darkness (48)

Ian

Depths of Lent

Psalm 119:9–16; Isaiah 44:1–8; Acts 2:14–24 Lent has various aspects. The first is our mortality (“from dust you came; to dust you return”). The second is sin. Mortality and sin are connected. Without the original sin, there would be no death. Sin brought death to…

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Ian

Storms in Store

Psalm 77; Job 4:1–21; Ephesians 2:1–10 I recently l read a pointed quip (one could call it an insult) at a man who had chosen to remain celibate rather than have a relationship with another man. The person wrote, “…This guy needs [religion] as an…

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Ian

Heart of God, Speak

Deuteronomy 18:15–20; Mark 1:21–28 Prophetic speech is not unique to the Judeo-Christian community, not by a long shot. In the current world, there are many forms of prophetic voice. A short list (i.e., not exhaustive) of prophetic voices: environmental collapse; sustainability (related, but not the…

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Ian

Whose King

Psalm 95:1–7a; Ezekiel 34:11–24; Matthew 25:31–46; Ephesians 1:15–23 Christ is King. We often say that to ourselves and to others. The real question that we need to ask is, do we believe it? As the 2020 US political season wraps up, the victors and the…

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Ian

Force or Choice

Matthew 20:20–28; Matthew 22:15–22 The author Robert Heinlein once wrote, “When you vote, you are exercising political authority, you're using force. And force, my friends, is violence. The supreme authority from which all other authorities are derived.” There has been a transformation in our society…

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