Viral Faith

"Living out God's love challenges everything"         --Terry Linhart Jesus entered a synagogue and found a man who was suffering with a deformed hand.  The writer of the Gospel of Mark, sets up the drama-filled encounter by sharing that religious leaders of Jesus' day were specifically watching for Jesus' response to the man. There were religious/political rules of the day that forbade any kind of work on the day of the Sabbath.  While the Sabbath was set up to establish the centrality of God in our lives, it had become a burdensome religious and political rule that made its reality significantly different than its purpose. Jesus wastes no time in asking the Religious leaders if the law permits doing good on the Sabbath or doing evil.   He challenges their sensibilities by boldly asking: "Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" Those who were listening to Jesus' challenge could not and would not respond.  Yet, in our sancti...

Human cry provokes divine resolve      -Walter Brueggemann Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27  Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful (I Corinthians 1:26-27) Throughout the Biblical record, God reveals His Character, will, and His way to humanity and humanity seeks to respond to God's revelation.  This narrative covers the distant past to the conclusion of time in the future.  There are many themes that can be seen consistently through Scripture and amplified through the person of Jesus Christ.  Scripture tells us that God spoke to prophets, but ultimately spoke most clearly through Jesus Christ (Heb 1:1-2).  Jesus, is not a representative of God, but the "exact representation of His being".  The Apo...