December 2010
34 posts
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Resolutions and the Incarnation
This morning on my Tumblr feed, i read a re-post of someone’s New Year’s resolutions over the past 11 years and how they look along side each other. Here’s a sample:
1999: I will get my weight down below 180. 2000: I will watch my calories until I get below 190. 2001: I will follow my new diet religiously until I get below 200. 2002: I will try to develop a realistic attitude...
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The Quoting of OT Scripture in Matthew
As I’ve been reading through the ChristmasTide portions of Matthew (roughly Matthew 1-3), I’ve noticed something pretty consistent about Matthew’s writings: the way Jesus relates to what has been said in the Jewish Scriptures is important to the writer.
Part of this emphasis may be due to the Jewish leanings of Matthew, or his audience, or both. But it also points to a larger...
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“No, the circumstances of Jesus’ birth are not the center of his...”
– Dr. Lawson Stone on the realities of Jesus’ birth. Read up on it here (Post 1, Post 2)
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Christmas as a Season
Christmas is upon us, finally!
I took a break from posting for the last few days because of family events and traveling, and Catherine and I have “had Christmas” three or four times. Having Christmas usually entails of some combination of eating and gift giving/receiving. I have flexed my skill at both over the past few days. The event of Christmas has left us tired and stuffed, but...
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This is Brian McSweeney/Seven Day Jesus’...
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Growing Up Waiting...
Anyone who knows my family knows that we have a number of fun, if not odd, Christmas traditions. One of them is our Christmas morning ritual; while it’s changed since Joe and I have moved away from Baton Rouge, if we are there, this is what we do:
On Christmas morning, no matter how early we woke up, we were not allowed to go downstairs to see what “Santa” had brought that...
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“Thus Matthew frames his story of the Christ. The one for whom we wait during...”
– from Storied Theology.
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Why the Church Needs Advent
I’m a member of a growing online community of worship leaders and designers called Levite Camp. I occasionally re-post things there for reaction and dialogue with other worship leaders and thinkers, and today my friend Chad said something that really has my brain churning. Why is Advent, not only in practice, but in content, so foreign to the church?
There is a fight to understand Advent in...
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“O Lord and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of...”
– “O Adonai”, from the traditional Antiphons of Advent.
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“O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and...”
– “O Sapientia”, from the traditional Antiphons for Advent. That was yesterdays. I’ll post today’s soon.
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“Not only is another world possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can...”
– Arundhati Roy
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Resisting the Urge to Christmas
I had an interesting conversation with a friend today. As we talked about worship design and a few of the services we still have left as part of Advent, we were confronted with a question by a third person:
“Are you going to do more Christmas carols this week?”
Advent is hard. Yes, that is a recurring theme for me. Part of what makes it hard is that Christmas is all around us. As a...
“In Advent, when we contemplate Prophet words like, “and the government will be...”
– JD Walt. Check out the whole Advent post at the link below.
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Sick as a Dog.
Been knocked out of everyday rhythms for the last few days. I have some sort of virus that is peaking in its nastiness today or tomorrow (please be today!). Nothing makes you long for the day where sickness is no more like being sick, and I know that what I’m going through is nothing compared to the kind of sicknesses endured by many everyday.
Still, prayers are welcomed. Catherine has been...
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Tom Fuerst on Preparing the Way →
I’m in process of listening to a few sermons/podcasts that are Advent-y, and Tom’s sermon is definitely worth checking out. Prepare to get sermonized on the likes of John the Baptist, repentance, confession and baptism.
When you click the link, you will find his sermon under the speaker “Tom Fuerst” and the date 12/5/10 (or the sermon title “Preparing the...
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Romans 8 and the Three Longing Voices
I’ve been thinking on this passage in Romans 8 for a few weeks, and It’s all tied to the idea of longing for redemption. Well, more specifically, it is tied to the idea of groaning for redemption. Weird, I know. But it’s there.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits...
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Bryan Sherwood: Advent Poetry: Holy Sonnet 15 →
Wilt thou love God as he thee? then digest, My soul, this wholesome meditation, How God the Spirit, by angels waited on In heaven, doth make His temple in thy breast. The Father having begot a Son most blest, And still begetting—for he ne’er begun— Hath deign’d to choose thee by adoption, …
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Wanting Redemption
I’m not very good at waiting, especially in the little things. I’m the guy who stops the microwave a few seconds short of what I programmed it to cook my food. I’m the guy who has to make my password to Amazon something that reminds me not to buy whatever mp3’s are on sale that month. Maybe I’m conditioned by society with this impatience; maybe it’s a part of...
Anonymous asked: A few "ask me anything" questions...
How did you get that sweet font in your blog? I haven't seen that used before. Is it a graphic?
How did you get that sweet font in your blog? I haven't seen that used before. Is it a graphic?
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Advent and Baptism
(Sorry for the break in posting; our friends at tumblr have kept me at bay.)
Yesterday at Hope, we celebrated the second Sunday of Advent with something seemingly un-Advent related: baptisms. We saw nine people pass through the waters of our horse trough yesterday, and as I watched, I realized that baptism is more advent-oriented than I first realized.
Baptism in the New Testament is a signifier...
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The Desire for Redemption
Yesterday, I answered a question sent my way, and part of my response included this charge: let Advent be a season where we tune into the desire of God to redeem.
That was not just an exhortation to my readers; it was a charge to my own heart.
This morning, the reading from Revelation 7 put God’s desire to redeem in plain sight for me:
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude...
“Hope is the ability to hear the music of the future. Faith is having the courage...”
– Peter Kuzmic. Found at JD’s blog, linked below.
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Q and A: "Come, Lord Jesus" or "Come, Holy...
Yesterday I received a question from the “Ask Me Anything” link on the right. It was from a wonderful friend who I’ll leave nameless, but it expressed an Advent question, or more like an Advent struggle, that left me thinking all night. I’m writing about it to flesh some thoughts out- feel free to chime in.
My friend has a number of people in their family who are yet to...
“Almighty God,
give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness,
and...”
– From the Book of Common Prayer (1662). Found at the link below, a great online blog for the Advent season.
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Advent Resource List
With Advent beginning, there are a lot of people online who are talking about this season, both in healthy and unhealthy ways. Since I’m on the journey of practicing Advent, I’m always looking for others who are as well. I’m going to post a view resources I’ve come across, and if you know of others I should add, please drop me a comment and I’ll add them.
The people...