hope – Jesus @ 2 am blogs and podcast

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Love at the Center

December 18, 2017May 8, 2018Kirk Winslow5 Comments

They say every entrepreneur should have an “elevator pitch” – a cogent distillation of all the research and planning that has gone into the new business that can be given in less time than an elevator ride. And I fear that if someone were to ask me, during daylight hours, for a similar distillation of Christianity, I would fail miserably. I’m terrible at short answers, and it’s likely that – without realizing it – I’d be reviewing the history of the Ancient Near East, paraphrasing Plato, quoting Augustine, and suggesting books by N.T. Wright (I would, of course, stop the elevator so I had time to explain the nuances!).

But, as I am writing this at 1:12 AM, I can answer in a word: love. For, when all is said and done, I have found no other explanation for the world as I know it – in all its beauty, complexity, pain, and hope – than the vision of love that I believe stands at the center of the biblical story.

And I realize, even as I write this, that it sounds tremendously naïve. Read just the table of contents of any history textbook, and there appears evidence galore that love is hardly the name of the game. And this is true even if it is a book on religious history…“Love at the Center”Continue reading

Advent 3 – Joyful, Joyful…Why? – or- When the Future Interrupted the Present

December 13, 2016December 13, 2016Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

For centuries the church has linked Isaiah 35 with abounding joy. (If searching for a reason to sing “Joy to the World,” the church would put this passage high on the list of reasons why!)

In this episode, I do my best to explain why this poetic vision is cause for rejoicing, how it is that the future is making itself known in the present, and why faith in the goodness of God is a very wise way to live. I also hope is makes you smile.

Advent 2 – Lions, Lambs & a World without Enemies

December 6, 2016December 6, 2016Kirk WinslowLeave a comment

tree_of_jesse — “The Tree of Jesse,” Absolon Stumme, 1499

How does one put words a vision of a world in which peace and compassion had become the truest laws of nature?

That is the work given by God to Isaiah – putting language to the depth of shalom that is coming, a picture of creation as it will be when the project of salvation is complete.

Is. 11:1-9 is an image Isaiah masterfully articulates in his poetic description of a time when the most “natural” of enemies find their rest in each other’s presence, when predator and prey become bedfellows and the most innocent and defenseless have no cause for fear.

In this episode we walk through Isaiah’s oracle of a coming king, reestablished in the line of David, one who will be so aligned with the will of God that his reign will be of justice and peace – to the point that even the “laws of nature” change. Lions lying down the the lambs, bears will graze with the oxen… It is a picture of love becoming entirely the name of the game, and a call to those who have already received some measure of the Spirit to labor presently to bring just justice and love to reign.

By the by, if you are interested in the liturgical seasons or the lectionary (I recommend it), I just discovered some great resources produced by the Vanderbilt University Divinity Library – click here.

And, as the calendar year comes to a close, if you happen to be looking to do charitable giving, one way you can support the podcast is to support Canvas (the church I a privileged to pastor). Everything you give is tax deductible and we’ll give you a contribution receipt. To donate, simply click here.