Father, Forgive them

I read Jon Meacham's book, The Hope of Glory.  It is a study of the last seven words/phrases of Christ.

The first chapter is a look at "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." His thesis is that while we often use these words as evidence of not only Jesus's forgiveness of those who are executing him, but of all of us - evidence of the forgiving nature of Jesus and therefore God, he (Meacham) doesn't see it that way.

Meacham proposes that "Jesus's death was essential to Christian hope."  He says, "So why does Luke have Jesus seem to be forgiving his tormentors for playing the critical and necessary role in bringing about the salvation few the world and the coming of a kingdom of justice?" I other words (as I see what Meacham is saying), the idea that the death of Christ is essential for God's plan of salvation means that those who perpetrated it are not in need of forgiveness. Does it seem to you that he is proposing that because the death of essential, those who executed Jesus were working in God's plan?

I'm going to leave aside the idea that Jesus's death is essential to Christian hope for just a moment (I think we could have a discussion around that idea, too. I'm troubled by the idea that the executioners do not need forgiveness (because of a lack of sin in this instance) because the death of Jesus was part of God's plan. They didn't kill him because they were motivating by bringing about God's kingdom. They killed him because they were threatened and were seeking to continue their power.  They executed an innocent man - not for any kingdom-bringing purposes. It certainly seems to me that forgiveness was necessary.

In fact, the very idea of their actions demonstrates not a motivation to bring about the kingdom, but evidence of our need (and their need) for grace and forgiveness. If God needed the execution of his son to bring about the salvation of the world (which I have my doubts about), then could it be because we are a people who would commit these acts? I don't think we can ignore the sin when the sin is the reason God needs to intervene.

 

Perspectives: A church sign

 A church sign...

Book Review: Invest in Transformation

 

Information about the book

Invest in Transformation: Quite Relying on Trust by Tod Bolsinger.  Published by InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2024.  Available from Amazon and Cokesbury.  This is part of the Practicing Change series by Bolsinger.

Summary

From Amazon: In a world where skepticism often clouds judgment, communities need leaders who can reignite the spirit of unity and continuity. Trust is a delicate currency—it can be hoarded or squandered, but only when wisely invested can it truly fuel transformation. Bestselling author Tod Bolsinger offers leaders a compelling guide for transformation and trust with Invest in Transformation.

Impressions

This was the fourth Practicing Change books that I have read, completing the series. It's my least favorite one. I wrote in my book journal, "This is one of a series of books on leadership through challenging times. It speaks of trust as a resource, although is is not transformation on its own. It is another short and easily digestible book with insights for leaders, but it is not as engaging as the others."

Posts about book

Here is the link to all four books, plus Tempered Resilience, another Bolsinger book.

Unlikely Relationships

This past spring, I read the book An Unlikely Lent (Rachel Billups).  One of the chapters was about Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. The name of the chapter was "Unlikely Allies."

Billups starts the chapter by telling the story of Daryl Davis, a black man. He is a "R&B and blues musician and activist."  At the age of 10, he encountered racism for the first time (but not for the last time). An encounter with a member of the KKK when he was an adult, performing, started him on a path to create unlikely relationships.

He would befriend members of the KKK and have conversations with them. According to Billups, nearly 200 members of the Klan committed to Davis to give up their racism because of his work in creating relationships with them.  (Here is a TED talk that he gave called Klan we Talk?)

I think about those people around me who have vastly different political beliefs systems than me. Those who "spout off" about how stupid everyone else is.  Could I form a relationship with a person who believes that women should not be ordained? That LGBTQ+ people should be excluded from the church? With the person who is a white supremist? Or a person who seems to vocally hate what I would say is truth?  Where are your unlikely relationships? Could you work to create bridges?

Can love transform enemies into friends?

 

Perspectives: Windows

 

Logos: Let me Hear

Inspired by Psalm 85:8-13

It is my prayer, by God's grace 

I will hear what the Lord speaks. 

