The gospels record many encounters between Jesus and other Jewish teachers; such terms as lawyer, scribe, rabbi, and Pharisee describe teachers of Jewish law. But the role of teacher and the place of the law—or Torah—in daily Jewish life was a relatively late development in Judaism.
When in came to putting their faith into action in the civic, political or social justice area, the numbers faded. Dr. Wright concluded these committed, “religious” youth have a disconnect between how they act in society and their relationship with Jesus.
When we say, “I believe in God . . .” we are saying “I give my heart to God.” We are expressing a desire to be in relationship with God. Which God? “The God who made heaven and earth.” The God who loves us so much he gave his only son to show us how to live and even die on the cross. It is the God who conquered death in the resurrection and gave us the Holy Spirit so that we will continue to know God’s love.
Posted in Community, Featured, Ministry 
Tags: Baptism, Baptismal Covenant, Christian formation, confirmation, creed, Jesus, prayer 
No Comments »
Sometimes in our attempt to develop and understand and practice our faith, we fall into a worldly paradigm of barter. What will it cost me to be saved, to know redemption?
Posted in Community, Featured, Ministry, Spirituality Tags: Christian formation, evangelism, Jesus, mission, stewardship No Comments »
By virtue of our baptism, we are given words of invitation to share in Christ’s eternal priesthood. It is this crucified and resurrected Christ who stands as the high priest at the Center and we, the Community of the Baptized, are encircled around this empowering presence who invites us into a royal priesthood as joint heirs.
Giving is modeled by Jesus, all the great saints, and all of my mentors. I know about giving and about self-sacrifice. I’ve walked the fine line of being “given out” before because of the amount of giving that seemed required in my life at differing times.
Posted in Featured, Ministry, Spirituality Tags: adults, children's ministry, Jesus, love, relationships, spirituality No Comments »
“Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.” It’s easy to gloss over the fact that the verbs go from past tense, to present tense, to future tense.
Posted in Featured, Ministry, Spirituality Tags: Easter, Holy Eucharist, Jesus, ministry, spirituality No Comments »
On this Sunday church bells peal, choirs sing, flowers adorn altars and all rejoice in the resurrection. How have others explained this event of a missing body, empty tomb, darkness to light, death to life?
What does “resurrection” mean? The creeds speak of a “resurrection of the body.” Many Christians repeat the Nicene Creed every week without noticing what it says, and assume that the gospel has to do with the immortality of the soul. That, however, is a Greek idea and not what the apostles proclaimed.
Posted in Featured, Spirituality Tags: adults, Christianity, Easter, Jesus, resources, resurrection No Comments »
We have entered the most holiest of weeks for Christians and will soon be enveloped in the Triduum – three days of prayer in preparation of the greatest feast of the church year.
Posted in Community, Featured, Spirituality Tags: children's ministry, Christian formation, Good Friday, Holy Week, Jesus, Maundy Thursday, meditation No Comments »
John’s portrait of Jesus emphasizes the divinity of Jesus. Jesus has been sent from heaven to earth to bring salvation—a new friendship with God through which we become God’s daughters and sons.
The youth I have in our confirmation program don’t use the name Jesus very much. God? Sure, seems safe. Holy Spirit. Maybe, but what is it anyway? But Jesus? Jesus was a person. A person means a relationship – conversation, working together, being together. A little more intimidating.
Posted in Featured, Ministry, Spirituality Tags: Christian formation, Christianity, Jesus, youth ministry No Comments »
For over hundreds of years, people have talked about how certain animals are like Jesus, gentle and strong, dying and rising. For children, these can be symbols to help understand difficult concepts and why we often refer to certain sayings and stories in the bible and connect them to the resurrection.
Posted in Featured, Ministry Tags: children's ministry, Easter, family ministry, Jesus, resurrection No Comments »
Lent is the time in the church calendar when we remember how Jesus was “led by the spirit” into the desert to face the devil’s temptation and to experience personally the power of the living God. It is a time to consider our own “desert experiences,” when we take risks and commit our plans to God.
Posted in Featured, Spirituality Tags: desert, discernment, Jesus, Lent, meditation, spirituality No Comments »
If I read the Great Commission correctly, it is to make “disciples” and not “converts.” It seems to me that “conversion” is seed in shallow soil, while “discipleship” is a lifelong process of increasing commitment both to God and to each other.
Posted in Community, Featured, Ministry Tags: Christian formation, Christianity, evangelism, future, Jesus No Comments »
That term has come into wide usage in the Church today. Sometimes it serves a synonym for Christian Education, but I would like to suggest that Faith Formation is a great deal more than simply the latest terminology for Church School.
The feast of Christ’s epiphany or “manifestation” originated among the Christians of Egypt in the third century. The date of January 6 was probably chosen because the Egyptians celebrated their great feast of the winter solstice on that day, in honor of the sun god Horus.
Posted in Community, Featured Tags: Christianity, Christmas, Epiphany, family ministry, intergenerational, Jesus, traditions No Comments »
The naming of her child was to be part of the great unfolding of God’s plan for the salvation of the world. And so this simple act of obedience and following the ancestral tradition was used for the glory of God.
Posted in Featured, Spirituality Tags: Baptism, children's ministry, Christmas, Holy Name, Jesus, Naming, worship No Comments »
On January 8th we will celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord, the first Sunday after the Epiphany. This season often gets left behind in the humble abode in Bethlehem where we have followed our three mysterious kings, and in our minds brings an end to the Christmas season.
Posted in Featured, Ministry, Spirituality Tags: Advent, Baptism, Baptismal Covenant, Christian formation, Christmas, Epiphany, Jesus No Comments »
As the season progress in our churches water becomes wine at Cana; the heavens open and the Spirit descends over Jesus’ ritual bath in the Jordan. This One whom we recognize as one of us is God’s own beloved.
Posted in Community, Featured, Ministry Tags: Christianity, Epiphany, Jesus, Magi, mission, Transfiguration, Wedding at Cana No Comments »
Loading ...
