Jesus

Making Sense of the Crucifixion of Jesus

Crucifixion: truly a brutal, violent way to kill another human being.  A person hangs naked on a cross with lungs filling with fluid, struggling to breathe, and then succumbing after hours of struggle to the inevitable last gasp and death.  All the while, one’s suffering is a public spectacle. Such… Read More »Making Sense of the Crucifixion of Jesus


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The Extravagance of Lent

Extravagance: that’s not something we usually associate with Lent.   Yet, extravagance is key to understanding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  To be extravagant, to be lavish, to be imprudent, to be over the top and do something no one else would do — yes, these are all key… Read More »The Extravagance of Lent

Lent and the God of Jesus

It’s an ancient tradition. Over the last 1500 years or so, Christians have observed a period of prayer and fasting prior to Easter.  In time, a forty-day period (Sundays aren’t included because Sundays are a memorial of Easter) emerged within the Christian tradition and came to be called Lent.  The… Read More »Lent and the God of Jesus


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What Would Jesus Want?

WWJD? What Would Jesus Do? How about this? What would Jesus want us to do? Anyone who seriously reads the New Testament gospels will be uncomfortable when they realize what Jesus actually wants from his followers. The following is a text version of this posting. Some years ago, there was… Read More »What Would Jesus Want?

Praying as Jesus Taught

Lent.  From Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, Christians mark a six-week season meant to focus on God’s presence in our world and our lives.  It’s a time when churches typically offer special services and devotional practices.  Among other things, Lent is a time for prayer. Prayer is a confusing thing… Read More »Praying as Jesus Taught