wonderful thoughts from the Pope, intellectually coherent and practically relevant and doable IMO
Weekly lessons in theology and public life • Since 2011
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Lesson 5: What is the Present National Story?
Read MORE: Lesson 5: What is the Present National Story?Abraham Lincoln probably articulates the story by which our nation now understands war in his Second Inaugural Address. It is very much like the one Derek posted earlier in this study. Lincoln called war a mighty scourge that God applies…
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Lesson 4: What Do Christians Expect From Our Churches?
Read MORE: Lesson 4: What Do Christians Expect From Our Churches?Perhaps it is time we recognize the Church is a peace movement. God comes to Father Abraham disgusted at the violence that has damaged his creation. Lamech epitomizes the brutality when he brags to his two wives that he has…
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Lesson 3: What Do Christians Expect From Their Governments?
Read MORE: Lesson 3: What Do Christians Expect From Their Governments?Martin Luther defined the relationship between church and state with a two kingdom doctrine. The standard of the Church is love as she inspires people by proclaiming the Gospel. The norm of the government is justice as it defends people…
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Lesson 2: Does Peace Begin With Me?
Read MORE: Lesson 2: Does Peace Begin With Me?Recently I received a long Facebook post from a young man who grew up in our congregation and now serves as an officer in Iraq. He was responding to the incident when a lady in a burka was thrown out…
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Lesson 1: Is Peace Possible?
Read MORE: Lesson 1: Is Peace Possible?When I was growing up, my assumption was that history involved periods of warfare followed by periods of peace. I believed that one of the goals of Christianity was to lengthen the peaceful times. Although I was not certain any…
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Introduction: Peace
Read MORE: Introduction: PeaceOne of our young men training to be an Army Ranger remarked it’s a real dilemma trying to reconcile Jesus telling him to love his enemies and the Army teaching him to kill them.
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Hopes and Fears
Read MORE: Hopes and FearsWe gather to celebrate another Christmas, to proclaim the wondrous gift, to acknowledge the hopes and also the fears that are met in this birth. In the silent darkness of this night, let us consider the hopes and fears of…
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Angels
Read MORE: AngelsWe have come once more to hear the story of Jesus’ birth. We have come to remember the turning point, when God came to rule his world, to make right what has gone wrong. We gather in darkness, listening for…
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Here I Come!
Read MORE: Here I Come!All Advent, we have been praying, “Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Stir up your power, O God, and come.” Now on Christmas Eve, we hear God’s reply, “Okay. Here I come.” We jump back. We are afraid.…
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Lesson 11: The Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting
Read MORE: Lesson 11: The Resurrection of the Body and the Life EverlastingThe creed ends with the affirmation that we shall share Jesus’ resurrection. Although there is some concern about when this will take place, there is agreement that Jesus’ resurrection appearances, as recorded in the Bible, indicate what ours shall be…
Recent Comments
I absolutely love these ideas, especially paying attention to beauty and reducing your needs.
Fritz a wonderful lesson – and esp. reading has a flow I found encompassing. If only …….. yes we can…