The Surprising God

The four Gospels emphasize the sacred period spanning Holy Week plus Easter Sunday. Through the momentous events of those eight days, God's plan to save us in and through Jesus came to a great, climactic crescendo. In the liturgy of the church, Holy Week concludes the season of Lent during which we prepare for Easter by inclining our hearts, minds and bodies to receive anew all that Jesus is, and all that he has done for us through his suffering, death by crucifixion, and burial. Then on Easter Sunday (and the seven weeks that follow) we celebrate Jesus' glorious resurrection.   Image from Art Resource via Huffington Post Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday--a day more consequential than often recognized. Observing what Jesus did that day tells us a great deal concerning who Jesus is, what he values, how he operates, and the nature of the kingdom of God that he came to inaugurate. Palm Sunday thus challenges us to think deeply about these matters. In the  liturgy of the palms fo

This post concludes a series exploring  Fully Human in Christ: The Incarnation as the End of Christian Ethics  by Todd Speidell. For other posts in the series, click a number:  1 ,  2 ,  3 , 4 .   Last time , we noted that the Christian ethic taught by Thomas F. Torrance (TFT) involves joining Jesus in his ongoing life of service to others. Rather than a political or sociological concept, this ethic is about personally sharing in Christ's active love for people as individual, beloved persons. As Todd Speidell notes, this sharing begins at home with our biological and church families, and from there extends to nearby neighbors and friends, then to distant neighbors (for in Christ, all humans are neighbors who we are commanded by Christ to love). Source: North Carolina Council of Churches Concerning race relations This localized, personal focus (which TFT refers to as a "filial" focus and approach) is applicable to the ethical challenges we face today, including that of  ra