Tag Archives: paschal mystery
The Belly of the Whale
The Path of Descent The Belly of the Whale Tuesday, August 1, 2017 And so long as you do not know that to die is to become, you are just a wretched visitor on this dark earth. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe [1] Jesus’ primary metaphor for the mystery of transformation is the sign of Jonah… Continue Reading The Belly of the Whale
The Universal Pattern: Loss and Renewal
The Cross The Universal Pattern: Loss and Renewal Monday, April 24, 2017 I believe that the Mystery of the Cross is saying that the pattern of transformation is always death transformed. Death and life are two sides of one coin, and you cannot have one without the other. The theological term for this classic pattern… Continue Reading The Universal Pattern: Loss and Renewal
The Mystery of the Cross
The Cross The Mystery of the Cross Sunday, April 23, 2017 It is a wisdom that none of the masters of this age have ever known, or they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. —1 Corinthians 2:8 Jesus’ life, death, and raising up is the whole pattern revealed, named, summed up, and assured… Continue Reading The Mystery of the Cross
Mystical Experience
Experience Mystical Experience Tuesday, January 24, 2017 In the early 1960s, Jesuit Karl Rahner (1904-1984) stated that if Western Christianity did not rediscover its mystical foundations, we might as well close the doors of the churches because we had lost the primary reason for our existence. Now don’t let the word “mystic” scare you. It… Continue Reading Mystical Experience
Love: Jesus’ Plan
Love Summary for the Year: Week 1 Love: Jesus’ Plan Thursday, December 22, 2016 I’d like to give a simplified summary of what seems to me to be Jesus’ foundational worldview and plan: God can be trusted. God is like a loving Father or Mother who is involved in our lives and our world. So… Continue Reading Love: Jesus’ Plan
The Crucified Jesus
Path of Descent The Crucified Jesus Friday, October 21, 2016 They will look upon him whom they have pierced. —John 19:37 Those who “gaze upon” the Crucified long enough—with contemplative eyes—are always deeply healed of pain, unforgiveness, violence, and victimhood. It demands no theological education, just an “inner exchange” by receiving the image within and… Continue Reading The Crucified Jesus
The Sign of Jonah
Path of Descent The Sign of Jonah Monday, October 17, 2016 Jesus’ primary metaphor for the mystery of transformation is the sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:39, 16:4; Luke 11:29). Jesus tells the growing crowds, “It is an evil and adulterous generation that wants a sign” (Luke 11:29), and he then says the only sign he… Continue Reading The Sign of Jonah
The Paschal Mystery
Path of Descent The Paschal Mystery Sunday, October 16, 2016 The path of descent, or the pattern of falling upward, is found throughout the Bible. Jacob’s son, Joseph, is thrown into the well by his own brothers and then rescued (Genesis 37:20-28). The prophet Jeremiah is thrown into a cistern by the civil leaders after… Continue Reading The Paschal Mystery