Christianity is about Grace, and the language of Grace is the language of gifting; giving and receiving. God comes to Mary with a gift – the honoured role of being the Mother of Christ – and she received it. Her reception of this gift was not naive, not unconsidered or free of queries, but in… Continue reading grace at christmas
Tag: grace
on calvinism
Why a Blog about Calvinism? Today I learned – much after the fact – that Derek Webb no longer identifies as a Christian. This has some emotional significance for me, as I have been a follower of Caedmon’s Call (in which he played), and of his more recent solo musical projects. Instead of discussing what… Continue reading on calvinism
grace and human effort
At the heart of the Christian faith is a conviction that salvation is God’s doing. God takes the initiative in establishing, maintaining and perfecting the relationship with all of creation, and humans in particular. Without God, there would be no salvation. Period. This conviction has tended to be accompanied by an emphasis that downplays the… Continue reading grace and human effort
varieties of shame
Following on from the last post, I’ve been thinking more about possibly helpful – or at least unavoidable – forms of shame. First, I want to acknowledge just how unhelpful some forms of shame can be. I think shame is most unhelpful when it focuses on the person and not the behaviour. “You should be ashamed of… Continue reading varieties of shame
love is grateful
I recently came across this gem of a quote on Facebook; beautiful in its profundity, and breathtaking in its brevity. “Grace is the essence of theology; gratitude is the essence of ethics.” – G. C. Berkouwer It captures the heart of what any Christian thinker has ever tried to say about the fitting human response… Continue reading love is grateful
the uncomfortable freedom of Grace
I just finished a job at work, and not only did it take longer than I thought (I had to return to the job site to fix things), I didn’t do as good a job at it as I would have liked to. The clients are satisfied and will pay the invoice, but the workmanship… Continue reading the uncomfortable freedom of Grace
a better word
Preparing for this Sunday’s sermon from Isaiah 35 on Joy, I’ve latched upon Hebrews 12:18-24 as an accompanying epistle text, and will spare my congregation (and burden you with!) this reflection :) Much like 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 or Galatians 4:21-31, Hebrews 12:18-24 boldly contrasts the ‘old covenant’ with the ‘new covenant’. Now, I’m somewhat weary… Continue reading a better word
jesus within the good samaritan parable?
I’m currently doing a research essay on how the parable of the Good Samaritan has been preached in different times and contexts. Interpretation and preaching have traditionally centred on how the story presents three characters, one of who is the exemplary Samaritan. But in the research, I’ve found that some rightly point out that the… Continue reading jesus within the good samaritan parable?
romans 6:1-14
Finished my exegesis. :)
trust and believe… criminals!?
Do you trust? Do you believe? I’m not talking (at least in this post!) about God – I’m talking about convicted criminals! Tapu Misa has written another thought-provoking piece about –among other things– the house-arrest conditions of Bailey Kurariki, suggesting that the public needs to trust him to learn how to live in society.