We like to think we can control God, as if with the click of a button, that we can persuade God to give us what we want. But God is beyond our control, and His plans for us are far greater than we can imagine. There is a big difference between what we want and what we need, and we need to learn to trust God in all things.
As subjects of the King, our calling is to make every day Serve Day until Christ returns. The Kingdom has come but it is not complete--it will only be complete when Jesus returns. Until then, we are charged with working with the Spirit in Kingdom work. We have work to do.
While the account of the encounter between the risen Jesus and two disciples is often called "The Road to Emmaus," it more accurately is "The Road from Jerusalem," because they are fleeing Jerulsalem, scene of despair--"anywhere but here." Like fair-weather sports fans who leave early, the two disciples left Jerusalem before the story was over, missing the risen Savior. But he came to them, and when they lost their spiritual blindness and recognized their Lord, they returned with good news.
We believe Jesus Christ is alive today--not dead. And because he is alive he makes a difference. The greatest proof of the Resurrection is lives transformed.
Our expectations of Jesus are limited because it is hard for us to grasp his infinite nature. Jesus came to shatter our finite expectations. He came for all of us because he wants so much more for us than we attempt or expect. He came, not to meet our expectations, but to save us from them.
Doubt is inevitable in faith. It is neither good nor bad in itself, nor is it the opposite of belief. Doubt comes from many sources. It helps us to identify and address aspects of our faith that need attention.
Psalm 23 is so familiar that we tend not to notice its beauty and profundity, so join this guided tour to re-open our eyes. Scholars believe David wrote this psalm late in life.
Hurricane Sandy provided a powerful fusion of N.T. Wright's teachings that the Kingdom is at hand now, evidenced in the witness and ministry of believers, with the hands-on Kingdom-at-hand ministry of Outreach Red Bank in NJ, where SPC seminarian Ken Lucas is an intern.
