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29th Day of Lent: Seeing God's Heart for Order: Genesis Moments

Genesis 1:1-3: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day. As we look at God's heart for order this week of Lent, we all know to some depth and breadth the truth that in the very genesis moments of our own births and days in this world, we all seek how to bring order and meaning out of each new experience in the world. Because we are all created in God's image and likeness, we are on this quest to bring God's order into the world- to see that it is "good." That the world exists at all reveals something about God. God...

Day 7 of Lent: Seeing God's Heart of Abundance Over Scarcity

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all.  And all ate and were filled.”   -Mk. 6:41-42 Jesus radically disrupts how the world was thought to be.  The wilderness, the “deserted place” in the story, was where there was no viable life-support system.  He thought he was going there to rest, but he was met by a big crowd of those who were drawn to him.  They believed he would indeed disrupt their failed world, though they knew not how. Jesus did not disappoint them.  He was moved with great compassion when he saw the hungry crowd.  He had his stomach turned by their need.  He engaged their hunger, because they lived in a false world without resources.   His disciples accepted the barren wilderness without resources as a given;...

36th Day of Lent - Holy Tuesday - Authority: Jesus is Questioned by the Religious Leaders

Matthew 21:23-23:39. Holy Tuesday is often referred to as the Day of questions. As Jesus continued to teach in the temple, He was approached by the chief priests and scribes about His authority to teach. Rather than give a direct answer, Jesus questioned them about the baptism of John. They are trapped, and no doubt more infuriated after listening to the parable of the wicked tenants. So they changed tactics and asked the disciples, "Is it lawful to pay taxes the the emperor or not?" Jesus, of course aware of their malicious intent, answered for the disciples (and for us, too)....Yes, we must all pay our taxes.😢 So on this day of questions, Jesus made it quite clear that His authority comes from God, but at the same time He recognized the authority in this world. We are citizens of two worlds, and in both Authority must be obeyed. But God's authority is divine and able to penetrate the souls of all, unveiling the hypocrisy or unjust laws of the...