This week in our Lenten Series The Deeply Formed Life we looked at the value and practice of interior examination.
The Deeply Formed Life Week 2
Here is today’s sermon audio for our second week of our Lenten series The Deeply Formed Life. Today we covered the second transformative value of Racial Justice and Reconciliation. Take some time and listen as Ryan unpacks Ephesians 2:14-22.
The Deeply Formed Life Week 1
We just started our lenten series entitled The Deeply Formed Life. Week 1 of our series we talked about the value of Contemplative Rhythms that help form us in the way of Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Spend a few minutes and listen as Ryan shares about contemplative rhythms and the Deeply Formed Life.
Ash Wednesday meditation
Here is the Ash Wednesday meditation from last night’s Ash Wednesday worship gathering focused on Psalm 51:1-17.
Where are we going and how do we get there week 5
Our last exploration into our vehicles that help us move forward in our vision. This week we looked at Following Jesus into the margins. Spend some time listening as Ryan shares about how Jesus loved those on the margins.
Where are we going and how do we get there week 4
Today we looked at our fourth vehicle that helps us move toward our vision of Desiring the Kingdom of God to become tangible, that being Honest Expression. We looked at Genesis 32:22-32 and the story of Jacob wrestling with God. Take some time to listen to the message.
Where are we going & how do we get there Week 3
Today we looked at our second vehicle (Pursuing Truth) that we use to get to our vision of Desiring the Kingdom of God to become tangible. Today we explored Pursuing Truth through Matthew 16:21-28. Take a few minutes and listen to what it looks like to follow and pursue Jesus.
Where are we going & how do we get there Week 2
This week’s message turns the corner and begins to look at how do we get to where we are going..our “Seattle”- our vision of Desiring the Kingdom of God to become tangible. We begin to look at the vehicles necessary to get us to “Seattle”. This week we cover Vehicle #1..To Be Family. Spend some time and listen to Ryan talk about what vehicle #1 looks like and how to live as family.
Where are we going and how do we get there Week 1
We are starting a new series at Veritas looking at our vision and strategy and asking God to show us what is next in our journey together. This is our first week in our series looking at where we are going as Veritas and defining what our “Seattle” is (our end destination). Take a few minutes and give it a listen.
Advent Week 3: John 1:1-18- The Word made flesh
Here is the audio from this past Sundays gathering looking at John 1:1-18, the Word made flesh.
My review of "A More Christlike Word" by Brad Jersak
Before beginning my review of the book “A More Christlike Word” by Brad Jersak, I need to make two brief statements. First, the review of this book is my thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and opinions and may not reflect the thoughts, ideas, beliefs and opinions of the Veritas Community. Secondly, I received this book from the Speakeasy Book Blog program in exchange for a review of the book.
And so now onto the review…
When you hear or see the phrase Word of God, what immediately comes to mind? For most people when they hear that, their mind goes right to the Bible. But when we find the phrase Word of God or just Word (notice the capital W in Word) in the Bible, it is referring not to the Bible but to Jesus, who is the Word of God. Just read John 1 and you’ll see that it is referring to Jesus himself.
Jersak, in this third installment of his A More Christlike series, wants us to see all of Scripture through the lens of a cruciform hermeneutic. Or put in another way, he wants us to see all of Scripture through Jesus. That all of Scripture points us to Jesus. Yes even the violent portrayals of God in the Old Testament can actually point us to Jesus. (more on that in a moment)
One of my favorite quotes in this book is ““The Word of God is inspired, inerrant and infallible and when he was 18, he grew a beard” All too often in many Christians theology, it is almost like we have elevated the Bible to a third part of the Trinity, and almost as it stands over Jesus, instead of the other way around.
One of my biggest struggles throughout the last probably tens year of my life theologically has been how to read the Old Testament, especially the violent portraits of God. When the narratives seems to point us to God committing acts of genocide. As an Anabaptist, who is committed to the way of peace and non-violence, I’ve had a hard time squaring those pictures of God with the picture of Jesus (the fullest and most complete representation of God), and the prince of peace. I’ve read multiple helpful books that deal with this issue. Books like Crucifixion of the Warrior God and Cross Vision both by Greg Boyd, and Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God by Brian Zahnd.
This book does an equally great job in helping me to understand these problematic texts in the light of both a progressive revelation and a cruciform hermeneutic. Probably one of the most helpful in relation to this was the three points he makes on page 170 when he says, “Every Old Testament Trial (however disastrous and prolonged) prefigures Christ’s ultimate, brutal suffering and death on behalf of those who suffered the trial- and on behalf of everyone. Every Old Testament injustice (by the people, the kings or the priests) prefigures humanity’s ultimate and more wicked betrayal of Christ, through Judas, the Sanhedrin, Herod’s palace, and Pilates empire. Every Old Testament victory (however dubious in its xenophobic violence) prefigures Christ’s ultimate and more beautiful victory over darkness, dread and death.”
Another very helpful part of the book is about half way through when Jersak summarizes (up to that point) what his main points in writing the book were. 1. The Word of God is Jesus Christ. 2. The function of Scripture #1: to point to the gospel. 3. The function of Scripture #2 :a mirror revealing the human condition. 4. What is worthy of God. 5. Interpreting the Scriptures with the fathers.
And so if you have questions about things like violence in the Bible, issues like inspiration and inerrancy, the purpose of Scripture, how to read and understand the Scriptures, progressive revelation, cruciform hermeneutic and many other issues around Biblical interpretation, then you should definitely pick up A More Christlike Word by Brad Jersak.
Advent Week 1: Shepherds and Magi
Here is a brief devotional for our first week in our Advent series looking at Jesus heart for those on the margins….the shepherds and magi.
It's the End of the World as we know it.
Here is the audio from this week’s message looking at Mark 13:1-8.
Pray for One Another
Here is a brief devotional about the importance of praying for one another.
Sent and Sending
Here is a devotional that was given this past Sunday on the Sent and Sending God, Jesus and our being sent and sending each other. Take 10 minutes and give it a listen.