Of the many courses I took in seminary, one of the more important ones was the course on Hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is not, as I used to think, the study of all people named “Herman,” but it is the study of how to properly read and interpret the Bible. One of the basic tenants of Hermeneutics… Continue reading Matthew 5:3-16 – The Father’s Kingdom on Earth
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Form follows Function follows Form
One thing that should be readily apparent to anyone who reads the Bible is its depth. New shades of meaning can be found each time you read a single passage. For instance, a few years ago I spent nearly an entire year reading just Psalm 51, and even to this day, I feel like I’ve… Continue reading Form follows Function follows Form
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Let’s just get this straight off the bat: I’m not a chess player. I am the youngest of four boys, two of whom are chess players. I remember going on family trips when they would play chess in the back of the station wagon…without a board or pieces. I just remember phrases like “Knight to… Continue reading Searching for Bobby Fischer
Some Assembly Required.
It was a dark and stormy night in college when I was driving back from a late movie in Muncie, Indiana. I took a corner a bit too fast and my car bounced across the road, into a lawn, and slammed through the small space between two massive oak trees. The car was totaled and… Continue reading Some Assembly Required.
Which of you has a friend…
Luke records a curious little passage not found in any other Gospel. It reads as follows: And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one… Continue reading Which of you has a friend…
For if you forgive others…
Jesus said, “Amen” so shouldn’t we be at the end of our discussion on prayer? Actually, no. In both Matthew 6 and Luke 11, Jesus continues discussing prayer after providing his prayer to the disciples. He told us we should pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” And in Matthew… Continue reading For if you forgive others…
Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever.
…deliver us from evil.For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Many versions of the Lord’s Prayer end with the words, “deliver us from evil.” But some manuscripts continue with the words, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” I’m not certain which version… Continue reading Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever.
Lead us not into Temptation…
Lead us not into temptation… I’ve always found this portion of Jesus’s prayer challenging as I never thought the Father would lead us into temptation. In James, we read, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no… Continue reading Lead us not into Temptation…
Forgive us our debts, as we ourselves forgive…
Forgive us our debtsas we also have forgiven our debtors… I think forgiveness is the centerpiece of Christian belief. Humanity, in the hands of Adam and Eve, fell into sin thus condemning us all to death. And just as Adam and Eve hid from God in the garden and covered their nakedness with leaves, we… Continue reading Forgive us our debts, as we ourselves forgive…
Give us This Day our Daily Bread…
Give us this day our daily bread… When I come to this portion of the prayer, I think of Exodus and God raining down bread upon the Israelites. The Israelites had been complaining that they had nothing to eat so God said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you,… Continue reading Give us This Day our Daily Bread…