#SV – Burning Hearts

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Lk. 24:32) There are few other lessons to pick from this particular Scripture: First, the heart often knows before the mind does. These two disciples could not yet see who Jesus was, but something in them was already responding to his presence, his voice, the way he interpreted the scriptures. Grace often works like this, beneath our awareness, preparing us for a recognition that suddenly breaks through. Second, Scripture, when rightly opened, ignites. It was not just that Jesus spoke, but the how, the manner by … Continue reading #SV – Burning Hearts

#SV – From Christmas to Christman

Reading II Colossians 3:12-21 Brothers and sisters:Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.And be thankful.Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your … Continue reading #SV – From Christmas to Christman

#SV – Beyond the Material

Love gives us the chance to live in and beyond the material. It gives us right to mock the material death: “Where is thy sting oh death? Death, where is thy power?” (1Cor.15:55). Love sets us free from the death of the soul, keeping us alive in God, for to be alive in God is to be alive in love (1Jn.4:8). We remember the faithful departed because they shared in the redemptive love and lived it out the much they could, and because only the merciful love of God can grant us a place in His kingdom. On our own … Continue reading #SV – Beyond the Material

#SV – The Disciple-Identity

To be a loving person is to constantly misunderstood, maligned and ridiculed. Yet that’s what Christ wants from us. Being a loving person is not a one-time affair. It’s a habit of life. It is not a selective attitude, that chooses who to love and who not to. God is love, and so we are called to love. Not in the abstract sense, but in the manner of the example given by Christ. Continue reading #SV – The Disciple-Identity