We often think of Jesus’ ministry as one of reconciliation: He preached the forgiveness of sins and welcomed into his circle those estranged from synagogue and society at large. And, as Paul put it, we have been called to the ministry of reconciliation, following in his footsteps. But, as we know, reconciliation is hard work. … Continue reading A Missed Opportunity?: A Reflection on Luke 8:26-39
On the Sunday after Pentecost, the Western Church celebrates Trinity Sunday, which — as the name suggests — commemorates the dogma of the Trinity. In the three-and-a-half years I’ve kept this blog, I’ve yet to address this ancient and venerable — and notoriously confounding — doctrine, that God is simultaneously ‘three’ and ‘one’. So, today … Continue reading Caught up in the Divine Life: A Reflection for Trinity Sunday 2022
Today we celebrate — I trust with great hope and expectation — the wonderful feast of Pentecost, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples. It’s an event which can be thought of in many different ways; even in the four years of this blog, I’ve discussed it in terms of the … Continue reading A Gift for All: A Reflection for Pentecost 2022
Today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year, a day known as 'Reign of Christ' or 'Christ the King' Sunday. In light of my ongoing series on different images the Scriptures use for sin and salvation, today's theme offers an opportunity to remind ourselves of one of the most common images for salvation in … Continue reading A Kingdom Not of This World: A Reflection on Sin, Salvation, and John 18.33-37
My midweek post this week introduced the complicated issue of sacrifice in Christianity, focusing especially on the substitutionary models of Christ's death that have dominated Western Christian theology for the past millennium. These models assume that Jesus was punished for our sins, in order to assuage God's anger and thereby fulfill the Jewish sacrificial system. … Continue reading Defilement and Purification: A Reflection on Sin and Salvation and Hebrews 10.11-25
Matthew Root 