I just posted my sermon for Sunday, November 25, 2007. This is Christ the King Sunday, and my message is titled, A Place In The Garden from the lectionary reading for the final Sunday in Year C, Luke 23:33-43. It's the passage where Jesus tells the repentant thief on the cross, "Truly, this day you will be with me in paradise." I hope it encourages you in your own study. Have a great day this Sunday! -- Chuck
The word Trinity never appears in Scripture, and yet the whole arc of the Bible bends toward this deep wonder: God is not solitary. God is relational. God is love.
The same Spirit that reversed Babel, fulfilled ancient promises, and launched the early church is still moving today - creating understanding where there's confusion, building bridges where there are walls, and reminding us that we're all part of one magnificent, ongoing story.
Most of us grew up thinking Christianity was about following Jesus – being good, following rules, trying our best to live like he did. But here, Jesus reveals something deeper. He's inviting us into the family circle, into the very heart of divine love itself.
By the time the Spirit reroutes Paul to Macedonia, Lydia has already turned from the Roman gods of her city and aligned herself with the One God of Israel. So when Paul spoke of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, Lydia took the next step in the path she was already walking.