Saturday, October 05, 2013

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

God's Word Is All-Sufficient

Luke 9:13 --
"You give them something to eat."  "We ain't got nuthin'."

But earlier in the chapter, Jesus had sent out the twelve apostles, without money or food or backpack or anything.  The only thing they possessed was His word to preach.  And it was sufficient!  Amazingly, it "worked" to have nothing but God's word.

Not long afterward, they're in the wilderness, faced with people in need, and they told Jesus, "We have nothing to give."

Guys!  Guys!  Of course you have something to give!  You have the Bread of Life.  You have the message of the kingdom of God.  You have forgiveness for sinners.  You have life.  You have God's word. 

We just don't get it.  We believe God's word is sufficient.  Except we don't.


Tuesday, October 01, 2013

Two Tables

Quick review, in case you don't remember what you learned in confirmation class:  The first three commandments are the First Table of the Law ("you shall love the Lord your God ...") and the rest are the Second Table of the Law ("... and your neighbor as yourself").

You know what?

The Lord's Prayer is kind of like that too.  A "first table" and a "second table."

We pray that God's name is hallowed,
that His kingdom come, and
that His will be done.

That is about doctrine.  And who God is.  And what He does for us.

The rest of the prayer is more about what happens to us here on earth, that He would provide for our temporal needs, and that we be forgiven and rescued from our sinfulness, and that this world and our sinful nature not overwhelm us and destroy faith.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Molly Sweeney

A modern play.  Not the kind we usually go see at APT.  But boy, I'm glad we went. 

Molly Sweeney isn't just a story.  The words were carefully crafted so that's it's almost like poetry in its prose.  It's a story of a blind woman who is given sight at the age of 41, and what it means for her to learn to see.  Because, after all, seeing isn't something our eyes do -- it's something our eyes and brain do together.  And it's the story of how her new sight affects her world.

It's a story that will resonate with homeschoolers and others who watch learning take place.

If you love someone with Asperger's, this story will make you laugh with warm recognition.

It's a story that shows the immense ability of the "disabled."

And it's a story that teaches us about contentment and joy ... and how coveting robs us of joy.




I would love to sit down and read the text of the play again, 
to catch more of what slipped past so quickly during the play.