Reading through a songbook I stumbled on the now dated chorus "Change My Heart Oh God", this started me thinking about other songs that mention metaphors of hardhearted, or heart of stone and our need for change to be like God. Then I started down the Twitter rabbit hole where I saw any number of... Continue Reading →
God of the covenant, in the glory of the cross your Son embraced the power of death and broke its hold over your people. In this time of repentance, draw all people to yourself, that we who confess Jesus as Lord may put aside the deeds of death and accept the life of your kingdom.... Continue Reading →
I have been brushing up on some elements of Church history for a lecture I am giving Saturday (you can find more info here). I read about the Roman Emperor Constantine who, though "converting" to Christianity in 312, put off his baptism until near his death in 337. I confess I have not been much... Continue Reading →
The most underappreciated element of Advent and Christmas is repentance. John the Baptist preceded Jesus with the message to Israel for "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." And this year more than most I think of the need for repentance in preparing for Jesus' arrival at Christmas. I know this is in... Continue Reading →
I think the best way to take questions of forgiveness is to begin by understanding the need for forgiveness. Forgiveness presupposes that two individuals have in the past had a relationship and that this relationship has been strained or broken. This principle holds true whether we talk of a relationship between humans or a relationship... Continue Reading →
Saints & Idiots 