Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 20
March 11, 2025
Bauckham Writes Theology of Revelation
Richard Bauckham. 2017. The Theology of the Book of Revelation (Orig pub 1993). UK: Cambridge University Press.
Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra
Revelation captures the imagination like no other book in the Bible. Its popularity among Christians is almost a striking as the reluctance of pastors to teach it. Who wants to initiate a discussion that is likely to grow heated as participants defend their own favorite interpretations? Yet, what other biblical text elicits such passion on a regular basis? This is both the attraction and the risk of Revelation.
Richard Bauckham’s The Theology of the Book of Revelation with this overview:
“Revelation is seen to offer not an esoteric and encoded forecast of historical events but rather a theocentric vision of the coming of God’s universal kingdom, contextualized in the late first-century world dominated by Roman power and ideology. It calls on Christians to confront the political idolatries of the time and to participate in God’s purpose of gathering all the nations into his kingdom.” (i)
The series that this text embodies strives to offer a theological commentary rising above the usual focus on exegesis of individual verses, which is limited to historical, textual, grammatical, and literary commentary according to the series editor, James D. G. Dunn at University of Durham (xi). As someone who has spent a lot of time reading commentaries, I find this series highly attractive—one goes to seminary to study God, not just to analyze an ancient text with the modern scientific tools of a skeptical mind, as is the usual fare in commentaries.
In his introduction, Bauckham asks a fundamental question: what kind of book is Revelation? He writes: “Revelation seems to be an apocalyptic prophecy in the form of a circular letter to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia” (2). In other words, we see three genre (or classes of literature): apocalypse, prophecy, and letter. I will borrow these three genre to structure the remainder of this review.
ApocalpseBauckham follows J.I. Collins in using this definition of apocalypse as a literary genre:
“Apocalypse is a genre of revelatory literature with a narrative framework, in which a revelation is mediated by an otherworldly being to a human recipient, disclosing a transcendent reality which is both temporal, insofar as it envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial, insofar as it involves another supernatural world.” (6)
Bauckham sees John’s revelation as both highly contextualized to the first century church’s situation and a visionary disclosure of God’s perspective more generally on the human condition (7). Bauckham writes: “It is John’s readers’ concrete, day-to-day world seen in heavenly and eschatological perspective.” (8) What makes John unique among apocalyptic writers is that he writes in his own name and timeframe—more typically apocalyptic writing takes the name of an historical prophet and is set in an historical period (11).
ProphecyBauckham sees John’s prophecy arising out of a vision that he has written down with great care and intense study within the tradition of Old Testament (OT) prophecy (2-3).
For those unfamiliar with OT prophets, the OT prophet worked, not so much as a visionary, but as someone who called his audience back to faithful commitment to the Mosaic covenant. Frequently this involved reminding the community of faith of the blessings and curses found in Deuteronomy 28. Because covenant non-fidelity remained a theme in the OT, the curses tend to get the most show time and they represent, not so much a prediction in time and place, but a verdict rendered in the heavenly court.
Bauckham sees Christian prophecy having three elements. First, the prophet discerns the contemporary situation in lieu of God’s nature and purpose. Second, the prophet predicts how the current situation must change if God’s kingdom is to come. Third, the hearer of this prophecy is then expected to respond in faith, which leaves room for the individual or community to participate freely in God’s purpose for the world. This why, for example, Nineveh was spared after Jonah prophesied its destruction. The destruction of Nineveh was contingent on its citizen’s rejecting God’s purpose for them (148-149). God is slow to anger precisely because he truly wants us to repent and accept salvation (Exodus 34:6).
LetterBauckham writes:
“The whole book of Revelations is a circular letter addressed to seven specific churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea (1:11; cf. 1:4; 22:16). They are probably named in the order in which they would be visited by a messenger starting from Patmos and travelling on a circular route around the province of Asia.” (12)
Each church is called to be conquering as their part of a general eschatological battle. Bauckham sees these specific letters being both tailored to the particular problems of those church, which John clearly understands in great detail, and representative of wider problems in the church. This wider application becomes obvious when you ask—why only these seven churches (there were many more) mentioned?
