Posts from the Blog of an (un)Tamed Cynic
Reading: Luke 12:32-48 Reflection The simple message of this passage is this: be ready when Christ returns to usher in the kingdom of God. When considered in the context of the early church, it becomes more complicated. Most of the New Testament writers expected Christ to return within their lifetime. They spoke in urgent and [...]
Reading: John 11:28-44 Reflection It wasn’t always a good thing to be featured in one of Jesus’ object lessons. I’m sure that Lazarus and Mary might have chosen a different way for Jesus to make his point. But then again, Lazarus ended up with a whopper of a story to tell at dinner parties. Can [...]
I’m a member of the Presbytery of Chicago‘s Vision and Praxis Task Force, charged with recommending a plan for the future of our presbytery. Thanks to the leadership of Angela Cowser, we’ve been reflecting on Jesus’ use of relational meetings to develop leaders and build his movement. I couldn’t help thinking about this as I [...]
Text for this reflection: Daniel 8 Reflection “How long will this vision last?” For anyone reading through apocalyptic literature like Daniel, writings full of strange and elaborate visions like this one, the question posed in Daniel 8:13 might strike close to home. Yet what I find most intriguing is not the question but the answer. [...]
Was it providential (or synchronistic) that this devotion I wrote over a month ago would come out two days after Richard Mourdock’s comments about God’s causality when it comes to rape and conception? In any event, here is another reflection on suffering and divine causality. This appears as today’s Fourth Church Daily Devotion, part of [...]
