Exegesis on Luke 13:1-9
On the surface Luke 13:1-9 is a little cryptic. There is a lot of talking about a lot of things that aren’t exactly clear or seemingly even related. Once the context of verses 1 through 5 have been made clear, however, its relationship to the parable of the fig tree becomes evident. Jesus is teaching the crowds that gather around him a lesson on God’s mercy towards fallen humanity and the expediency they should have for reconciliation with the Divine. Read more...
The Mystery of Reality
In this week’s readings, Edward Yarnold examines the initiatory sacramental actions of the church through the lens of the great 4th century theologians Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose of Milan, and Theodore of Mopuestia. Though each of these theologians work in the era of the yet undivided catholic Church, they each bring their own personal and regional flavor to the meanings of the initiatory rituals of Christianity. Yarnold collected and translated the works of these great theologians in an effort to give richer background to post Vatican II liturgical reforms and catechetical programs within the Church. Read more...
Confess Christ with Hearts and Lips
The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame. Read more...
One in the Spirit
This week’s readings bring perfect support to the ideas brought previously by Metz, Schmemann, and others around the importance of communal anamnesis. In the previous week’s readings, the moment of the Eucharist became a central focus point for the theologians involved. It was especially in this moment that the mighty and merciful acts of God were remembered and the community stood in solidarity with the world. In Flesh of the Church, Flesh of Christ Tillard takes a deeper look into the idea of unity in the Christian tradition, focusing especially on how unity plays out in the Eucharist. Read more...
Luke 4:21-30; Challenging our Self-Centered Expectations
In today’s gospel reading we find Jesus attending worship at his home congregation in Nazareth for the first time since he left. One can almost imagine the scene as the familiar – and yet now somehow unfamiliar – Jesus takes his old place in the synagogue. The sweet elders of the congregation surround him, excited to hear how the boy they saw grow up has faired in the world. The men Jesus grew up with fish for stories of life outside of little Nazareth; tales of danger and adventure. Read more...
Schmemann and Christian Memory
This week’s reading focused first on the liturgical theology of Alexander Schmemann – chapter three of Anamnesis – moving on in chapter four to an engagement of Metz, Schmemann, and other theologians in a conversation about memory within the rituals of the Christian tradition. In chapter five’s conclusion, Professor Morrill ties the work of the many theologians engaged in the reading together and gives some practical suggestions on how to better reform liturgy to move worshipers to remembrance and action. Read more...
Setting & Meaning of Luke 4:21-30
This chapter starts with a newly baptized Jesus being lead by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for forty days. After being tempted by the devil and successfully overcoming him, Jesus returns to his ministry in Galilee teaching and healing as he goes. After an undisclosed amount of time, Jesus finds himself in his home village of Nazareth where he takes his customary place in the synagogue on the sabbath to read from Hebrew scripture. Read more...
Great Nashville Snow of 2016
Like many in Nashville I went to bed on Thursday night expecting to awake to a lot of ice with a little dusting of snow. I knew MNPS would be closed for the day, but I completely expected to drive into work at my normal time. When I awoke on Friday, I was excited to see inches of snow. Like any good Southerner I ran outside and took as many photos I could. Read more...
The Kenotic Faith Once Delivered
The Christian faith stands at an intersection of ritual, belief, history, and reality. In this tension theologians like Metz ask the uncomfortable questions those outside the faith readily ask and those within the faith would rather avoid. In an age of instrumental reason does the mysticism of Christian ritual and prayer have a place? Is the Christian faith more than assent to a list of dogmas? What is the Christian response to the history of human suffering and the present suffering peoples of the world? Read more...
The Origin and Purpose of the Revised Common Lectionary
The Revised Common Lectionary1 was published by the Consultation on Common Texts2 in 1992 after six years of testing and feedback from their original lectionary introduced in 1983. The purpose of the RCL was to revive a pattern for eschatological reflection in the church by focusing Christians each Sunday on where they exist in time, what has come before, and what will come at the end. By leading Christians through Christ’s “birth, baptism, ministry, death, and resurrection,"3 the RCL ultimately sought “to lead God’s people to a deeper knowledge of Christ and faith in him. Read more...
Response to the Articles of Relgion: Pt. I
As part of my journey to ordination I have been asked to share a short reflection on each of the 39 Articles of Relgion of the Church of England. I will share my reflections as I write them over the coming weeks. Today, I share my responses to articles one through six. Article I: Of Faith in the Holy Trinity There is but one living and true God, ever-lasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker, and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. Read more...
My Call to Ministry
The path to ministry God set before me was indeed mysterious. I was raised in the Mormon church, but always felt that something wasn’t right. For the longest I assumed it was my lack of faith and sinfulness that prevented me from being able to believe the things I should. When I left home for university I stopped attending church and, though I still considered myself a Mormon, started exploring different options. Read more...
Evangelical Anglicans in the First American Century
Introduction The 19th century was a time of great action and change in the religious scene in America. Republican ideals and the new sense of freedom offered by America’s vast frontier led to great revivals of religion. Americans questioned the established churches and forged their own religious paths with nothing except personal conscience and the Bible as their guide. Within this context the post Revolutionary War remnants of the established English church remained in America. Read more...
Torture Condemned?
The parable of rich man and Lazarus found in Luke 16:19-31 raises many uncomfortable questions about wealth, poverty, salvation, judgment, and the nature of the afterlife. Most uncomfortable for me, is the parable’s apparent ease with the idea of the rich man being tormented in Hades. In the narrative, torture is introduced abruptly without comment and neither Lazarus nor Abraham seem to have a problem with it. The rich man is dead, buried, and being tormented in Hades all within one quick declaration in vv. Read more...
Helping the Seeds Grow
The Parable of the Growing Seed – so called by Snodgrass1 – found in Mark 4:26-29 at first glance appears to present an image of a careless and maybe not very intelligent man who aimlessly throws seed around, naps during the growing season, and then harvests whatever happens to grow. First impressions, however, are not always best. On a deeper analysis, the parable reveals an image of humankind participating in the building of the kingdom of God and enjoying the bounty of God’s blessings once his kingdom has been fully realized. Read more...
