Lectionary Readings: Year A – Proper 22 Today’s Gospel gets presented to us as a parable, but it’s actually what we would call an allegory. What’s the difference, you ask? A parable is a short story focused on human experience in order to teach a moral or spiritual lesson. An allegory is a story where…
It’s Paul’s approach that I find interesting here as well. He basically tells his listeners that he didn’t come with big, fancy words, but with the basic concept of a crucified Lord. It was the story of a God who humbled himself, and was humiliated by the powers of this world. It was the story of a God who died for those he loved. It was the story of a Christ who presented his weaknesses to the world to show them the strength of his desire to redeem them. And Paul did all of this while he, himself, was afraid, trembling in the fear of his own weaknesses. But that’s what Paul wanted. His approach was to let others see the power of God in his actions, and not in his fancy and persuasive words.
Daily Office Readings – New Testament ( 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ) Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and…
Daily Office Readings – NT ( Romans 12:1-8 ) The first few verses in this passage in Romans are often cited when people want to encourage others to focus on the good things, and to avoid the bad. In my experience, churches that focus on holiness tend to emphasize this passage, and, often, include the…