Part of the power — and problem — of the psalms is that they were written in a certain context for a certain people at a certain time… but speak to, and for, other people living at other times in other contexts. Psalm 63 is described as being written by David “when he was in … More The With-God Life: “A Dry and Weary Land”
Behold, three ways I’m tempted to read and misread today’s lectionary selection from Revelation, which begins with an angel calling out: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons,a haunt of every foul spirit, a haunt of every foul bird, a haunt of every foul and hateful beast.For all the nations have … More The With-God Life: The Fall of Babylon
In Matthew’s account of the death of John the Baptist, I usually skip to the end of the story. Oscar Wilde and Norma Desmond can have Salomé. I’m more interested in Jesus’ response to learning of his relative’s murder: that he went off to mourn by himself, and that his grief soon turned to compassion … More The With-God Life: “Raised From the Dead”
With the 2020 elections just over two weeks away, I’ve started to see more Christians on social media post some version of this claim: Whomever we elect president, God is still in charge. Yes, on the one hand, and amen. As today’s psalm opens: The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the … More The With-God Life: The King Who Loves Justice
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. (3 John 11) I’m not sure that imitate is an especially inspiring verb in this culture. It suggests a lack of originality and creativity. In evangelical Christianity, it may suggest … More The With-God Life: Imitation
Some weeks it feels like most of what I do is deliver bad news. Well, not “news” — but old stories from the dismal past: nuclear crises and mutually assured destruction are coming up tomorrow in Cold War; on Monday morning my freshman seminar studied apocalyptic themes in post-World War I art; and this morning, the … More The With-God Life: “The Lord Was Very Angry”
“Although I value this book,” wrote Martin Luther in introducing his translation of Jude’s brief letter, “it is an epistle that need not be counted among the chief books which are supposed to lay the foundations of faith.” To this day, many Christians join the Protestant reformer in wanting to skip a book that is … More The With-God Life: Hey Jude
Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to [Jesus], “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the … More The With-God Life: The Spiritual Discipline of Celebration
Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. God did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; also they … More The With-God Life: The Image of God
As he comes to the end of his first letter, the Apostle Peter pastors the pastors. Having been charged by Jesus himself to “feed my lambs” and “tend my sheep” (John 21:15-17), Peter exhorts “the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge…” (1 Pet 5:1-2). To establish his … More The With-God Life: Suffering and Unity
The Pietist Schoolman 