Bauckham’s answer is that these seven messages are used by John as seven different introductions to Revelation, reflecting seven different ways that the book can be read (14). While I have personally always seen the letter to Laodicea being especially pertinent to the modern church, I would be curious how to read Revelation in view of the others—Bauckham does not offer these tantalizing details. However, we recognize that the number seven is the biblical number reflecting completeness (16).
Richard Bauckham’s The Theology of the Book of Revelation is a fascinating read and of interest to anyone having an interest in understanding the Book of Revelation. I bought my copy during a visit to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary’s bookstore in Charlotte, NC knowing that I would find it useful in teaching. Still, Bauckham writes with surprising clarity about this complex subject.
FootnotesBauckham Writes Theology of RevelationAlso see:Books, Films, and MinistryOther ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.netPublisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Market_2025, SignupThe post Bauckham Writes Theology of Revelation appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
March 10, 2025
Not: Monday Monologues (podcast), March 10, 2025
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Who God is Not. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Not: Monday Monologues (podcast), March 10, 2025
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
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March 9, 2025
Sabbath Petition
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Lord of the Sabbath,
All praise and glory, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours, because you care for us in ways that we would never ask, yet cannot live without.
Forgive our sloth, our unwillingness to share, our greed and arrogance. Give us happy, open-handed attitudes to stem our weaknesses and pride.
Thank you for the parables of Jesus that teach us about yourself that we might grow more like you day-by-day.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, lead us through all stages of life with equal joy and faithfulness.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Sabbath Petition
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Market_2025, Signup
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Petición del Sábado
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
Señor del Sábado,
Toda alabanza y gloria, poder y dominio, verdad y justicia son tuyos, porque te preocupas por nosotros de una manera que nunca te pediríamos, pero sin la cual no podemos vivir.
Perdona nuestra pereza, nuestra falta de voluntad para compartir, nuestra avaricia y arrogancia. Danos actitudes felices y manos abiertas para frenar nuestras debilidades y orgullo.
Gracias por las parábolas de Jesús que nos enseñan sobre ti para que podamos parecernos más a ti día a día.
En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, guíanos a través de todas las etapas de la vida con igual alegría y fidelidad.
En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.
Petición del Sábado
Also see:
El Rostro de Dios en las Parábolas
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Market_2025, Signup
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March 7, 2025
Who God is Not
Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.
But he said to him, Man, who made me
a judge or arbitrator over you?
(Luke 12:13-14)
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
The parables do not always tell us what we want to hear or explain things plainly. They draw us in and force us to confront our own motivations and relationships, particularly with God, through stories about our own lives. They also provide information about what God is not.
Things not descriptive of God arise directly from his characteristics. A merciful God is not capricious. A gracious God does not pic nits the way that Satan slanders, taunts, and tricks us. God is not impatient, unloving, or unfaithful. These observations are obvious, but it is helpful to review them because we are more familiar with ungodly traits in this life.
When people try to twist the image of God for their own purposes, we need to discern what is being done. Not everyone reads their Bible carefully and with good intentions. In the Garden of Eden, Satan twists God’s words in tempting Eve: “Did God actually say, You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” (Gen 3:1) Again, when Satan tempts Jesus in the desert, he misquotes scripture three times and Jesus corrects him (Luke 4:3-13). We should not be surprised when this happens in our own lives.
Brothers in Conflict
In Luke 12, Jesus is put on the spot by two brothers arguing over their inheritance. We are not told the details of the dispute, but as anyone who has had to deal with inheritance issues can tell you, such disputes are often animated and painful. Who gets what and how much strikes deep into the quality of relationships with parents and siblings at a time when grief is still fresh. Such disputes can tear families apart and divide them for decades.
