Gathering for August 27th

Coach Mike Krzyzewski... Yes, I realize that by opening with a reference to Coach K I just caused most of you to cruise to other blogs. Hear me out! Part of the Duke mentality that Coach K instills in his players is that they are part of something greater than themselves. I wonder if the same mentality rests in the heart of our faith. James Howell points out that in all the gospels' accounts of the resurrection it is never about us, but about something greater than us. In other words, the sentimental beliefs that the resurrection is just about you and I living forever or us being reunited with some lost loved ones both focuses too much on the self...it makes the resurrection about you and I...and not God. Howell asks us to consider what Coach K asks his players to consider, what if this thing, for our purposes the resurrection, is bigger than me? Seriously, what if the resurrection is God's way of saying, "I am God," "Jesus really is my son," or "in the end...I always win." This week, we'll talk begin to talk about the wonderful mystery that is the resurrection and what this event means.

He Descended into Hell

There is a gray area that exists between popular myth and Biblical fact when we come to the subject of Hell. Most of our images/understanding of Hell comes from Dante (for those of you who didn't have to enjoy/endure him in High School, the link offers a Cliff Notes-like version of his vision of Hell...I found it interesting). Personally, my understanding of Hell is influenced by Scripture and C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce. Still, popular myths aside, what are your thoughts on Hell? What is it? Where is it? Who is there? I want to spend some time this Sunday digging into what the Bible has to say about Hell.

Now, I want to turn my attention to the line in the Creed "he descended into Hell." Some of you may be wondering, "But, we don't say that line on Sundays!" You're correct, but some traditions do say it and it is in the earlier versions of the Apostles' Creed...so we're going to talk about it. Did you ever wonder what happens to those who die having never heard about Jesus or those who die having never met a Christian whose witness might have convinced them that there is a God? I think that this part of the Creed may give us a response to this and other similar questions. To get us into the topic for Sunday consider the following lines: "I have come seeking my wife. Love has led me here. I implore you, I beg you. Unite again the thread of her life. She will eventually be yours, but until then grant her back to me. But even if you deny me this request, know that I will not return without her. You shall have to triumph over both of us." Orpheus spoke these words to Pluto, god of the underworld, when he went to the depths of the Earth to reclaim his love, his wife Eurydice. Even the bonds of death could not stop his love. These long forgotten lines from Greek Mythology will serve nicely as we too venture into the underworld this week and discuss "he descended into hell." Is it possible that the bonds of death (ours) could not stop Christ's redemptive love? We'll talk about this Sunday...