I think it was Paul Tillich who said that holiness was not a moral, religious or ethical quality but simply the act of pointing toward God. When I think of the saints I have known that is certainly the case: it was not about them, it about God. We tend to put saints on pedestals,… Read More »
OCTOBER312022
A central theme in St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians — and it almost every letter he wrote — is the need for unity. Complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. It is one of the ironies of history that the symbol of… Read More »
OCTOBER302022
Let’s say you hear that Michelle Obama is going to give a talk at McCormick Place. You situate yourself on King Drive so that you will be able to catch sight of her. Maybe you climb up the fence by the McDonalds to get a clearer view. As her entourage passes by she notices you… Read More »
OCTOBER292022
St. Paul’s letter to the Church in Philippi is filled with joy. If Corinth was his problem child, Philippi was his favorite. He spoke to them very personally. When we read for to me life is Christ, and death is gain we understand that Paul wants the Philippians to come to understand how profoundly his… Read More »
OCTOBER282022
In our creeds we confess to being an “apostolic church.” You are members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles. The apostles were not prizes. During Jesus ministry, they were frequently unable to understand what he was about and did betray, deny and abandon him. But in the end they… Read More »
OCTOBER272022
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” We should not be surprised to see the Pharisees as looking out for Jesus. They were natural allies in the desire to bring God into daily life. The hostility between them in the gospels probably says more… Read More »
OCTOBER262022
Ephesians 5 contains what scholars call a “household code” — a list the of behaviors expected of a good member of Roman society. There are many examples in the ancient world that are similar to St. Paul’s. Of course from our perspective so much of the Roman household code was patriarchial and hierarchical and is… Read More »
OCTOBER252022
When I was in the seminary we sometimes would joke that we were going to take vows of “poverty, charity and obedience” instead of “poverty, chastity and obedience.” Looking back, I can’t help but be relieved that I didn’t take the first vows. Charity is much harder, more demanding, than chastity. The passage from Ephesians… Read More »
OCTOBER242022
Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love. How can the likes of me be an imitator of God? I can’t create a universe. I can’t redeem the world. What is it that God does that I can possible imitate? First, forgive. God does not hold grudges or wait for the sinner… Read More »
OCTOBER232022
Elie Wiesel repeats a story from the Hasidic tradition. When the great Rabbi Baal Shem-Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a sacred fire, say a special prayer, and the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune… Read More »
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