The phrase ‘irresistible grace’ resounded in my ears with echoes of beautiful complexity since I heard of it. Hard to believe and yet freeing, it spoke of the relentless pursuit by God for me, a rebel unaware of his need and unmoved to repentance by self-will.
Imagine a skillful sculptor carving out the best work of art from stone. He has an image before him of what he wants to achieve. Through great expertise and patience, he plans and produces his masterpiece by removing unwanted material to create the desired form.
The African concept of Ubuntu, which loosely translates as ‘I am because we are, and because we are therefore I am’ insists that to be human consists in a continual community of being, knowing, and becoming.
There are many means to crash a car. One sure way is driving in the opposite direction of a one-way street.
The shepherds journeyed long to Bethlehem to ‘see this thing that has come to pass’ (Luke 2:15). The setting of the first Christmas seemed to simmer with silent inaction and similar starry sights in the sky on that cold night.
Is theological training inherently anti-God? Do religious leaders need certificates and degrees before they lead churches? Is spirituality anti-intellect? Does the Spirit of God replace proper theological training?
Shame and blame, dread and doubt, hang on Adam as a weighty stone on a suspended thread. His sin has found him out, and with it comes inner condemnation, a testament to a broken relationship and a betrayal of trust.
Have you heard? Have you seen?
In the silent night, when there is no light
The King sleeps, while heaven sings
Our Maker is in a Manger
Love has made His home with us
Presbyter Arius pondered through his platonic philosophical sieve: ‘If He is begotten,’ he mused; ‘then He has a beginning. And if He has a beginning, surely He is not truly God.’
Some scriptural texts seem to shake our sure confidence in eternal security. ‘How do you hold to such a position,’ it may be said, ‘given these verses?’ I think this is a challenge worthy of consideration.
