I have written many articles on this blog on the topic of eschatology. In this article and its companion to follow, I want us to consider why eschatology is important in the Christian faith and, more importantly, in following Jesus. In other articles, I have dealt with the sick distortions… Continue reading
When I was a child, my notion of church never went beyond the gathered community that worshiped in the fortress like structure on Chesterfield St. in Aiken, S.C. In fact, my concept of church was inextricably tied to that dark and mysterious building. I belonged to that church. My friend Ernie… Continue reading
We don’t know quite what to do with the Ascension of our Lord. The whole idea is a little embarrassing to us moderns. We know that heaven is not up there. “Up” to people in the U.S. is “down” to people in Australia. After all, we live on a sphere. … Continue reading
The famous pulpiteer George Buttrick in commenting on this passage asked the following rhetorical question: “How does a crowd affect us?” A crowd might evoke fear, excitement, disgust, weariness, or indifference. But I would suggest that rarely does a crowd evoke compassion. Yet in our passage Jesus looked out over… Continue reading
That day on the Mount of Olives marks a pivotal transition in the life of the church. Luke is the only Gospel writer to report this ascension. We don’t do much with the ascension in our theology. In fact, some people are embarrassed by the way Luke presents it. Is… Continue reading
