Imagine with me a parable of two people, two different people, each coming to the end of a long day, each looking back and reflecting on the day’s events. The first person thinks: “Well, that’s a relief. Whew. I made it through. I did well all day. Kept to myself, stayed away from anything controversial, anything too inflammatory...
Read MoreI wonder what other bible stories this passage brings to your mind. Perhaps the first connection you made is the most obvious one—this story of Christ’s ascension sounds a lot like the story we heard from 2 Kings, where Elijah is swept away by a chariot and Elisha gazes after him, before he stoops to pick up his mantle.
Read More“After the Resurrection, why is Jesus so…weird?” This is what Michael said when we were talking about the scripture a little earlier in the week. He pointed out: “Jesus never appears in front of a crowd, he only appears to a few people at a time—he walks through walls, he vanishes into thin air, he cooks up a fish breakfast on the beach. If the disciples were really trying to convince us of Jesus’ resurrection, why do they make it seem so odd? Why doesn’t it make more sense?”
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