What happened in Eden did more than alienate us from God—we became estranged from each other! Redemption then is not only about us coming back to God, it is about us coming back to one other. The church as the body of Christ is the community of the reconciled, composed of people who belong toContinue reading “Community and Communion”
Author Archives: A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green
Entering the Arena for Christ
In the series Rome, Titus Pullo is a proud soldier of Rome’s Thirteenth Legion. But the time comes when there are no more wars to fight and he descends into a life of cold-blooded, mercenary killing. When he is captured and condemned to die in the arena for his crimes, he is resigned if not relieved, in regardContinue reading “Entering the Arena for Christ”
Seeing and Seeking
Moses had pleaded with God to see His glory (Exodus 33:18). If you read the chapter you’ll see it wasn’t a frivolous, fawning request for a cool spiritual experience—it was the fervent appeal of a desperate man thrust into leading a stubborn and obstinate generation of people into a strange, new land. Moses is sureContinue reading “Seeing and Seeking”
War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds was written by H. G. Wells in 1898. Though it hardly raises an eyebrow by today’s standards, it was pretty heady stuff then. England was at the height of its imperialism and creatures from another planet would be considered about the only qualified candidates to take down the Empire. Scientists were speculatingContinue reading “War of the Worlds”
Love and Spaghetti Trees
It was several years ago that the BBC ran a piece about a bumper spaghetti crop in Switzerland. There had been a confluence of ideal conditions for the Swiss farmers: a mild winter, the nefarious spaghetti weevil was practically non-existent that particular year, and the Swiss, long known for their precision, had developed a strain of spaghettiContinue reading “Love and Spaghetti Trees”
Getting Started in 2 Thessalonians
Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians was written not long after his first one. It’s brief (47 verses) but has at least three objectives. The one that usually gets the most attention has to do with his desire to correct the mistaken view some had formed regarding the return of Jesus (2:1ff). Paul’s subsequent discussionContinue reading “Getting Started in 2 Thessalonians”
Communion Thoughts
Being alone is nice . . . for a little while. Then we need people. If you think about it, even some of the things we do when we are alone give us away. We read a book, listen to music, watch something online, and do other things that to some degree involve the human touch and aren’tContinue reading “Communion Thoughts”
Patching a Rough Spot
About ten years after his presidency, Harry Truman was giving a speech at a university in California. After he spoke there was a question and answer session during which a young man stood up and in his query referred to the state’s governor in a way that was less than respectful. Truman, never known for mincingContinue reading “Patching a Rough Spot”
Celebrities or Servants?
I caught the last snippet of a commercial where someone was identified as a celebrity landscaper. Well of course—why just be a landscaper when you can be a celebrity landscaper? The possibilities are endless: celebrity school teacher, celebrity pharmacist, celebrity construction worker. And let’s not forget the kids—we can have celebrity teenagers, celebrity children, and celebrityContinue reading “Celebrities or Servants?”
Water into Wine
Numerous contemporaries of Jesus speak of good wine not possessing intoxicating qualities (Pliny, Plutarch, Horace, etc.). In fact, they describe in detail the measures taken to produce such a drink. There’s no reason then, other than cultural bias or biblical ignorance, for insisting that when the master of the banquet spoke of what Jesus made as “choiceContinue reading “Water into Wine”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 