Did you catch the point of this story? Granted there are many minor points. There is the healing of the lepers, the one who came back to give thanks. There is Jesus telling him that his Faith has made him whole. What is the big point? Did you miss it? Read more
Year C Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost Meditation
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Oct 03, 2013
Year C Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost Meditation
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Aug 08, 2013
The question of biblical authority is ultimately a question of Christology. What we believe about Jesus will ultimately determine what we believe about the Bible. There are two ways of discerning what we believe about Jesus in Scripture. We can come in with our minds made up about the Bible being the Word of God, or we can believe Jesus is the Word of God. If we believe the Bible is the Word of God than Jesus must fit into our concept of who the Bible says He is. If we believe Jesus is the Word of God then the Bible must fit into what He says it is. Read more
Year C Sixth Sunday After Pentecost Meditation
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Jun 20, 2013
God declared War on Legalism when He sent His Word into the World. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us … full of grace and truth. Legalism fought back against the grace believing the Bible, not Jesus, is the word of God. Grace is based on the Two Great Love Commandments. All the Law and the Prophets have now been changed into “do the loving thing.” The New Command is to be in His Presence in order to Love one another. “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Read more
Year C Fifth Sunday After Pentecost Meditation
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Jun 13, 2013
There is a spiritual War going on between Grace and Legalism. The War was declared by legalism on the grace of God at the moment of the Incarnation when the Word of God became Flesh, full of grace and Truth. It is time to face the battle between grace and legalism by telling the truth. Read more
Year C Fourth Sunday After Pentecost Meditation
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Jun 06, 2013
In today’s story we have a woman who washed and wiped the feet of Jesus. She is forgiven. The question that arises is when was she forgiven? The old classic response is she repented and was then forgiven by Jesus. This is the way much of the church and bible teachers look at what happened. Spirituality looks at forgiveness differently. It looks at confession as an act of grace not of legalism. Read more
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Apr 25, 2013
Sixth Sunday of Easter. When you read the commentaries they center on “keeping the word if we love Jesus”. Their definitions of the word can be all over the place. If we want to know what is John’s definition of the “word” all we need to do is go back to the first Chapter. “In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, the Word was God.” John’s definition of the Word is the “One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Read more
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Apr 18, 2013
Fifth Sunday of Easter. We try to understand the meaning of the words of Jesus to feel His Presence. In feeling the Presence of the Wisdom Jesus has in us, we understand the meaning of the words. The word “Glory” is an example of this. There is a common meaning of “we beheld His glory”. John 1:14 His glory rationally might be how magnificent God in Christ is. The spiritual meaning is to experience the Presence of God in Christ. Read more
Pentecost XXI Mark 10:17-31
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Oct 11, 2012
Mark 10:35-45. "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." Worldly thinking of James and John is that they want to sit on the right and left hand of Jesus in His glory. Godly understanding knows that He is spiritually already in His glory. They already are sitting on His right and left Hand. The grace of the Presence of God has already been given to all of us. All of us are not always in this Presence. It is for those for whom it has been prepared. Read more
Pentecost John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15; 15:26
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on May 17, 2012
Rationally, everyone knows what the Spirit will testify. We testify what Jesus has told us about the Holy Spirit. He will testify on the behalf of Jesus. We are to testify because we have been with Him. He will guide us into all the truth. In his guidance, he will speak what comes to him from God. The Spirit will prophesy about events "to come". The Spirit will reveal the essential nature of God, and show Christ's essential nature and power. Whether the word comes from the Father, the Son, or the Spirit, it is the same. Read more
EPIPHANY IV Mark 1:21-28 Is this a new Teaching? The Authority of grace.
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Jan 19, 2012
Rational understanding attempts to love others so God will love us. Spiritual understanding knows Jesus loved us by being in the Fathers Love. We must be in the Love of God before we try to love others. Do you understand the difference between trying to love someone to be loved and being loved in order to love someone? Read more
Latest Posts
-
Year A Pentecost XXIV
- Nov 13, 2014 -
Year A Pentecost XXIV Bottom Line
- Nov 10, 2014 -
Year A Pentecost XXIII
- Nov 06, 2014 -
Year A Pentecost XXIII Bottom Line
- Nov 03, 2014 -
Year A Pentecost XXII
- Oct 30, 2014
Latest Comments
-
I am interested in finding out…
6 years, 9 months ago -
I have built a Chartres Labyrinth…
7 years, 9 months ago -
Feelings of guilt grip many who…
7 years, 10 months ago -
I truly needed to read this today!…
9 years ago -
These designs are all outdated.…
9 years, 1 month ago
Blog Archives
- November 2014 (4)
- October 2014 (9)
- September 2014 (9)
- August 2014 (8)
- July 2014 (9)
- June 2014 (9)
- May 2014 (9)
- April 2014 (8)
- March 2014 (9)
- February 2014 (8)
- January 2014 (9)
- December 2013 (9)
Most Used Tags
- Fr. Paul (150)
- Lectionary (141)
- Meditations (139)
- Bottom Line (121)
- Year A (106)
- Year C (102)
- grace (75)
- Presence (50)
- Pentecost (49)
- spiritual grace (46)
- literal religion (46)
- legalism (41)
- Year B (35)
- spiritual understanding (25)
- Easter (22)
- rational thinking (18)
- Epiphany (16)
- war on legalism (15)
- Jesus (13)
- follow your heart (12)
- Wisdom (12)
- Lent (12)
- rational head (12)
- Peace (12)
- Grace (11)
Most Used References to Scripture
- John 1:1 (28)
- John 15:5 (27)
- John 13:34 (25)
- John 1:14 (20)
- Matthew 22:37 (14)
- Matthew 22:37-40 (8)
- Romans 12:2 (7)
- John 16:33 (7)
- John 1:17 (6)
- John 20:19-31 (5)
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 (4)
- John 8:23 (4)
- Galations 4:6 (4)
- Matthew 28:19 (4)
- John 20:1-18 (4)
- Psalm 146 (3)
- Matthew 15:21-28 (3)
- John 1:4 (3)
- Luke 14:1 (3)
- Psalm 99 (3)
- Psalm 16 (3)
- Luke 17:21 (3)
- John 1:10 (3)
- Romans 8:3 (3)
- Psalm 126 (3)