I believe God will speak words of peace to me, 

If not to me, then to those who are faithful. 

May I be faithful, and turn to God 

in my heart.

Let me not doubt that salvation, 

God's presence, and abiding spirit, 

is here for those who have faith. 

May God's glory dwell among us.

I stand at the crux of God's steadfast love 

and God's faithfulness. 

I anticipate that God's righteousness 

and God's peace will meet.

Faithfulness will be so abundant 

 that it will spring up from the ground, 

Fresh and new like spring, 

and righteousness will shine from the sky, 

bringing light brighter than the sun.

I pray the Lord will provide what is good, 

and I have faith this is true. 

God will give gifts that will prosper us, 

Prosper all of us, 

So that the fruit of the kingdom will be abundant.

Righteousness goes forth from God, 

and creates a path for God's steps.

Walking outside the boat

 In 2008, I changed careers. I was hired as the Associate Director of The Foundation. My college and graduate training, and my career to that point had all been in the fields of biology and medicine, particularly research. The change to work at a foundation that focuses on legacy giving and stewardship was quite a leap.  At the time, I compared it, in my mind, to Peter, and how he stepped out of the boat to attempt to walk on the water in Matthew 14:22-33.

I don't mean that comparison to sound pretentious or overdrawn, but truly, for me, making this career switch had the feeling of embarking into a new land, a new field, where I knew nothing, other than faith and a sense of the purpose of the church. I truly relied (and continue to rely) on any gifts God had given me, even those that had nothing specific to do with the work I am doing now. I saw (and still see) ways the two fields relate to each other, but it is not direct or obvious.

At the time, I had recently read a book by John Ortberg called If you Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat. It inspired the metaphor in my mind - if I wanted to follow, to have faith, to trust in God, then I had to step out of the boat

As I read the Matthew passage today, it reminds me of that time, but what I noticed today is that Peter doesn't show a lot of fear when he steps out of the boat.  It was later, after he had left the boat and was actually walking on the water, that the fear - the realization - set in.

Beginnings do bring fear, and it is fear that we must work through, but we shouldn't think that from that point on, the water will be smooth, and there will not be encounters with that which frightens us. There will be.  It is necessary to keep the faith, to look to Jesus, and to continue to overcome the fear.

Perspectives: Bike on Ceiling

 

Seeing Mary Magdalene with Different Eyes

A couple of months ago I was beginning a browse of the current lectionary readings at Vanderbilt University - where I always go to find the current revised common lectionary passages.  It's a great site - I encourage you to use it if you don't already.

While there, I saw an announcement for a Vanderbilt Divinity Library Exhibit called Seeing Mary Magdalene with Different Eyes.  This is an in-person exhibit but is also well represented through this online version.

The online exhibit includes a video recording of the opening lecture, featuring Beth Maczka's research on the topic.  The lecture is less than 30 minutes long, but is very good.  I'm posting it here to encourage you to go view it.

As you do, think about Mary Magdalene, not a prostitute as she is so often portrayed, but actually the anointer (probably), a witness to the crucifixion, and a proclaimer of the resurrection. 

Mid-year Spiritual Development Book Review

Have you heard of the mid-year book freak out tag? It's a set of questions to help you review what you have already read in the first six months of the year and to plan the next six months.  It's usually done for ALL reading (and I did that on my Creativity blog), but I thought it could be interesting to do for my spiritual development/leadership reading on this blog.

