Romans

One way to approach the epistle text for this week is to talk about the spiritual discipline of saying yes and saying no, an idea I was first introduced to by M. Shawn Copeland. (I find The Message translation of this passage helpful here.) God created us with the freedom to say yes and say no. But as Paul reminds us, we don’t always know how to use this freedom very well.

We learn to be Christian not when we succeed at perfection but when we realize that we will always fail.

If Paul is right, we are living fantasy lives. Anytime we live as though power conquers and wealth protects, we live a fantasy. Anytime we live like death wins, we live a fantasy.

Paul tells us about a future that has already happened—yet we live not only like it hasn’t happened yet but like we don’t think it ever really will.

Is there any chance that people will not sin?

In this life, sanctification is gradual and difficult. Why would it be different in the life to come?

A runner is stranded on base, in a far country, unable to get home on his own. The batter bunts, aiming to obey the manager.

A runner is stranded on base, in a far country, unable to get home on his own. The batter bunts, aiming to obey the manager.

"It is by being in solidarity with sinners that Jesus brings about reconciliation. This is not a picture of Jesus that churches often emphasize."

Decades ago when I was a graduate student at Union Seminary in New York City, Robert McAfee Brown was the hot young teacher of theology.

The answer that comes out of a tornado is not the kind of answer we want.

The answer that comes out of a tornado is not the kind of answer we want.

Back in the dark ages of the 20^th century, I remember an ad for the Yellow Pages that urged, “Let your fingers do the walking.” Now that texting has become the preferred means of communication, it seems our fingers actually do the talking.

I’ve been thinking about the complexity of communication with God, especially the challenge of praying at times when words are hard to come by. In response to such a dilemma, Paul essentially tells the Romans to let the Spirit do the talking.