The (Lieben)GOOD LIFE

  Easter Sunday Homily: God’s “No!” Is for and Even Greater “Yes!”               Isa 25.6-9;   Psalm 118.1-2, 14-24;   1 Cor 15.1-11;  John 20.1-18 Easter is a reminder that God’s “No!” is for an even greater “Yes!”, a yes that we are incapable of imagining, a ‘yes’ that we are incapable of constructing on our own. And so Easter is a reminder that we are called to be patient, to wait on the Lord.    In Holy Week we have been reminded, in our Stations of the Cross readings from the Gospel of Matthew, that Jesus prayed fervently three times for deliverance. Embodying our Psalm 118 reading, he  longed to see the steadfast love of the Lord endure through his trial, torture, and crucifixion. He turned to the Father to be his strength and his salvation. He looked for the Father’s right hand to do valiantly: “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me”. Luke’s account tells us tha...

  Fifth Sunday in Lent: God’s Word against Us Meets God's Word for Us             Jer 31.31-34 ;  Psa 51.1-12;  Heb 5.5-10;  John 12.20-33   Prayer of Invocation   Father, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.   Prayer of Illumination   Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are reflected upon and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you have to say to us today. Amen.   Proclamation   We entered this season of Lent with a courageous prayer: “Search me, ...

When we gather on Sundays, we rehearse a way of life together--we embody a foretaste of our one hope. Each Sunday we practice (in the double sense of that word) this way of life together in our liturgy, with the hope that our corporate worship not only glorifies God and coheres with our profession, but that it also forms us to be the people that God calls us to be. In other words, our Sunday worship trains us for everyday life, in the same way that what you practice, the habits and skills you develop through conditioning, drills, or scales will play out on the field, or the court, or the keyboard, or the guitar strings. And so, each Sunday we practice the practices that are generated from the revelation of God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:  we start each morning by acknowledging that God is already at work in our lives; with our prayer of invocation we say, “Lord, help us to be what you have called us to be”; we hear afresh His call to exclusive worship--for His glory and our good...

  Epiphany 4: What to do in times of doubt, pain, frustration, and loss.  Isa 40.21-31; Psa 147.1-11, 20c; 1 Cor 9.16-23; Mark 1.29-39   Prayer of Invocation   Father, set us free from the bondage of our sins, and give us the freedom that comes with the abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.   Prayer of Illumination   We believe, Lord. Help our unbelief as we attend to your word with your people. Meet us where we are at, and strengthen us to wait on you; in Jesus’ name.     Proclamation   What do you do when you are faced with doubt, when you experience pain and sorrow, when you encounter injustice? Where do you go when you are frustrated with how things are working out (or how they are NOT working out)? What do you do when life is not going as you wished it would, when life is n...

  Reading Romans Backwards (sort of): Exploring the setting and lived theology of Romans In my course on Romans, I suggest that it is most fruitful to read Romans backwards, sort of. We will start with a exploration of Romans 16, move to the until of Romans 14-15, then look at Romans 12-13. Why do I suggest we read Romans in this way? 1.  Because Romans is a complex argument, and most readers often get lost in the forest for the trees. Reading it backwards helps us keep the purpose of the letter in view, and helps us better understand how the parts fit together. 2.    Because Romans is ultimately about lived theology—theology that makes a difference for how we share our lives together. It is ultimately about human flourishing in light of the gospel. Reading it backwards keeps this in view. 3. Because in a detailed study of Romans, often chapters 12-16 get the least amount of attention; the problem with this is that Romans 12-16 is at the heart of what Paul wants to c...

  In Chapter 16, which many people read as insignificant “shout outs”, we see not only the problem that Paul is addressing in his letter, but also the core of his message throughout the letter. He begins by asking the Roman church to “welcome” (cf. Rom 15.7) Phoebe, likely the one who was in charge of delivering and explaining the letter to the churches. It is no doubt illuminating that Paul sends a gentile convert woman to read and perhaps interpret this letter to the Roman Christians. It is easy to miss the explosive and deeply theological claim that Paul makes when he addresses Phoebe as “sister” (16.1). This gets to the heart of Paul’s message to the Romans (and us). In Christ, we have a new status; we are family members, who belong to one another. (Romans 1-8 will develop and support this foundational claim, as we will see.) In the Roman world, families were marked by loyalty, honor, love, harmony, forgiveness, and goodwill towards one another. In the culture of the day, more ...