Why “Seated at the Right Hand of God”? I’ve been back to blogging on the Heidelberg Catechism of late. Recently I worked through what these 16th-century Reformed theologians thought about the Ascension. In their line by line commentary on the Apostles’ Creed they took each obvious and not-so obvious issue in turn: Q46: What does Christ’s Ascension into heaven mean? […]
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The Paradoxical Presence of Christ (Heidelberg Catechism Q47)
A couple weeks ago I was reflecting on a much-neglected biblical teaching: the ascension of Christ. We may neglect it because there is a conundrum in the ascension: the puzzling, if not outright paradoxical, presence of Christ. Ascension vs. Presence The last scenes of Jesus’ earthly ministry are emphatic about two completely opposite things: Jesus […]
Looking into the Gap: The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos
If I were to pick one item of teaching or practice that best marks the distinction between Protestants and the more ancient traditions of Christianity it would have to be Jesus’ mom. She’s huge to both Orthodox and Catholic Christians. Protestants? Not so much. Not too long ago I heard a Protestant sermon in which […]
Why Proclaim that Christ Ascended? (Heidelberg Catechism Q46)
One traditional Christian teaching that many today simply ignore is Christ’s “Ascension.” Why proclaim that Christ ascended into heaven? One answer is that it is simply biblical. You find it at the end of both Mark and Luke, but Acts 1 is the version that sticks in our collective memory. The risen Christ has just […]
Helping Christian Community Thrive: Drawing Close to God
If you call your faith “a personal relationship to God” you already know it is true: You should be drawing close to God. How can you say you have a relationship that matters if the two of you don’t spend time together? There’s a name for drawing close to God. It’s called praying. Christians used […]