In the Cross, however, we see a radical flattening of society so that even the difference in the power structures between slave and free disappear.
Looking Through the Cross – The Cross and Power, pt.1 Read More »
The appearance of the shepherds, therefore, brings to mind both Jesus’ earthly and heavenly origins. They also given confirmation to confirmation to Mary and those with her (e.g., her in-laws) that the child is who Gabriel said he was.
Luke’s Infancy Narrative – Luke 2, pt.2 Read More »
An alternative way of reading the encounter between the angelic hosts and the shepherds is that the army of God is making an announcement of war and rebellion against the powers of this world and specifically against Caesar Augustus.
Luke’s Infancy Narrative – Luke 2, pt.1 Read More »
Read through the concluding chapter of Luke’s gospel and see how Luke brings his opening full circle. Luke begins and ends in the Temple, and begins and ends with the understanding of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Scriptures.
Luke’s Infancy Narrative – Luke 1, pt.2 Read More »
These first two chapters in Luke provide a bridge between the Old Testament and the life of Jesus. Therefore, these first two chapters are written in the style and motif of various stories in the Old Testament creating this continuity.
Luke’s Infancy Narrative – Luke 1, pt.1 Read More »
God is not an “It” whose essence is to be metaphysically dissected and studied, but a “who” to be known and encountered. Our task, as Heschel says, is not to make God the object of our thinking, but to discover ourselves as the objects of his thinking.
Think about the issue of divine wrath. Is it an idea to be explained away or to be avoided? Is it simply part of the manifestation of God’s love and concern for his creation?
Think about not only how our worship, but also how our reading of Scripture, our theology, our church politics, and our allegiance to institutional structures and dogma interfere with and prevent us from seeing the world as God sees the world and from carrying out those actions necessary to create and maintain the just and righteous society envisioned by the prophets and by Christ himself.
Read Chapter 6 carefully and see if and how Amos speaks to the present-day economy. Do we, both individually and in the general socio-economic reality of America, fall under Amos’ condemnation? Does this chapter speak to any of our current economic policy debates or is this chapter simply a historic artefact?
Within these chapters, how is Amos’ tone, critique of formal religion, and understanding of natural disasters relevant for us today.
