by Greg | Feb 15, 2013 | Blog Posts
Cross Crosslet This cross is composed of four Latin crosses arranged in such a manner that their bases overlap. The Cross Crosslet is often associated with the liturgical season of Epiphany, which affirms that Jesus is revealed as the Son of God. The four crosses symbolize the four corners of the earth and the spreading of the Gospel to the world. “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Prayer: Your Word, like the four winds O Lord, covers the world. Your Word is the Creative Word; your Word is the Saving Word; your Word is the Forgiving Word; Your Word is Love. Thank You for Your Word, spoken deep in our hearts and throughout Your creation....
by Greg | Feb 14, 2013 | Blog Posts
Each day of Lent it is my intention to share with you a different image and reflection of the cross, followed by a prayer. Today let us refelct on the Tau Cross. Tau Cross The name comes from the cross’s resemblance of the Greek letter T. Tradition has it as the form of the staff which Moses raised up in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9). Other names for this symbol are Cross of the Old Testament, Prophetic Cross, and Anticipatory Cross. This cross is also the form often represented in paintings for the two thieves crucified on either side. “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-16) Hear and believe the Good News: In a world of pretentious posturing and survival of the fittest, we do not have to weary ourselves any longer with being good enough, smart enough, rich enough or talented enough. It is enough to look up, be loved and believe. Christ is enough, today and all our days. Prayer: O God may my thoughts and words; actions and intentions hold your love high that the world may see your magnanimous love....
by Greg | Feb 13, 2013 | Blog Posts
Today we begin the forty day journey of Lent. It is a journey that will lead us – followers and stragglers of Jesus – to the cross. The cross was at one time a symbol of terror and domination. Its purpose was to strike fear and imperial suppression against anyone who dared to threaten Rome. One man did, and suffered beneath the cross. Through the centuries since the crucifixion of Jesus the cross has been elevated from a symbol of torture and defeat, to the marking of disciples. The cross has been adorned, decorated, beautified, trivialized, but also has served to indentify and set apart believers. During Lent I will be sharing different shapes the cross has taken, along with some of its symbolic meanings. Regardless of how we see and picture the cross, we have been invited to bear the cross and follow Jesus. It is the only way to Easter. On Ash Wednesday young and old are invited to come forward and by marked with the cross in ashes. We share the words, “…you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19) We are surrounded by silly symbols of our anxieties that oftentimes are manifested in over-consumption and violence. Yet we are all, in the end, destined to be no more than a can of ashes on this earth. Ash Wednesday and Lent call on us to ignore the anxious voices that cannot believe in anything but the self, and listen to the voice of the One, who out of dust, breathed in each the breath of life. There will come a day when our...
by Greg | Feb 8, 2013 | Blog Posts
How do you picture forgiveness? Are you in need of forgiveness? Do you struggle to forgiven another? Why do we need to forgive? For Lent (and two weeks prior to Lent) I am focusing for my Wednesday evening Bible Study as series on “Faces of Forgiveness.” Below are my notes for the last two weeks. Please overlook grammatical and spelling errors. We know about it and we hear about it and sometimes we see it, but do we believe it? In 2006 the Amish community in Pennsylvania had a school shooting that killed five children. They went very public with their need to forgive. Or… Do you recall when the now infamous runaway bride of Duluth returned home, talk radio pundits and the call in public took their shots and jabs, but the fiancé spoke of forgiveness. And the media and public alike ridiculed him, as if such an act was a sign of stupidity. Forgiveness? Does it really exist? Or maybe it would be better to say is it really possible? I am convinced that at the root of any poisoned or broken relationship is the failure to forgive. Please understand this: for the Christian believer, forgiveness is not an option, it is rarely easy, it does not come natural, and it will be hard work. What did Jesus say about Forgiveness? Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors… 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 18:...
by Greg | Jan 23, 2013 | Blog Posts
There and Back Again” is the subtitle to J.R.R. Tolkien’s tale of hobbits, goblins and wizards in The Hobbit. There and back again has been my theme after ten days of travel through the Holy Land, seeing where the Bible comes alive over the rolling waters of the Sea of Galilee and the bustling streets of Jerusalem. Our group had wandered far and now we have wandered home. One of the things I like about traveling is enjoying local foods. In Texas I appreciate beef barbeque (no substitute for pork, but it will do). In India I could not get my fill of curry. I do not need to even comment on the sheer volume of raw oysters I consume when vacationing near Apalachicola. I have never had goulash like I ate in Hungary. Readers of my blog know that while wandering through the Holy Land I did not tire of pita bread, falafel, hummus and other tahini laced dishes. No matter where I wander off to, however, it is always good to wander back home. Give me biscuits and country-fried steak and I know that I am at home. Wherever you find yourself wandering, I say wander with a purpose. God has created a wonderful world for us to see and experience. The psalmist sings: “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (24.1) You do not have to touch the Jordan River or pray at the Western Wall to be closer to God. You just need to look up, look around, and look forward for God is before you...
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