Touchpoints on The Church Year (Page 3)
Where God Spends Eternity
“The gospel isn’t asking us where we want to spend eternity, the gospel is telling us where God is spending eternity. And God is spending it with us. In life and death, in fear and doubt, in joy and sorrow. From cradle to the grave, and beyond. And so, if I spend all my time preparing for the heavenly after-life, and miss the heavenly this-life, the heavenly now-life, I’ve missed out on a lot.”
YES!!!
“But it isn’t a YES that says, ‘Yes, you do measure up,’ or ‘Yes, you are good enough.’ It’s rather a YES that says, ‘YES, you don’t have to measure up. YES, you don’t have to be good enough. Because it’s not about measuring up or being good enough. My YES will simply embrace and transform your NO.'”
Unstoppable
“That is what this week is about. That is what the passion, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is about. God will simply not stop being a loving, gracious and forgiving God. And not in some theoretical, metaphysical, mystical way. God will simply not stop being a loving, gracious and forgiving God here on earth – to us and with us.”
The Prodigal Sons
“We have bastardized the Mystery’s grace, the Father’s love. But guess what, there are no bastard children in the family of God. And the door into the house is always open, and the feast never ends. Deniers and betrayers, doubters and cowards are welcome…”
Complain, Complain, Complain!
“Our problems are God’s problems. Prayer is in part a way of speaking to God that involves God in our daily lives. And in prayer, we remind God that God has promised to be faithful to being ‘Immanuel’ (God with us).”
The Second Dust-Up
“You see, it was dust and dirt from which we were created, and dust and dirt into which the Mystery gladly breathed its breath and Spirit, and then declared us ‘Very Good.’”
What is Your Native Language?
Grace and peace from the Mystery in whom we live and move and have our being. … we hear, each of us, in our own native language.” Acts 2: 1-21 The Pentecost story from the book of Acts is such a story in contrasts. The disciples, hiding in fear, wanting to be isolated, are thrust out into the world with a big spotlight on them. The peoples of the world, separated by language and culture, are now united in a…