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Hope

Irreligious: Forsaking Religion and Finding Jesus’ God (Mk. 12:18-27)

Chris Altrock – August 1, 2010

 

Over the past few days I’ve practiced what I call the “ministry of presence” among the LaVelle family.  When a young person like Liz dies, there few words worth speaking.  The very best we can do is just be present with each other.  And as I’ve tried to be present I’ve overheard numerous people saying the same thing over and over.  As they’ve thought of the hurt and pain that comes in the midst of the death of a young person like Liz, they’ve said, “I just don’t know how people make it through times like these without God and without the church.”  They’ve been testifying that times of tragedy reveal that there is nothing comparable to following Jesus, there is something indispensible about following Jesus.  You can’t make it through those times without that “thing” that only comes through following Jesus.

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Courage From Above: The Hope of Heaven on Earth (2 Cor. 4:10-12)

Chris Altrock – April 11, 2010

 

In his book Surprised by Hope N. T. Wright warns that some of the classic Christian hymns about heaven may be misleading.[1]  He cautions that some hymns can be misunderstood to teach a kind of escapism.  They can be misconstrued and make us so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good.  For example, the 1920 hymn “Where the Gates Swing Outward Never,” states: “Just a few more years with their toil and tears, And the journey will be ended.”  The hymn states that life is filled with toil and tears.  And thus it might lead someone to think that we’ve got to escape this toil-filled and tear-filled life as quickly as possible and get to heaven.  The 1876 hymn “Beyond This Land of Parting” sings: “Beyond this land of parting, losing and leaving, Far beyond the losses darkening this, And far beyond the taking and the bereaving, Lies the summer land of bliss.”  The hymn states that all this life offers is parting, losing, leaving, taking, and bereaving.  And thus it might lead someone to conclude that the only thing to do is escape this life and get to that heavenly summer land of bliss.

 Read More »Courage From Above: The Hope of Heaven on Earth (2 Cor. 4:10-12)