Spiritual Formation
Love – Advent 2018
Advent is a delicious thirst. We remember the Incarnation, when God became flesh to become one flesh with us—a mystery the fourth Gospel calls “abiding.” This love began in the Father (John 3:16) and was completed by the Son on the cross (13:1). John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” reclined on the chest of the…
Read MorePeace – Advent 2018
In his famous poem, “Christmas Bells,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow captures his despair and hope as he wrestles with “peace on earth” or the lack thereof in the final two stanzas: And in despair I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said; “For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace…
Read MoreHope – Advent 2018
The church father Tertullian (fl. AD 200) once remarked, “Hope is patience with the lamp lit.” The reason hope requires patience is because we only hope for things we do not have. Paul made this point in Romans 5: “hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if…
Read MoreJohn DelHousaye on Praying the Nunc Dimittis
Luke has given us three prayers for Advent—the Magnificat, the Benedictus, and the Nunc Dimittis. This meditation focuses on the third; I intend to offer context for the focus (kavanah) we bring to the prayer. This section in Luke’s birth narrative of Jesus has four chiastic subunits: A Piety of Parents (2:21–24) B Simeon’s Piety…
Read More“Let’s Talk Bible” Audio Files
Welcome to “Let’s Talk Bible with Dr. D!” As an added enhancement, we are making all of the “Let’s Talk Bible with Dr. D!” lessons available for download in audio (MP3) format. You can download these files and listen to them on any MP3 player. New lessons will automatically be added to this list…
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