The Word We Study Has To Be

At Sunday Worship, As In Every Dimension Of Our Existence, Many Of Us Pretend To Believe We Are Sinners. Consequently, All We Can Do Is Pretend We Have Been Forgiven. As A Result, Our Whole Spiritual Life Is Pseudo-repentance And Pseudo-bliss.

The Forgiveness Of God Is Gratuitous Liberation From Guilt. Paradoxically, The Conviction Of Personal Sinfulness Becomes The Occasion Of Encounter With The Merciful Love Of The Redeeming God. "there Will Be More Rejoicing In Heaven Over One Sinner Repenting..." (luke 15:7). In His Brokenness, The Repentant Prodigal Knew An Intimacy With His Father That His Sinless, Self-righteous Brother Would Never Know.

The Spirituality Of Wonder Knows The World Is Charged With Grace, That While Sin And War, Disease And Death Are Terribly Real, God's Loving Presence And Power In Our Midst Are Even More Real.

In Every Encounter We Either Give Life Or We Drain It; There Is No Neutral Exchange.

Shame--what Happened When My Mother, The Dragon, Huffed And Puffed And Blew My Self Down.