On the hillside of a dome-shaped ledge in lower Galilee facing the Valley of Jezreel some 11 miles southwest of the modern day city of Tiberias, Jesus is “transfigured.” Literally it is a “metamorphosis.” There, on Mount Tabor, which is the traditional site of His transformation,...
Right in the middle of Paul’s exhortation on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 and 14:1-40, a word is offered that is more important than all the gifts combined: Love. First Corinthians 13 has been called “The Love Hymn.” Verses 1-3 point out that without love spiritual gifts are useless. Verses 4-7 define the...
The discussion of spiritual gifts continues in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31as Paul speaks of the connectedness of the church as the body of Christ. For the first time, chronologically, in the New Testament the metaphor of “the body” is used to portray the church. Dating to the early fifth...
The church is a gifted community. Paul affirms this in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. First Corinthians is addressed to the troubled church in Corinth partly because those believers have a few questions for the Apostle. One concerns “spiritual gifts” (v. 1). A better translation would be “spiritual things”...
On the Christian Calendar, this particular Sunday is known as the Baptism of Our Lord. It occurs the first Sunday after The Epiphany, which is always on January 6. Baptism is a faith community event. I personally struggle with “private baptisms” because they deemphasize community. Baptism...
With Christmastide nearing its end and given a new civic year has begun, I offer a few blessings that, prayerfully, will enable you to experience the Presence of God over the course of the next 364 days including today. These proclamations are a reminder that...