Contemplating Grace

Life Notes—November 10, 2011 “…therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.  He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the … Continue reading Creation Revisited, Part 5

Life Notes—November 3, 2011 “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree in the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’”  Genesis 2:16-17 The past few weeks we’ve … Continue reading Creation Revisited, Part 4

Life Notes—October 27, 2011 “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.”  Genesis 2:24  Two weeks ago we discussed the implications of taking the Hebrew word that is translated “rib” in the creation story and translating it as “side.”  Thus, God’s first creation of … Continue reading Creation Revisited, Part 3

Life Notes—October 20, 2011 “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”  Genesis 1:27  Last week I hypothesized about the implications of taking the Hebrew word that is translated “rib” in the second creation story in Genesis and translating it as “side,” … Continue reading Creation Revisited, Part 2

Life Notes—October 13, 2011 “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.  Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.”  Genesis 2:23-24  There are two … Continue reading Creation Revisited, Part 1

Life Notes—October 6, 2011 “And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.”   Exodus 32:14  It seems the political election cycle is a cycle no more.  Rather, before one campaign has ended, the next has begun.  The divisive charges and counter-charges fly back and forth year round.  … Continue reading A Divine Flip-Flop

Life Notes—September 29, 2011 “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when … Continue reading How God’s Love Prevails

Life Notes—September 15, 2011 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.”  Psalm 22:1-2 Through my teen years and into my … Continue reading Unanswered Prayer

Life Notes—September 8, 2011 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree in the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not … Continue reading Good vs. Evil; Us vs. Them

Life Notes—September 1, 2011 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.  We love because he first loved us.”  1 John 4:18-19  I am allergic to poison ivy.  When I was a child my father … Continue reading Facing Fear