One of the most striking things about the post-Resurrection stories in the New Testament is how they go out of their way to show just how radical, and radically different, of a community the earliest Church sought to be. The clear fact that, by and large, Christians have completely failed to live that out over … Continue reading No More Rivals: A Reflection on John 20.19-31 and Acts 4.32-35
Today we start our look at the development of the concept of the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of God, by tracing how the idea was used in the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament). As I mentioned in my introductory post, I feel this is a helpful thing to do because so many Christians have little … Continue reading The Spirit in the Law & Deuteronomistic History
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Here we are in Easter Week, also known as Bright Week, the start of what has traditionally been a fifty-day period of celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. But this Easter season is, paradoxically, not an end in itself, but is leading us headlong into another feast that should be of … Continue reading Awaiting the Spirit: Introduction
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Or is he? One could be forgiven for feeling a bit confused and let down by the Easter Gospel today, because this year, we get Mark’s telling of the resurrection, which is even less joyful or triumphant than the others. If John’s resurrection narrative reads like a buddy cop romp, with … Continue reading The Last Word: A Reflection for Easter Sunday 2024
[Over the past few years, I’ve made it a practice to write for every day of the Holy Week. This year, I’ve decided to let the ground lie fallow, so I can come back to these readings with fresher eyes in the future.] Here are some posts from previous years to help us commemorate Holy … Continue reading Resources for Holy Saturday
Matthew Root 