655 results for author: Brad

CWR Video – Grace by Buechner

Video on grace by Frederick Buechner.

Healing Weary Words: Sin, Repentance and Justification – Brad Jersak

Healing Weary Words: Sin, Repentance and Justification We’re often told “sin” refers to “missing the mark” but then left to assume the mark has to do with moralistic perfection. Rather, the mark, goal or telos of human design and destiny is none other than love union with Trinity, with each other and with our world. To sin (every kind of sin) is to misuse our God-given freedom/energies to turn away from self-giving, other-welcoming love in favor of self-will. As it turns out, our forays into self-centeredness are also self-destructive—a turn from love and life into a wasting disease that would ultimately prove fatal apart from the ...

The Love that Raises Us from Slavery to Friendship with God – Brad Jersak

I recently stumbled upon an interesting quote by a certain George Calciu, which I'll cite and then follow up with an explanation of why it fascinates me: You have avoided choosing Jesus as your friend for too long... but Jesus has chosen you to hear his voice. He did so long ago: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain" (John 15:16). The choice was made long ago, for Jesus has always loved you, young friend, but now you have responded to his call. In responding you are ordained to go and bear fruit that will remain. To be a prophet of Christ in the world in ...

Invite Them—Bring Them—Compel Them: The Escalating Compulsion of Grace – Brad Jersak

The Parable of the Great Supper 15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’  18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask ...

“Shirley, Goodness & Mercy” by Brad Jersak

Psalm 23 (NKJV) 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. My Three ...

Q&R: When Jesus ‘Spews’ – Brad Jersak

Question: Some people in my life refer to the Bible verse about not being "lukewarm" in what feels like a really hurtful way. They leave me wondering if I am getting this faith thing right. Am I lukewarm? Will god spit me out? Is there perhaps a misunderstanding here? Can we read this in other ways that don't feel so discouraging, like either you're in or you're out? Response: That's such an important question. I recall the many times when it was used as a heavy-handed "clobber verse" used to contrive conviction and manipulate a response. It was a classic revivalist rhetorical technique. It might help if we start by reading it in ...

Q&R – When were the Gospels written? Brad Jersak

Question: When were the four Gospels written? And by whom? Some claim they were a late invention of the church, generations even after the apostles, discounting their reliability as trustworthy witnesses to the life and teachings of Christ. When I read them, is it just the religious fiction of people trying to make Jesus into a religion? Response: What I notice about those who set late dates for the Gospels and discount the authorship of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John is an underlying bias toward skepticism that wants or even needs to discredit the Gospels. But far from bringing an objective analysis to their discipline, they betray ...

Q&R: Romans 6:23 – What ‘death’ is this?

Question: I have often heard people quote this verse only partially and then to imply that death is a metaphor for a place of eternal conscious torment and their justification for hell. I know death represents an end of physical life, but what are the other aspects that Paul is trying to convey metaphorically, especially in light of the rest of the verse? Response: Thank you for that all-important question. First of all, I'm thrilled that noted how half the verse (Romans 6:23) is so often excised in order to create a misreading that actually distorts the gospel. Let's do the due diligence of at least recalling the whole verse and ...

Sinead O’Connor: “Take me to church, but not the ones that hurt …” by Brad Jersak

  "Take me to churchbut not the ones that hurt'Cause that ain't the truth"Sinead O'Connor Just because someone has been hurt badly or offended greatly in the context of a 'church' (whatever that means) and has stormed away in anger and wailed and railed about ... does not mean they have renounced love or forgiveness or the need for a safe place to belong. It does not mean they've shut out their own conscience or have no regrets about harm they've done. It does not mean they've let go of their own beautiful song ... songs of love and joy and lament and healing. Within Sinead O'Connor's beautiful repertoire, ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – A More Christlike Way

Question: I am finally getting around to reading A More Christlike Way. I’m curious about what you wrote on page 64, “We might go further to describe love as God’s heart and ours working as one because in Christ, God and humanity are united forever.” When you say, “in Christ, God and humanity are united forever,” can we assume that includes everyone who lived before Jesus? And if so, was it true for them during their lifetime or is it only true retroactively? Maybe the root of this question is this: theologically speaking, do you think there has ever been any separation or “un-united-ness” between God and humanity—in light of the ...

Heretics & Whetstones – Brad Jersak

"OUR HERETICS" For the record, I believe the word "heretic" has been weaponized as a dismissive label, a pejorative employed for condemning anyone who disagrees with the one making the accusation. As a tool of debate, we call attacks directed at the person rather than their position "ad hominem," and these are regarded as "logical fallacies." In simple English, calling someone a heretic because they don't agree with you is evidence of nothing, other than rudeness. Before accusing someone of heresy was a way to exclude, exile or martyr those who didn't conform to status quo religion, it was at least a little kinder. For one, "heretics" were ...

Jesus: Thief or Monarch? Brad Jersak

"King" Jesus: Is our Lord Jesus Christ a king? The Bible certainly says so when it tells us "Jesus is Lord," that he is enthroned in the heavens, seated at the right hand of his Father, and that he reigns in the world. The Gospels tell us that Jesus preached the "gospel of the kingdom," and that his coming kingdom is already breaking into the here and now. On the other hand, the New Testament turns our ideas of a king and kingdom upside down. This king is not a monarch, president, or dictator who rules by force, and his kingdom is not like our worldly empires that occupy or colonize by military power or economic domination. His throne is a cross, ...

Q: Has the Resurrection made Death our friend? (pt 4/4) Brad Jersak

This article completes our series on the question of whether or not Death is now our friend (click here to begin at part 1). So far, we've seen that while we must all pass through a process of dying that culminates in the event or moment of death, the resurrection of Christ radically changed the nature of death itself. It is no longer a destination or destiny to be feared in some dreary grave or gloomy underworld. Death in that sense has died and dying is a transition into the joy of the Lord. In this article, we explore surrender: a posture towards disease, dying and death:   What if we never have to ...

Jesus’ Resurrection made Death our friend (pt 3/4) Brad Jersak

In this post, part 3 of our series asking if Death is now our friend, we will discuss Dying. Unlike death, our defeated foe, dying  is an inevitable reality we can come to accept:  Dying is not the same as death. Dying is a process prior to death. In our previous posts on death, we suggested a distinction between death as a moment or event that we all experience and death as a defunct destiny or destination that we need no longer fear. To that distinction, let's add two more important clarifications: We can now regard the event or moment of death as part of the dying process.  And we can treat ...

Q: Has Jesus’ Resurrection made Death our friend (pt 2/4) Brad Jersak

In this post, we will explore how Christ and the NT as a whole describe a fundamental shift in the nature of death in two essential ways as a result of Jesus' resurrection.  (CONT'D from Part 1, which is posted HERE). How have the death and resurrection of Christ fundamentally changed the nature of death itself? a. One approach is to say that death itself has changed. Death used to mean “consigned to the grave” (whatever that meant) but then with Paul, death came to mean “present with the Lord.” Death as our destiny shifts radically with Christ’s conquest of hades and the emptying of ...