The Cross of Christ
There is but one true Cross, and that is the Cross of Christ. It is why we can sing, “All my hope on God is founded” even “as tower and temple turns to dust” (The Hymnal 1982, #665).
Because the Cross bears a truth like no other: that even in our deepest sorrow, we are not alone. God never forsakes us. That even where evil lurks, Christ has ultimately prevailed. That neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, Almighty.
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Mercy
Mercy costs something, sometimes, it costs everything, because to hold both mercy and justice in your heart and mind is to follow the way of the cross. It is to truly see your neighbor, to seek to know your neighbor, and to love your neighbor, not so that you might change them, but so that you might be changed. So that the world might be changed.
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Every Perfect Gift
Life is a gift and recognizing the source of the gift is really important. That is the alpha and omega of faith. We come from God when we are born, we return to God when we die, and God is with us as the Giver of Life and Sustainer of Life every single day that we walk this earth. Every day, all day, 24/7. But it so challenging to stay in touch with that, especially when things get stressful, and things are very stressful right now.
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Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve
“Choose this day whom you will serve” reminds them of the first of the 10 commandments given to the earlier generation. “You shall have no other gods before me.” So they have to renew the covenant for themselves that their ancestors made with God. They have to make it their own. And their story is our story. Each new generation of faithful people has to decide. And it’s a decision that we have to make each day.
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Holy Wisdom
Since the beginning of time, people have contemplated the mysteries of life, the vastness of the cosmos, and how we are meant to live this life in relationship with others. Where do we fit in the order of things? Who are we in relationship to God? What’s the right way to live? How am I supposed to treat others? In short, how do I gain wisdom?
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Imitators of God
At the root of Paul’s impossible asks of us is a desire that we put away our masks, tear down our walls, and empty ourselves of all apprehensions, pretensions, and selfish intentions.
Not all at once, forevermore, but as we can, as we go and with God’s help.
Because imitation is a lifelong pursuit; as Baldwin suggests, a tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth, but one that is made for us and worth everything.
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