Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”—Mark 5:19
Remember what he has done.
Tell what he has done.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
—Psalm 121:1-2
“Here is the news. Out beyond the world of exclusion and rejection and hostility, there is on offer a world of welcome that sees the other not as threat or competitor but as cohort in the pilgrimage of humanity.”—Brueggemann
The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all those who are oppressed with wrong.—Psalm 103:6
“I used to imagine that my calling was to defend The Truth. Now I’m just trying to figure out how to love.”
James K.A. Smith, Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark
“What God has forgotten we no longer need remember.”—Brueggemann
How lovely is your dwelling place,
Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
—Psalm 84:1-2
“If Jesus of Nazareth had not been raised from the dead, we would never have heard of him.”—Fleming Rutledge
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
—Psalm 73:26
One pastoral reflection after many decades in and around evangelical congregations:
We have an outsized obsession with leaders and leadership.
When we were newlyweds and would visit my in-laws, they would always say, “This was a treat.”
Our sons are all but grown now, so the four of us being together without additional family is rare.
It happened today.
I’m going on record:
My in-laws were right. This day truly was a treat.
With tortilla chips, there are two options:
Eat none.
Become one with the tortilla chips.
O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.
—Psalm 43:3-4
I have no issue with some of my pastor friends criticizing James Talarico's theology.
I just wish many of them would be as outspoken regarding the theology driving our current administration.
That prophetic criticism gap—in my opinion—causes the church to lose credibility.
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
—Psalm 27:1
Lots of talk about Revelation lately.
There was a time when I read Revelation like a fortune cookie.
Later I learned Revelation's true message:
God does not need us to usher in anything.
Refuse the Way of Power.
Follow the Way of Jesus.
He will set all things right.
In His time.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.—Psalm 5:3
Incarnation—>Presence
“I am with you.”
Crucifixion—>Forgiveness
“I forgive you.”
Resurrection—>Hope
“This is not the end.”
Impartation—>Power
“You will receive power.”
Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.—Exodus 22:22-23
The older I get in ministry, the less I care about church "style."
Instead?
I am suspicious of churches that talk about "submitting to authority." They tend to be fear-based.
Conversely, churches that lead with extravagant, personal love are so beautiful and enticing to me.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God.—Ex 20:8-10
Part of Sabbath is not working to remember we are free (slaves were not allowed rest), that we are more than our work, and that God provides.
When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.—Ex 17:12
It is good to hold up others.
It is good to be held up.
Why don't we have White History Month?
I’ve been thinking about what the American evangelical church can learn from the historically Black church, and the close of Black History Month seemed to be an apropos moment to put some of those reflections into writing.
bezner.substack.com/p/why-dont-w...
“The old teaching of exclusion cannot fully protect us from God’s pull to be a neighbor.”—Walter Brueggemann
If there is any benefit from loss of control, it is that I am reminded of how good it is to spend time in prayer.
The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.—Exodus 14:14
“God’s way is a way of graciousness and mercy; but it is grace and mercy on God’s terms, not ours.”—Walter Brueggemann
“I believe the crisis in the U.S. church…has everything to do with giving up on faith and discipline of our Christian baptism and settling for a common, generic U.S. identity that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, and part affluence.”—Walter Brueggemann
Happy First Sunday of Lent
I’m oddly optimistic about the church these days. I know, I know. I shouldn’t be, right? But I am. As things become more digital, more sterilized, more impersonal, I’m convinced that hunger for the human will only increase. And what’s more human than church? bezner.substack.com/p/guaranteed...
He gives rescue and redemption. (Ex. 6:6)
He requires becoming one of His. (Ex. 6:7)
We will return to dust,
so let us live accordingly.
#AshWednesday