Called to Include

  Sometimes I worry that because the good news of the gospel is so familiar to us, that we've lost it's power. Have we made it ordinary? A part of our lives that we know, but keep safely tucked away, careful to not let it disrupt our daily life too much? Or maybe something that has simply become so familiar to us that it's lost it's magic? A few weeks ago I attended a concert with a friend. An...

  The Gospel of John is a beautifully woven narrative, complete with beautiful poetry, stark images, abundant hyperlinks to Old Testament motifs & promises, and layered meaning. As an author, he uses every tool at his disposal to expose and reinforce his most important themes throughout the text. There isn't much included that isn't incredibly intentional. And one point that he makes over and ...

  The great epic that is the Bible begins with a clear conflict: the divine breathes life into humanity in order to live in community with us, but once sin arrives, this intimacy is shattered. Humanity finds itself thrust outside of Eden and away from God, in a position that they were never created for. What results is pain for us and unimaginable pain for God. And who among us hasn't felt tha...