• Best book you've read so far - This is difficult, because I've read some good books this year so far.  Let's go with The Gospel of John by Amy-Jill Levine.
• New release you haven't read this year but want to - I don't know of anything yet, but will keep my eyes open
• Most anticipated release for the second half of the year - I've already pre-ordered Genesis: A Beginner's Guide to the Beginning by Amy-Jill Levine.  It's coming August 4
• Biggest disappointment - Two of the books I read this year have been disappointing.  I was not as engaged in Invest in Transformation by Tod Bolinger as I was in his other books.  I had to soft DNF Sacraments and Discipleship by Mark Stamm; I did go back and finish it, but it was disappointing.
• Biggest surprise - I was really impressed by Rachel Billups' book, An Unlikely Lent: Extraordinary People of the Easter Story.  I'm not sure why I found that surprising, but I did.
• Favorite new author - One of my favorite books this year was Between a Rock and a Holy Place by Rev. Tom Nolan. It is a series of sermons - just excellent.  I supposed we can also add Rachel Billups to this list - I would read another of her books if the opportunity arose.
• Books you want to read by the end of the year - Right now I'm reading The Hope of Glory: Reflections on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross by Jon Meacham. I hope to finish that in July.  In August, I'll work on reading the Amy-Jill Levine Genesis book.  Other than those two, I'm sure I'll pick something up during Advent to read. I purchased A Child is Born: A Beginner's Guide of Nativity Stories by Amy-Jill Levine but didn't find the time to read it. I think I'll add that to my Advent TBR.

My goal for 2026 was to read at least four Spiritual Development books.  I read five in the first half of the year, so maybe I can get to eight by the end of the year?

This link is to my online "Spiritual Development books" library - a list of the books I've read and reviewed (mainly) on the blog. I don't update it very often (although I do update it), so it might be behind.

 

Perspectives: Stained Glass Window Reflections

 

All the way to suffering...

 In An Unlikely Lent , Rachel Billups writes:

As Jesus hung on the cross, most of his followers had scattered. Gripped by fear they had fled to the shadows, unwilling to risk their lives for the man they once called Lord. But not the women. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary the mother of Joseph and Joses, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Salome, stood at the foot of the cross, refusing to turn away. They had followed Jesus not just when it was easy...these women followed when it cost them everything. Their presence at the cross was an act of defiance against fear, a declaration that their love for Jesus was greater than their need for safety....they risked following him all the way to suffering, to sorrow, to the place where hope seemed lost.

I think about Jesus' male disciples who fled, I think about Peter who betrayed Jesus, I think about all of the times that I and others around me limit how far we will go. What are the limits of your discipleship? What stops you from following Jesus not only near the cross but to the cross? Fear? Selfishness? Desire for control? Laziness? Other commitments? What stops us from truly being the disciples that these women were?

Simon of Cyrene

 

Rachel Billups "An Unlikely Lent," the chapter about Simon of Cyrene serves as the inspiration for this post.

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 23:26:

As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

Imagine the moment for Simon. We don't know a lot about him, but he is from Cyrene. Cyrene was an ancient Greek colony in Libya, near present-day Shahhat.  The straight line distance between the two locations is about 700 miles, if you travel across the Mediterranean.  The costal land route would have been even longer.

Imagine if Simon was a pilgrim, who had traveled that long distance (not in a plane, not in a car) to Jerusalem as a pilgrim for Passover. Or maybe he was just visiting, a part of the crowd. He's "seized" from the crowd and made to carry the cross. It seems to me that he would have been terrified.  Were these Roman soldiers who grabbed him? He was far from his home, if Cyrene is where he lived permanently, and now he is forced into a procession to an execution.

I wonder what Simon did when he reached Golgatha. Was he just glad to be rid of the burden of the cross? Did he exit the scene in relief? Or did he recognize something in Jesus that compelled him to stay and witness the crucifixion?

Where have I been?

 

And here we go - another "Where have I been" post.

This is a season in my life that is overshadowed by stress and responsibility. Since I was last posting on my blog, Mom was ill with both a serious intestinal issue and pneumonia. Just as she was recovering from that, she had a gall bladder attack that resulted in surgery. She is moving through recovery from that now. All of that has taken time and energy. Sometimes something has to give, and sometimes that something is my more creative (and not work-related) endeavors, such as this blog.

I hope that I'm back for a while, but one cannot predict.  Regular posts should start on Monday, July 20.