by the sword (literally or figuratively). Look no further than our own scriptures. God-ordained… Continue reading
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the Lord’s prayer, revisited (part 1)
“Lord, teach us to pray.” Our Father which art in heaven, But only there, Lord? Far away up in the sky, above the clouds, beyond the universe, detached and out of reach? To say you’re in heaven makes it sound as if you’re distant, unavailable, like many of our own earthly fathers. Or like some… Continue reading
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what comes after?
It’s easy to believe in God, in heaven; even in hell, if you’re speaking of hell on earth. All of us have experienced both heaven and hell in this life. We’ve seen evidence of their reality here and now. But are they actual places and states of existence in the next life, the afterlife? I… Continue reading
afterlife, asking, authenticity, bible, change, Christianity, church, compassion, deconstruction, empathy, eternity, evangelicalism, experience, Faith, God, Grace, growth, heaven, honesty, hope, immortality, Jesus, knowledge, learning, listening, love, openness, personal, prayer, reflections, religion, scripture, Searching, seeking, spirit, spirituality, story, Theology, Trust, truth, understanding -
the bible
Is it our salvation, a love letter, a rulebook, a guide, an instruction manual, a weapon, or just stories made up long ago? Is it true, inspired, outdated, or myth? Is it directly from or dictated by God, or only some of it, or none of it. Does it point to God, or do only… Continue reading
asking, authenticity, bible, change, Christianity, church, compassion, deconstruction, empathy, evangelicalism, experience, Faith, God, Grace, growth, honesty, hope, Jesus, knowledge, learning, listening, love, openness, personal, prayer, reflections, religion, scripture, Searching, seeking, spirit, spirituality, story, Trust, truth, understanding -
prayer
Heads bowed. Eyes closed. Hands folded. Who taught us to pray this way? Would God have us pray in a spirit of formality. Or would he rather we lift our heads, open our eyes, and stretch out our hands to the mystery that reaches us. I think of the Michelangelo painting on the ceiling of… Continue reading
asking, authenticity, change, Christianity, church, compassion, deconstruction, empathy, evangelicalism, experience, Faith, God, Grace, growth, honesty, hope, Jesus, knowledge, learning, listening, love, openness, personal, prayer, reflections, religion, Searching, seeking, spirit, spirituality, story, Trust, truth, understanding
a kingdom built of seeds 