Ephesians - Confession

As we continue in our study of Ephesians, I came across this wonderful quote from Marcus Barth regarding Paul's discussion of the "trespasses and sins" that separate us from God. This is a wonderful piece to read if you are wondering why we confess our sins weekly in the Presbyterian church:

"One cannot persuade or convince another of sin. Sin cannot be proclaimed or treated as a topic of teaching. Sin can only be confessed in prayer. When sin really is spoken of, man does not speak against fellow man; he must not do so, even if he should be the 'holiest Joe' dealing with the most insulting backslider. We can only speak of sin in solidarity with fellow sinners, and before God. In the prayer in which we praise God for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in which we cry "Father!" through the Holy Spirit (i.e. the Lord's Prayer), we can and will also confess, "Forgive us our sins."

Wes

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Acts 2:42-47 - Questions for Reflection & Study

This past Sunday, we took a look at Luke's first summary passage in the story of Acts: chapter 2, verses 42-47. Here, Luke is presenting a billboard of what the Church looks like at its best. He is trying to convince Theophilus that Christianity is worth his attention. The early Church captures what all of us are looking for, whether we know it or not. This is a close community that truly cares for one another, where everyone truly is seen as a brother and sister, and where no one person is considered more or less important as the other. Needs are being met. There is joy in their fellowship. Take a moment to think about a time in your life when you experienced the joy and blessing of a deep, loving community? Where was it, and what made this community so different? What role did you play in this community? Luke tells us the disciples "devoted themselves" to four essential practices. The Greek word for "devoted" is one that is often used in t

Acts 5:1-11 - Questions for reflection & prayer

This past Sunday we looked at one of the more unsettling stories in the Book of Acts : the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. As shared by Luke, this couple sold a piece of land and then proceeded to bring only a portion of the profit to the apostles - laying it at their feet for the good of the community. However, what appeared to be their grave mistake (pun intended) was their collusion in claiming to have brought all the proceeds to the apostles when - in fact - they were keeping some back for themselves. Peter announces first to Ananias the Lord's judgment, followed by a similar verdict being handed down to Sapphira a short time later. Seen by itself, this is a strange story, but it begins to make more sense when we see it as "part of the whole." The story of Ananias and Sapphira comes right after we hear once again of the community's unity and generosity, including their willingness to share their own goods and resources to take care of one another (ch. 4).

Listening to Jesus

In recent years, two scenes from the Gospels keep grabbing my attention: Jesus' baptism and Jesus' transfiguration. In both instances God the Father speaks to Jesus or about Jesus (it may be the only time we hear God the Father speaking directly about Jesus). In both cases, God proclaims (and claims) Jesus as God's very own, "Beloved" Son. God the Father further announces that he is "well pleased" with Jesus. On the second occasion - the Transfiguration - God goes on to command us (the disciples) to "Listen to him." Listen to Jesus. It seems like such a fundamental and important part of what it means to be a Christian. The very idea of us being Christians is that we are taking our cues and directions from Jesus - that he is both our Lord and our Teacher. And, yet, I have noticed within myself that I don't really do this that often. Yes, even pastors struggle with this. It is much easier to be swayed by the many other voices that we

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