simply, Christian
advent quote of the day (6 Dec 2018)
In the midst of the deepest guilt and distress of the people, a voice speaks that is soft and mysterious but full of the blessed certainty of salvation through the birth of a divine child (Isa. 9:6-7). It is still seven hundred years until the time of fulfillment, but the prophet is so deeply immersed in God's thought and counsel . . .
advent quote of the day (5 Dec 2018)
The coming of God is truly not only a joyous message, but is, first, frightful news for anyone who has a conscience. And only when we have felt the frightfulness of the matter can we know the incomparable favor. God comes in the midst of evil, in the midst of death, and judges the evil in us and in the world. And in judging it, he loves . . .
advent quote of the day (4 Dec 2018)
Not everyone can wait: neither the sated nor the satisfied nor those without respect can wait. The only ones who can wait are people who carry restlessness around with them and people who look up with reverence to the greatest in the world. Thus Advent can be celebrated only by those whose souls give them no peace, who know that they are . . .
advent quote of the day (3 Dec 2018)
Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten. It wants to break open the ripe fruit when it has hardly finished planting the shoot. But all too often the greedy eyes are only deceived; the fruit that seemed so precious is still green on the inside, and disrespectful hands . . .
advent quote of the day (2 Dec 2018)
Note: Part of our family Advent tradition is reading through a special Advent devotional. This year, we are reading through one of our favorites, "God Is In The Manger," by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This devotional draws on Bonhoeffer's many letters and other writings during his time in prison during World War II. Each week draws on . . .
Madelene L'Engle on the image of God
theology quote of the week
Each galaxy, each star, each living creature, every particle and subatomic particle of creation, we are all made in God’s image.…How? Genesis gives no explanations, but we do know instinctively that it is not a physical image. God’s explanation is to send Jesus, the incarnate One, God enfleshed. Don’t try to explain the . . .
grace and mercy are there
theology quote of the week
Grace and mercy are there where Christ on the cross takes your sin from you, bears it for you, and destroys it. To believe this firmly, to keep it before your eyes and not to doubt it, means to view the picture of Christ and to engrave it in yourself.
Luther, Martin. Luther’s works, vol. 42: Devotional Writings I . . .