Daily Liturgy and Scripture

We shouldn't think that the struggle we have is one we face alone. In addition to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we also have Christ himself. While this isn't a forcefield that keeps things from happening to us, it is a loving embrace from our creator, who stays by our side in suffering.

Again, John talks about how love defines followers of Jesus. Today, he also contrasts that with fear. Fear is the quality of those who are unsure of their future, unable to come to terms with their present, and unclear about that which makes them secure. Jesus promised all of those to us in his Kingdom and the heritage we are included in with his sacrifice. Knowing that, perfect love (his) is vita...

"We are from God" is the new identity given to residents of the Kingdom of Jesus. Being from God puts us directly in the Spirit of love that is God, and this becomes ours to share. It's transformative. It also gives us a kinship with other believers, which should play out as sharing one another's burdens and caring for our brothers and sisters particularly.

When John talks about the determination of Jesus followers by their action, we are not in a discussion of purity laws. That would be no different from the law of the Old Testament. Instead, we are determining how to see Jesus by seeing his followers. Those who take on new characteristics because of that transformation do more than show themselves, they also show him.

There is an order in spirituality: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. If we are part of the body of Christ and people of the Spirit, we are caught up in that mystery. Once we are there, we practice the same listening that Jesus did when he talked to the Father. If we learn that discipline, we will learn what life in the Kingdom of Jesus can really be like.

Walking in the light does not mean we are without sin. So what's the point of being a follower of Jesus? By definition, following. We put ourselves in God's hands, putting out faith in the future in the hands of our Savior, who has walked the same planet we do.

Those who divide the body of Christ are the main focus of the letter of Jude. This division comes in many ways, but all of them turn a person to their own desires instead of serving the body of Christ. Our objective should instead be, "keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."

Much is made of the end of the world theme in 2 Peter 3, and of course the return of Jesus is not to be bypassed. According to scholar NT Wright, the context was that a generation of Christians was passing away without a returning of Christ, which many did think would happen in their lifetime. Despite that, the future of a new Heaven and new earth remains, and a just and righteous God remains the...

It is tempting to claim to be a representative of God to easily claim authority. That arrogance and self-centered grab for power is not characteristic of those appointed by God to lead, and those very actions show them for who they really are.

Prophets speak for God, but they should never be substituted FOR God. The purpose of being part of the Kingdom of Jesus is transformation, becoming more like him until resurrection makes us very much like him. This should be our focus, not idolizing our favorite speakers.

The upside-down nature of the Kingdom of Jesus comes out in this passage from one of his apostles: submitting to one another in love, holding together the body of Christ to stand against the true adversary. Being sober of mind allows us to see the world for what it is, and also keep the proper perspective on our own suffering.

The call of "the end is near" is normally a cry of fear, but not in Peter's letter. The response to the end of all things is not to hole up in a bunker, but to show compassion and mercy on others. This is the opposite of our inclination to hoard for ourselves and keep others from getting what we have, but an open hand is the path of Jesus.

Following Jesus isn't a method of being seen as a better person, but as a method of finding ourselves closer to the heart of God. If we find ourselves there, our perspective is changed: our identity is in Christ, and our fear is handed over to him. In the absence of fear, suffering and abuse are pale shadows next to the adoption we find ourselves in to God our Father.

We are sometimes called to take a difficult path when we are following Jesus. Sometimes that means a hard stand against our own impulses, sometimes it means remaining in difficult situations for the good of those around us. We are the visage of Jesus among others, and that takes many forms.

Peter is giving a call similar to the one Jesus gave when he said anyone who didn't have the faith of a child could not enter Heaven. It's not a call to being simple-minded (and if you know a few children, they are probably anything but) but rather simple-hearted: craving the presence and attention of our Father, eager to grow under his guidance.

Peter, like James, is writing to Jews scattered among the nations. This was probably an important step when trying to unify the church across borders. He works like James did, pulling together the pieces of the old faith with the harmony of the new, the fulfillment of God's work that had started with the people of the promise.

This new community, grounded in faith and the movement of the Holy Spirit, works in a different way. The rich do not hoard for themselves, but care for their brothers and sisters. With patience, the community comes together to create wholeness and healing. James has come a long way from explaining the departure from the Law, and now he lays out more fully what happens in the law of love.

Behavior that mimics our Savior is for more than good looks, it is for the creation of a harmonious community. We are not only submitting ourselves to God, but also to one another. This is a state of heart that comes much harder if we are focused on what we want for ourselves.

James continues his discourse on aligning our behaviour to Kingdom ideals by talking about our speech. Especially in a time where so much anger and careless speech flows freely, we can understand this vividly. The expectation has not changed: following Jesus goes a different direction that our impulse to anger and self-promotion.

The divide between faith and works was no small hill to climb for the Jews of James' time. Purity was wrapped up in works, but it was important that they not completely discard the expression of their faith through behavior. While the motivation was no longer to fulfill the requirements of the "don't do this" list, it was still important to remember that things like loving your n...

James (thought by many scholars to be the brother of Jesus) further develops the idea for his Jewish audience of the difference in the Law of Moses and the law that "gives freedom." The Law of Moses convicts, as does the law of the Kingdom of Jesus. The difference is, following Jesus leads to the mercy shown by Jesus.

James is writing to a Jewish audience, perhaps trying to resolve the disconnect between their tradition of following the law and this new Christian faith that puts so much emphasis on faith. James founds his opening in the importance of faith, but, spoiler: he certainly isn't leaving it there.

The model of the old testament is transposed onto the new. Where before there was an animal destroyed outside the city, now our Savior was killed and wasted outside Jerusalem. Our sacrifice is our praise, and the priest eating the meat of the sacrificed animal is now us communing together to eat the communion of his death. Jesus fulfilled that which was incomplete, but the rhythm of the old way re...

The writer of Hebrews introduces another critical topic for the readers: the mountain of God. This starts from Exodus, where God met Moses there, where God's presence inhabited that space in a way that was visible to the people. Now there is a new mountain, though it isn't visible to the people. It is God himself, and Jesus sitting at his right hand as our Savior.

We do indeed have an ally in Heaven because our High Priest is there, but children of God are subject to learn a different perspective. Discipline and endurance are part of our transformation into followers of Jesus, and our view of suffering can be changed in light of the working of the Spirit.