Reflexion, A Spiritual Community

This is one of the most remarkable passages in all the Bible For me, it is second only to John’s introduction of Jesus “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:1 and 14) - what makes this prophecy given to...

Thirty years ago Reba McEntire released a song, “If I Had Only Known” It is a typically “country” tear jerker If I had only known It was the last walk in the rain I’d keep you out for hours in the storm I would hold your hand Like a life line to my heart Underneath the thunder we’d be warm If I had only known It was our last walk in the rain If I had only known I’d never hear your voice again I’d...

Have you ever received an Amber Alert on cell your phone? It’s so loud and annoying, there’s no way you can ignore it - this is the sort of attention-getter Joel calls for in verse 1 “Blow the ram’s horn in Zion,  sound the alarm on my holy mountain” • sentinels were posted on Jerusalem’s walls, ◦ and Joel tells them to sound the shofar and alert the people ◦ because a massive, hostile army was ap...

 Friday our nation observed the tragedies of “9/11" and those we lost Many of us remember the very moment when we first heart of it - for several hours we could hardly breathe • we watched endless reruns of two airliners, smashing into the iconic “Twin Towers” in New York City ◦ we didn’t want to see it, but we couldn’t look away ◦ we could not avoid the reality of it • and each time we looke...

I’m not going to give a Labor Day talk, but that’s where we’ll start Last year I felt it was important that I read Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations – Smith is sometimes referred to as the Father of Capitalism • he explored the principles of economics that caused some systems of flourish and others to flounder – one concern was the ways that governments interfered with industries and commerce • b...

The Book of Isaiah begins with God’s frustration over Israel; for instance: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me . . . . Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evil doers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged” (Isa. 1:2-4) Then in chapter 6, Isaiah...

Sharing on oppressed lives of Latin Americans

Psalm 25 This psalm does not track a central theme What I mean, is that we cannot say, “This is a psalm of praise,” - or “Psalm of confession,” or “thanksgiving psalm,” or “supplication psalm” • this doesn’t mean the structure of the poem is random, ◦ only that it doesn’t tell a story or develop a specific point • nevertheless, there is a pattern to the psalm, ◦ but we don’t find it arranged in an...

The last two weeks I’ve been encouraging you to listen for God’s voice Now, today, using this spectacular episode of Isaiah’s life is neither practical nor fair – he was chosen by God to be a prophet, • and the prophet’s calling is in most instances very dramatic ◦ e.g., Moses and the mysterious flames; Ezekiel’s fantastic vision, impossible to imagine • so if there’s a legitimate reason for us to...

About six years before my dad died, For some reason, that I don’t remember, - I got the idea that it was really important for him to tell his life’s story • there were already a lot of fictional stories regarding his life, ◦ and how he came to be the founder of a new church movement • I suppose, that as his son, it was important to me, ◦ that people learned how God worked in his life to make him t...

What are we witnessing in this archetypal story? First, why do I refer to the story as “archetypal”? – archetypes have to do with basic themes planted in the human mind • familiar themes are revealed in the heroes, heroines, and villains of fables, myths, and fairytales ◦ these characters represent specific qualities that define human persons and their behavior ◦ including: virtuous, courageous, c...

 Romans 14 • A deep story describes a collective, emotionally rooted narrative that individuals and groups use to make sense of their lives and the world, prioritizing feelings and metaphors over cold facts or moral judgments. • The concept was developed by Arlie Russell Hochschild, a sociologist and we will talk about her more in a bit. • Today we will be considering how competing "deep stor...

Some time ago, I took a course in speed-reading We were required to practice every day for at least an hour - the only drawback–I chose to read books that didn’t interest me, so I wouldn't get distracted by their content • but going fast, I got nothing at all from them – I wasn’t reading, but just looking at words - later on I was exposed to a method of slow-reading • the purpose: to get as m...

Here we are, after several weeks, at the end of Jude There’s not another letter in the New Testament exactly like it - a small bit of 2 Peter incorporates some of the same lines • but the overall structure and content of Jude are unusual, ◦ and his quotations from two non-biblical books is unique • but coming to the end, he closes with a familiar prayer ◦ it’s not his exact words that are familiar...

My friend, Clint Freeman, sent me an article this week It has to do with Artificial Intelligence and I added it to my “weird news” file Darin White, “Four in ten Gen-Z and millennial adults say spiritual advice from AI is just as trustworthy as advice from a pastor. One-third of teenagers have talked to an AI companion rather than a human being about serious, personal issues. Thirty-nine percent o...

A couple weeks ago I got a phone call The number looked familiar, so I answered – “Hello” - a man’s voice asked, “Is this Charles?” • at that point it was obvious he didn’t know me • so I said, “Maybe” - there are too many scams running in our world for me to take chances • if you respond to a text or call, a fake offer, a warning, ◦ or a simple “click” and next thing you discover is that your ban...

 I have been reading a book by Bill Elliot, who is a therapist But it’s not about psychology – it has the unlikely title, Falling Into the Face of God – it’s an autobiography of sorts • Bill felt called by God’s Spirit to go to the Judean desert • and , to spend forty days there like Jesus, only without fasting – on day 17, he was meditating on Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness • then his though...

 We’re going to reenact the story - this is what Jesus meant for us to do “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26) • in this ritual, there is the potential of a profound encounter • he has given us something: ◦ for our eyes to see ◦ for our ears to hear ◦ for our hands to touch ◦ for our mouths to taste ◦ for our minds to c...

There have been songs, that I loved the first time I heard them There are others that I had to hear several times to appreciate - but the ones that I've loved at first sight had two qualities: • the sound of music (instruments and vocals) and the lyrics ◦ psychologists refer to this response to music as “emotional resonance” ◦ the sound waves and meaning of the music find a string that vibrat...