What qualities define spiritual maturity? It is a good thing to reflect on at any time: know what the target is and you have a better chance of moving toward it. I’ve been recommending people think about the question now, in Lent, following the model of Thomas Hooker, 17th century Puritan and founder of Connecticut. […]
The Big Do Over (Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 8)
The idea of God giving us a big “do over” is right at the heart of the Christian season of Lent. People who have set out to follow Jesus spend time reflecting on the state of our lives. We find we aren’t meeting the standard. We don’t do this to beat ourselves up though. We are […]
The “YES!” that Changed Everything: The Annunciation of the Lord
There are a few moments on which the history of the world swings like a hinge. People my age remember exactly where they were when the Twin Towers fell. For Christians the real hinge moments are long before our own lives: Jesus’ death on the cross on Good Friday; his rising from the grave Easter […]
My Problem. Whose Fault? (Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 7)
In Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story” members of an urban gang consider the source of their problems. They sing it all to their favorite cop, Officer Krupke. Here’s their first theory. I’ll call it “Krupke, 1”: Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke, You gotta understand, It’s just our bringin’ up-ke That gets us out of hand.” Many […]
Are You God’s Self-Portrait? Heidelberg Catechism Q. 6
You sit down with your journal to do some Lenten reflection. You start thinking about your life, your relationships, your faith. You are probably aware of some places where you wish things were different — that’s the point, of course. But then you look back and wonder: “Hasn’t it always been this way?” Unless you […]
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