justice
Creation, Exile, and the Pandemic
Inspired by our chapel series last fall called “Hope of All Creation,” I have been increasingly interested in how the creation itself reflects the actions of God and the relationship between humanity and God in the Bible. One idea I wanted to explore is the way in which the good news of Jesus is not…
Read MorePandemic reflections
This has been a strange summer. The global pandemic has forced faith communities around the world to find new ways to “be the church.” I believe that this time can transform and grow us as followers of Jesus if we accept the invitation. When the pandemic gained momentum in the United States I became curious…
Read MoreLamentations 5 for today
In light of our study on Lamentations and everything happening in the world today, we are sharing with you a paraphrase of Lamentations 5 for today as written by Soong-Chan Rah. The following is a short excerpt: “Trust in our ultimate triumph has diminished; our triumphant proclamation of victory has turned…
Read MorePentecost and cutting off the breath of God
During quarantine I have been recording multi-track handbell videos of hymn arrangements. Since this coming Sunday is Pentecost (the arrival of the spirit in Acts 2) I posted a recording of the hymn “Breathe On Me, Breathe of God.” It didn’t occur to me for several hours how my video may have been inappropriate (or…
Read MoreReflections on Lamentations
The book of Lamentations is hard to read. Its five chapters contain some of the most angry and resentful passages in the Bible. While even the darkest Psalms usually contain some words of assurance, the book of Lamentations only has a few hopeful verses. The lamenting poet knows the promises of God but feels like…
Read MoreHow lonely is the city
“How lonely is the city that once was full of people!” is how the Old Testament book of Lamentations begins. These words suggest that the life of the city is dependent on people and the relationships between people. When these are absent the city itself feels lonely and “the roads to Zion mourn” (Lam 1:4). The…
Read MoreMore Prayers
The following prayer related to COVID-19 is taken from the Christian Reformed Church’s Office of Social Justice “In this time of unprecedented, global crisis, we all struggle to hold the weight of it. Worries abound and drastic changes to how we work, parent, shop, gather, worship – indeed how we live – are compounding quickly. We, as…
Read MoreGod of tomorrow, some day, and forever
In the season of Advent, a lot of people look to the book of Isaiah and find hope in how the texts point to the coming of Christ (especially Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; 11:1-9). Ironically, though, I find the texts less hopeful when the focus is primarily on how they’ve been fulfilled by Jesus’ birth. I…
Read MoreFall Chapel Service: Hope of All Creation
This October we partnered with three other campus ministries – MSU Wesley, One Community Lutheran Campus Ministry and The Peoples Church – to host a weekly communion service in the Alumni Memorial Chapel at MSU. During this service we reflected on Jesus as the hope of all creation and supported each other in our mutual…
Read MoreIsaiah and the Prophetic Call to a Just Society
At the beginning of his book, the prophet Isaiah convicts a “sinful nation, people laden with iniquity” (1:4). The society he describes is full of bribes (1:23), fixes itself on material wealth (2:7) and denies justice to orphans and widows (1:23). Even the worship of the people is meaningless without justice: “bringing offerings is futile;…
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