Jesus wisely refuses to be drawn into the brother’s dispute, not wanting to enable conflict. The Book of Genesis recounts a number of brotherly disputes, like the jealousy of Cain over his brother Abel’s better relationship with God (Gen 4:3-8). In the case of the Isaac and Ishmael (Gen 21:10), Jacob and Essau (Gen 25:29-34), and Joseph and his brothers (Gen 37:3), the family disputes revolved specifically around birthrights, inheritance, and leadership succession. The division of the Nation of Israel into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, often pictured as feuding brothers, occurred after Solomon died and his son, Rehoboam, succeeded him and he was asked to lower taxes (1 Kgs 12). Taxes, like inheritance, is a money question.
Parable of the Rich Man
In response to the two brothers quarreling over their inheritance, Jesus tells a story:
“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? And he said, I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)
This parable could easily describe the usual series of events leading up to retirement. The problem is that retirement is not a Christian concept—we just get more opportunity to choose how we spend our time. In my case, I hope to spend more time with my grandchildren than I had to spend with my kids.
The parable of the rich man divides into two parts. The first part echoes Ecclesiastes: “And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.” (Eccl 8:15) It is, however, one thing to practice Sabbath rest, it is another thing to eschew God and enjoy a life of ease (Heb 4).
Part two begins with the phrase: “But God said” (Luke 12:2). It draws on Proverbs, where we read: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.” (Prov 19:21) The Apostle Paul echoes this thought: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” (2 These 3:10) In a world where children starve, sloth is an abomination and wealth carries responsibility.
God is not an Enabler
It is ironic that Jesus refuses to judge between the two brothers, because we believe that Christ will one day judge us all (Rev 21:27). By refusing to serve as a judge between the two brothers, Jesus refuses to enable their greedy behavior. If we think about this decision allegorically, God does not want to enable conflict, whether it is between brothers, sports teams, or countries.
When the people of Israel left Egypt, out of fear they refused to trust God and enter the Promised Land. God then cursed them to remain in the desert another forty years—long enough that all who were disobedient had died. God provides Sabbath rest, but does not enable disobedience (Heb 4). God is like good parents who educate and vacation with their kids, but does not bail them out when they misbehave and get into trouble. God is not an enabler.
Who God is Not
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Market_2025, Signup
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Quien Dios No Es
Maestro, dile a mi hermano que divida la herencia conmigo.
¡Hombre! le dijo Jesús,
¿Quién Me ha puesto por juez o árbitro sobre ustedes?”
(Lucas 12:13–14)
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
Las parábolas no siempre nos dicen lo que queremos oír ni explican las cosas claramente. Nos atraen y nos obligan a confrontar nuestras propias motivaciones y relaciones, particularmente con Dios, a través de historias sobre nuestras propias vidas.
También proporcionan información sobre quién no es Dios.
Las cosas que no describen a Dios surgen directamente de sus características. Un Dios misericordioso no es caprichoso. Un Dios misericordioso no encuentra faltas en la forma en que Satanás nos calumnia, se burla y engaña. Estas observaciones son obvias, pero es útil revisarlos debido a las muchas distorsiones que flotan alrededor.
Cuando la gente intenta torcer la imagen de Dios para sus propios fines, debemos discernir lo que se está haciendo. No todo el mundo lee la Biblia con atención y con buenas intenciones. En el Jardín del Edén, Satanás tergiversa las palabras de Dios al tentar a Eva: ¨¿Conque Dios les ha dicho: No comerán de ningún árbol del huerto? (Gen 3:1) Nuevamente, cuando Satanás tienta a Jesús en el desierto, cita erróneamente las escrituras tres veces y Jesús lo corrige (Luke 4:3–13). No deberíamos sorprendernos cuando esto suceda en nuestras propias vidas.
Hermanos en Conflicto
En Lucas 12, Jesús es puesto en aprietos por dos hermanos que discuten sobre su herencia. No se nos cuentan los detalles de la disputa, pero como puede decirle cualquiera que haya tenido que lidiar con cuestiones de herencia, estas disputas suelen ser animadas y dolorosas. Quién recibe qué y cuánto afecta profundamente la calidad de las relaciones con padres y hermanos en un momento en que el duelo aún está fresco. Este tipo de disputas pueden desgarrar a las familias y dividirlas durante décadas.
