Tag Archives: YHWH
Unknowing: Weekly Summary
Unknowing Saturday, February 6, 2021 Week Five Summary and Practice Sunday, January 31—Friday, February 5, 2021 Sunday The formal theological terms for unknowing and knowing are the apophatic or “negative” way, where you move beyond words and images into silence, and the kataphatic or “affirmative” way, where you use words, concepts, and images. Monday Perplexity,… Continue Reading Unknowing: Weekly Summary
Justice in the Scriptures
Prophets: Part Two Justice in the Scriptures Sunday, July 7, 2019 Let me expand on our secular and limited definition of justice which for most Westerners is merely retributive justice. When people on the news say, “We want justice!” they normally mean that bad deeds should be punished or that they want vengeance. Our judicial,… Continue Reading Justice in the Scriptures
Unknowing: Week 1 Summary
Unknowing: Week 1 Summary: Sunday, September 30-Friday, October 5, 2018 When we speak of God and things transcendent, all we can do is use metaphors, approximations, and pointers. No language is adequate to describe the Holy. (Sunday) The Bible, in its entirety, finds a balance between knowing and not-knowing, between using particular and carefully chosen… Continue Reading Unknowing: Week 1 Summary
Hasidism
Judaism Hasidism Friday, August 31, 2018 The Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760)—Master of the Good Name—was the founder of a Jewish religious movement called Hasidism that began in the eighteenth century. The “Besht” (acronym for Baal Shem Tov) was ecstatically in love with God. He reminds me a bit of my own spiritual father, St. Francis… Continue Reading Hasidism
A Gracious God
Judaism A Gracious God Monday, August 27, 2018 For most of human history God was not viewed as having a likeable, much less lovable, character. That’s why every “theophany” in the Bible (an event where God manifests in visible reality) begins with the same words. Whenever an angel or God breaks into human life, the… Continue Reading A Gracious God
Covenant Love
Law and Grace Covenant Love Friday, May 26, 2017 YHWH, YHWH, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and abounding in faithfulness. For the thousandth generation, YHWH maintains his kindness, forgiving all our faults, transgressions, and sins. —Exodus 34:6-7 In this marvelous early affirmation, we have, in the words of… Continue Reading Covenant Love
Implanted Desire
Law and Grace Implanted Desire Thursday, May 25, 2017 We first see the idea of grace in the Hebrew Scriptures through the concept of election or chosenness. This is eventually called “covenant love” because it finally becomes a mutual giving and receiving. This love is always initiated from YHWH’s side toward the people of Israel,… Continue Reading Implanted Desire
The Evolution of the Temple
The Apostle Paul The Evolution of the Temple Sunday, May 14, 2017 The brilliant Anglican theologian, N. T. Wright, concludes that we have largely missed Paul’s major theme. [1] After Luther, many thought Paul’s great idea was “justification by faith” (Protestants) versus “works righteousness” (Catholics). It makes a nice dualistic split, but Wright believes the… Continue Reading The Evolution of the Temple
Contemplation: Weekly Summary
Contemplation Summary: Sunday, February 5-Friday, February 10, 2017 We cannot have a private contemplative practice without engaged community. We must not withdraw to a private, isolated spirituality in which we do our contemplative sit each day and ignore the pain of the world. (Sunday) The capacity for nondual seeing that is developed through contemplation allows… Continue Reading Contemplation: Weekly Summary
God Is Good
Experience God Is Good Monday, January 23, 2017 In most ancient religions on every inhabited continent, God was seen to be “controllable” through some form of sacrifice, even fellow humans. Around the time of Abraham, the sacrificial instinct was transferred from humans to animals (Genesis 22:13); ancient Hebrew and other religions sacrificed birds, goats, sheep,… Continue Reading God Is Good