I come from a family that values simplicity. You might even say ‘Keep it simple, stupid’ was something of a family motto when I was growing up. So, as much as highly nuanced pieces of theology interest me, I have a soft spot for passages like those from today’s readings that go right to the … Continue reading Commanded to Love: A Reflection on 1 John 5.1-6 and John 15.9-17
Throughout the Easter Season, we’ve been doing an intensive study of how the Scriptures talk about the Holy Spirit. Over the next three posts, we’ll be turning our attention to the Epistles, a category of books I’m expanding to include the twenty-two writings — mostly letters (the ‘true’ Epistles), but also Hebrews (a sermon), and … Continue reading The Holy Spirit in the Epistles, Part 1: The Spirit of Truth
We left off this series looking at how the Scriptures and Tradition as as whole have understood the Holy Spirit on that wonderful feast we call Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell down upon the disciples in power, an event which our Scriptures interpret as a great fulfillment of the promises of the Prophets. Today … Continue reading The Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles
Today's reading from Acts is the wonderful story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. Since the issues this story touches on have only become louder in the past year and a bit since I wrote about them, and since I have out-of-town company keeping be busy right now, I thought I'd re-share what I wrote … Continue reading Hope for the Eunuch: How the Bible Changed Its Mind (Repost)
Over the past few posts in this series on the development of beliefs about the Holy Spirit, we’ve seen a growing sense of expectation that God was going to unleash the Holy Spirit in an unprecedented way upon the world. This began like a distant roll of thunder in the Prophets, grew more insistent throughout … Continue reading The Spirit and Pentecost
Matthew Root 