2000 years ago a murder was committed and we know the victim well. But who really killed Jesus?
The week between Palm Sunday and Easter
How are we supposed to cope with the despair that sets in when our known world is stolen and an invading, oppressive regime steps in?
When all is said and done, what then are we to make of the mythic tale of Jesus’ death and resurrection, metaphorically told to convey what all of us might like to assert to be the “gospel truth?”
I'm inviting folks to engage with 14 of the questions that Jesus asked his followers during his ministry. From Ash Wednesday, 2/22, through Easter
Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost do not form three seasons. The Easter season celebrates the three dimensions of the resurrection, ascension, and the sending of the Spirit.
Palm Sunday is a festival celebrated by Christians around the world. Jesus went to Jerusalem; that much is certain. The details are less clear.
Even and especially in these difficult times, the Lenten journey can be an encouraging, enlightening path to hope, resilience, and new life.
Most years, sometime during the season of Lent, Jewish people observe Passover. I knew a little bit about it, but I learned a lot more at a friend’s son’s Bar Mitzva last week. The weekend of this Bar Mitzva included the Sabbath of the red heifer. I listened transfixed as the Rabbi spoke about it.
In the midst of the chaos, which is Ukraine, Father Stephan spoke about life. Five funerals yesterday, a wedding and a baptism this morning. Father Stephan is from Kiev, where he hopes to return soon.
Now, I know Jesus taught his disciples to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. And following Jesus is something I take super-seriously. But I’m angry and worried, and pretty much everyone in the United States is. It isn’t easy to follow those particular instructions.
With Andrew Harvey
40 days & 40 nights: A Journey of Prayer and Contemplation
So why did I find this Lent so difficult? Loving our enemies is tough because it doesn’t mean overcoming disagreement; it means loving one another, protecting one another, caring for one another in spite of disagreement.
On Palm Sunday, there were two parades: one representing oppressive Roman Imperial Theology and one representing the compassion and selfless love of the Reign of God. Join Co-Executive Director of ProgressiveChristianity.org Rev. Dr. Caleb J Lines as he talks about the 8th Point of Progressive Christianity in relation to Palm Sunday.
Jesus may have been humble. But in the last couple of months, I’ve learned a thing or two about donkeys. And I can say this: Jesus wasn’t humble because he rode into town on a donkey. A donkey is as noble an animal as any horse.
"What does it mean to be a Progressive Christian? Listen to ProgressiveChristianity.org Co-Executive Director Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines examine the 8 Points of Progressive Christianity throughout Lent, continuing with Points 3 & 4."
What does it mean to be a Progressive Christian? Listen to Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines examine the 8 Points of Progressive Christianity throughout Lent, beginning with Points 1 & 2.
A solemn Palm Sunday hymn based on the book The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan
Join us as we usher in the season of Lent with The Fountains' unique "ancient-future" observance of Ash Wednesday. Taking seriously the reality of our mortality, we also connect with the broader creation and the gift of life — all in a way ancient Christians may have recognized; around a bonfire.
Let us feast on simple pleasures, and fast from all that gets our bodies and souls out of balance.
A practice for individuals and churches
You can “walk” these stations by practicing one station per day, from March 20 through Good Friday, April 2 – or at any other time or manner during Lent (Ash Wednesday, February 17, until Easter Sunday, April 4).
Our Earth is sacred and does not belong to us. When we recognize that we are merely stewards of creation which has been entrusted to our care, it shifts our outlook. We cannot continue to ravage the earth, deplete its resources, and consume without restraint while claiming to be faithful to our God. The Gospel is one of interdependence. All of creation is woven together in a delicate web that we must nurture faithfully.
According to the Torah, on the Sabbath you can pick up an apple that naturally falls from a tree onto the ground, but you can’t pick it from the tree. Mindful Christian meditative prayer practice is very similar. In it, we take time to see things as they are, without interfering with them or trying to fix or change them.
Year C
This 6 week study includes Lent 1 – Palm/Passion Sunday and follows the Revised Common Lectionary (YEAR A, B or C) text selections.
Year B
This 6 week study includes Lent 1 – Palm/Passion Sunday and follows the Revised Common Lectionary (YEAR A, B or C) text selections.
Year A
This 6 week study includes Lent 1 – Palm/Passion Sunday and follows the Revised Common Lectionary (YEAR A, B or C) text selections.
TeenText 7 week Study Lent 1- Easter Sunday for Middle or High School: The Lenten season is rich in sensory exploration and story-based text.
TeenText 7 week Study Lent 1- Easter Sunday for Middle or High School: The Lenten season is rich in sensory exploration and story-based text.
TeenText 7 week Study Lent 1- Easter Sunday for Middle or High School: The Lenten season is rich in sensory exploration and story-based text.
During this precious Holiday Season for all religions and all people everything seems so much better when a candle is burning. It represents to me that God is Coming to help ascend into our higher nature, a nature that we all possess virtue of God creating us in his or her image.