February 23, 2024

Focus on the Historical Jesus

I recently began taking a five-week course on the historical Jesus, featuring the leadership of Dr. John Dominic Crossan, accompanied by a special guest each week, sponsored by Dr. Tripp Fuller and Homebrewed Christianity along with the Westar Institute.  If you are interested, you can find more information at crossanclass.com. 

Dr. Crossan has amassed a life-time of knowledge and insight, and it is fascinating to listen to his lectures.  I have read one or two of his books, but feel especially grateful to be hearing from him directly through the class.

What I especially appreciate already are the insights into the parallels and contrasts between the Roman Emperor and Jesus the Christ.  The lectures are visual presentations, and one of the most striking images is of a statue of Caesar Augustus alongside an icon of the Messiah Jesus.  The contrast between the use of power and violence to bring about Roman peace, and the far different approach of Jesus, is quite striking.  We may talk about it in certain terms, but to see the contrast visually makes quite an impact. 

I also did not know that Caesar and Jesus shared many of the same titles, from “Savior of the World,” to “Son of God,” and “God.”  It already enhances the Lenten journey experience of heading toward Easter, to understand how the Roman Empire could be so affronted, angry and threatened, over another figure claiming the same titles as the Emperor, and to hear him speaking of the Kingdom or Reign of God in the midst of Roman occupied territory.  Holy week will already be understood in a fuller way for me.

These insights just touch the surface of what is being shared.  I don’t intend to repeat more content, but merely to encourage you to either join the class or engage in reading one of Crossan’s books in this season.  It is already a powerful part of my Lenten journey.

November 3, 2023

Focus on Giving Thanks

It has often been our practice in worship gatherings in the month of November to focus on a theme in the weeks prior to Thanksgiving.  We are doing that once again this year, in particular expanding our sense of Giving Thanks to more than just the Sunday preceding the national holiday. 

Each week we are emphasizing giving thanks for particular things:

November 5th  -  things we are thankful for in family and among friends

November 12th  -  ways in which we are grateful for the nature around us

November 19th  -  things we are thankful for in our relationship with God

We are doing this in part by inviting people to write on post-it notes and to place them on a wall of the worship space, where everyone can read them and give thanks for one another.  In order to include our Zoom participants, I am emailing them during the week prior to each Sunday, and inviting them to submit up to three things for which they are thankful, and then a volunteer will write those things on a post-it note for them and place it on the wall.

Not only does this expand the giving of thanks to more than one Sunday, but it also involves people in a different way in the worship experience, and, as we use a different color post-it note each week, it adds great color to the worship space.