apocalyptic
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Revealed to Us
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6 min read
Apocalyptic scripture gives us a window into an alternate vision of reality – not in destruction, but in revealing ours as the wrong path. apocalypse and the language of changeMatthew 24:1-14 What do we do with this? Jesus gets apocalyptic in this reading. In ancient Hebrew communities, the apocalyptic was a literary form—it’s like reading…
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A New Chance
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8 min read
In Luke 21:25-36, we get a vision of the end which usually trips our fears, but Jesus reminds us that he’ll be with us, standing against the fear. In Advent, we begin with the end, because the end is only the beginning. Advent 1C | Luke 21:25-36 There’s a saying: Begin with the end in…
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tearing down temples
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9 min read
In Mark’s Little Apocalypse, Jesus invites us to see what we’d rather avoid: not only the finitude of existence but the challenge of a life of trusting God. How our temples deny our trust Proper 28B | Mark 13:1-8 I don’t envy the disciples. Here they are, marveling the enormity of the Temple, looking at the…
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In the Midst of Chaos: GOD
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10 min read
We’re arguing about all these other things, while Jesus is literally saying that this road leads to his death. We’re all just following along with a “eh, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” But now Jesus is saying that bridge is toast. It’ll be thrown down and we are woken from our…
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Every Hill Made Low (Eating Scripture)
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1 min read
Eating Luke 3:1-6 Back in the recesses of my mind I recall a lyric: Second verse same as the first! A little bit louder and a little bit worse! We ended Year B talking apocalyptic and we begin the new year, Year C, by…talking apocalyptic. Personally, I love it. We just aren’t that used to…
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Advent and Apocalypse
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4 min read
I have been writing and announcing Advent for a few weeks now. I’ve described the primary way the church imagines the season is through the lens of hopeful expectation. Until Sunday, I had refrained from discussing the church’s other focus. That perhaps this season is less about retelling the story of Jesus’s first coming and…