Tag Archives: Suffering
Saved by the Cross
Jesus’ Resurrection Saved by the Cross Tuesday, April 23, 2019 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who was like us in every way, experienced every temptation, and never backtracked. —Hebrews 4:15 (my translation) Jesus walked, enjoyed, and suffered the entire human… Continue Reading Saved by the Cross
Jesus’ Death: Weekly Summary
Jesus’ Death Summary: Sunday, April 14—Friday, April 19, 2019 Holy Saturday The image of the scapegoat powerfully mirrors and reveals the universal, but largely unconscious, human need to transfer our guilt onto something (or someone) else by singling that other out for unmerited negative treatment. (Sunday) Jesus takes away the sin of the world by… Continue Reading Jesus’ Death: Weekly Summary
Doing the Victim Thing Right
Jesus’ Death Doing the Victim Thing Right Tuesday, April 16, 2019 The deep-time message of Jesus’ death is presented through a confluence of three healing images from his own Hebrew Scriptures: the scapegoat whom we talked about on Sunday; the Passover lamb which is the innocent victim (Exodus 12); the “Lifted-Up One” or the homeopathic… Continue Reading Doing the Victim Thing Right
The Performance Principle
Growing in Christ: Week 1 The Performance Principle Friday, March 22, 2019 Religion in the second half of life is finally not a moral matter; it’s a mystical matter. While most of us begin focused on moral proficiency and perfection, we can’t spend our whole lives this way. Paul calls the first-half-of-life approach “the Law”;… Continue Reading The Performance Principle
Holy Blood
This Is My Body Holy Blood Tuesday, March 5, 2019 As if eating his body weren’t enough, Jesus pushes us in even further and scarier directions by adding the symbolism of intoxicating wine as he lifts the cup and speaks over all of suffering humanity, “This is my blood.” Jesus then dares to say, “Drink… Continue Reading Holy Blood
Coincidence of Opposites
Jesus and the Cross Coincidence of Opposites Thursday, February 7, 2019 The Divine Mind transforms all human suffering by identifying completely with the human predicament and standing in full solidarity with it from beginning to end. This is the real meaning of the crucifixion. The cross is not just a singular event. It’s a statement… Continue Reading Coincidence of Opposites
Take Up Your Cross
Following Jesus Take Up Your Cross Friday, January 25, 2019 Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” —Matthew 16:24 What does it mean to follow Jesus? I believe that we are invited to gaze upon the image of the crucified… Continue Reading Take Up Your Cross
Searching for Love
Love: Week 1 Searching for Love Friday, November 2, 2018 All Souls’ Day John of the Cross (1542-1591) is one of many Christian mystics who writes about being loved by God in an intimate way. My friend and fellow CAC faculty member James Finley reflects on John’s Dark Night of the Soul as a journey… Continue Reading Searching for Love
Suffering: Week 2 Summary
Suffering: Week 2 Summary: Sunday, October 21-Friday, October 26, 2018 The genius of Jesus’ ministry is that he reveals that God uses tragedy, suffering, pain, betrayal, and death itself (all of which are normally inevitable), not to punish us but, in fact, to bring us to God and to our True Self, which are frequently… Continue Reading Suffering: Week 2 Summary
Wounded Healers
Suffering: Week 2 Wounded Healers Friday, October 26, 2018 Only people who have suffered in some way can usually save anybody else—exactly as the Twelve-Step program illustrates. They alone have the space and the capacity for the other. Deep communion and compassion are formed much more by shared pain than by shared pleasure. Jesus told… Continue Reading Wounded Healers
