Tag Archives: peter

Advent 19: Spectators

A shore can make a great amphitheater.  Not the kind of shore that is sand for a thousand feet, not a beach, but a shore. Kind of rocky, a hill creating a bowl, that kind of shore. And so, with … Continue reading

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loving through interruptions.

Jesus is counting down the hours he has with the disciples. He’s facing death. It’s a burden. Though he knows it will turn out okay eventually, he is not looking forward to the process. So he’s covering the important stuff, the … Continue reading

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Pride in the name of respect

Peter is the only one who responds when Jesus washes feet. Maybe no one noticed it was Jesus. His point wasn’t to call attention to himself, after all, but to call attention to the hearts of the disciples, to the … Continue reading

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growing isn’t an option for followers

Simon Johnson, a devotional writer, talks about a spiritual growth plan: “Do all you can to add to your life these things: to your faith add goodness; to your goodness add knowledge” and then goes on through self-control, patience, devotion … Continue reading

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who else is there?

What makes you stay? When you are part of a group and public opinion shifts, what makes you stay? How much attention do you pay to the way people are talking? If lots of people are talking positively about your … Continue reading

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Jesus sees what we may not

Andrew is a connector. He brings people to Jesus. The first person we know of is his brother, Simon. Andrew brings Simon to Jesus. Jesus notices Simon. He looks at him. He sees him. (Just as a thought experiment,  imagine … Continue reading

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unexpected grace

I understand why we have the pictures we do of God. Angry, authoritarian, destructive. There are stories of people dying throughout the Bible that seem to point us that way. While I could debate those right now, I’d like to … Continue reading

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Jesus does not need you.

Many of us are pretty convinced that Jesus needs us. If it it weren’t for us, after all, how would he be able to hug people who are hurting? If it weren’t for us, how would he able to comfort … Continue reading

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just when you think you figured it out

In verse 17, Peter gets praised. In verse 22, Peter gets scolded. In verse 17, Peter is on the mountaintop. Forget it. He IS the mountaintop. In verse 22, he’s in the depths. Forget it. He IS the depths. Matthew … Continue reading

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