Sheol and Hades For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of perdition assailed me; the cords of Sheol entangled me, the snares of death confronted me. 2 Samuel 22:5-6 The term Sheol is commonly used in the Old Testament as a synonym for what many consider as Hell today. Hades appears a handful … Continue reading Sheol and Hades
Category: Life Notes
Images of Hell
Images of Hell Then he will say to those at his left hand, “you that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…And these will go away into eternal punishment. Matthew 25:41,46 I grew up with the image of hell as a hot place where bad people … Continue reading Images of Hell
Biblical Resurrection
Biblical Resurrection Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise, O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy! Isaiah 26:19 To wrap up this series of reflections on resurrection, I will consider a few of the biblical references to it. As I mentioned in an earlier Life Note, I do not find the … Continue reading Biblical Resurrection
Resurrection, Part 4
Resurrection, Part 4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. Romans 12:4-5 Last week, I reflected on the possibility that those who have passed before us … Continue reading Resurrection, Part 4
Resurrection, Part 3
Resurrection, Part 3 Indeed, they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. Luke 20:36 The reoccurring life pattern of birth, growth, decline, death, and rebirth is found all around us, from trees and shrubs to animals to mountains to the changing seasons to our … Continue reading Resurrection, Part 3
Resurrection, Part 2
Resurrection, Part 2 While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Luke 24:36-37 It is ironic, though not intentional, that this reflection will first be published on Halloween. It may not … Continue reading Resurrection, Part 2
Resurrection, Part 1
Resurrection, Part 1 After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again. Luke 18:33 For Christians, the reference point for resurrection is found in the story of Jesus, as recorded in the Bible. Throughout the Gospels, he predicts that he will be killed and, on the third … Continue reading Resurrection, Part 1
Many Births, Many Deaths
Many Births, Many Deaths The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8 One of the central points of embodiment is that the me that … Continue reading Many Births, Many Deaths
Embodiment, Part 3
Embodiment, Part 3 God speaks to each of us as he makes us, then walks with us silently out of the night. These are the words we dimly hear: You, sent out beyond your recall, go to the limits of your longing, Embody me. Flare up like flame and make big shadows I can move … Continue reading Embodiment, Part 3
Embodiment, Part 2
Embodiment, Part 2 For every matter has its time and way, although the troubles of mortals lie heavy upon them. Indeed, they do not know what is to be, for who can tell them how it will be? No one has power over the wind, or power over the day of death. Ecclesiastes 8:6-8a As … Continue reading Embodiment, Part 2
Contemplating Grace 