Jesús sabiamente se niega a verse arrastrado a la disputa del hermano, porque no quiere advancer el conflicto. El Libro del Génesis relata una serie de disputas fraternales, como los celos de Caín por la mejor relación de su hermano Abel con Dios (Gén 4:3–8). En los casos de Isaac e Ismael (Gén 21:10), Jacob y Essau (Gén 25:29–34), y José y sus hermanos (Gén 37:3), las disputas familiares giraron específicamente en torno a los derechos de primogenitura, la herencia y el liderazgo de sucesión. La división de la Nación de Israel en los Reinos del Norte y del Sur, a menudo representados como hermanos enfrentados, ocurrió después de la muerte de Salomón y su hijo, Roboam, lo sucedió y se le pidió que redujera los impuestos (1 Reyes 12). Los impuestos, como la herencia, son una cuestión de dinero.
Parábola del Rico
En respuesta a la disputa de los dos hermanos por su herencia, Jesús cuenta una historia:
¨Entonces les contó una parábola: La tierra de cierto hombre rico había producido mucho. Y él pensaba dentro de sí:`¿Qué haré, ya que no tengo dónde almacenar mis cosechas? Entonces dijo:`Esto haré: derribaré mis graneros y edificaré otros más grandes, y allí almacenaré todo mi grano y mis bienes. Y diré a mi alma: alma, tienes muchos bienes depositados para muchos años; descansa, come, bebe, diviértete. Pero Dios le dijo: ¡Necio! Esta misma noche te reclaman el alma; y ahora, ¿para quién será lo que has provisto? Así es el que acumula tesoro para sí, y no es rico para con Dios.”
(Lucas 12:16–21)
Esta parábola podría describir fácilmente la serie habitual de acontecimientos que conducen a la jubilación. El problema es que la jubilación no es un concepto cristiano: simplemente tenemos más oportunidades de elegir cómo empleamos nuestro tiempo.
En mi caso, espero pasar más tiempo con mis nietos del que tuve con mis hijos.
La Parábola del Rico se hace eco de Eclesiastés: ¨El que guarda el mandato real no experimenta ningún mal; Porque el corazón del sabio conoce el tiempo y el modo de hacerlo.¨ (Eccl 8:5) Sin embargo, una cosa es practicar el descanso sabático y otra es evitar a Dios y simple disfrutar de una vida tranquila (Heb 4). En un mundo donde los niños mueren de hambre, la pereza es una abominación y la riqueza conlleva responsabilidad.
Dios no es un Facilitador
Es irónico que Jesús se niegue a juzgar entre los dos hermanos, porque creemos que Cristo algún día nos juzgará a todos (Apo 21:27). Al negarse a servir como juez entre los dos hermanos, Jesús se niega a facilitar su comportamiento codicioso. Si pensamos en esta decisión alegóricamente, Dios no quiere permitir conflictos, ya sea entre hermanos, equipos deportivos o países.
Cuando el pueblo de Israel salió de Egipto, por miedo se negaron a confiar en Dios y entrar a la Tierra Prometida. Luego Dios los maldijo a permanecer en el desierto otros cuarenta años, tiempo suficiente para que todos los desobedientes murieran.
Dios proporciona el descanso sabático, pero no facilita la desobediencia (Heb 4). Dios es como buenos padres que educan y van de vacaciones con sus hijos, pero no los rescata cuando se portan mal y se meten en problemas. Dios no es un facilitador.
Quien Dios No Es
Also see:
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Market_2025, Signup
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March 4, 2025
Placher Argues Foundations, Part 2
William C. Placher. 1989. Unapologetic Theology: A Christian Voice in a Pluralistic Conversation. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.
Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra
Many times philosophy is denigrated as irrelevant and uninteresting. Far from irrelevant, it gives form to our thoughts—our default settings—and motivates us to take actions that we never really think about. For example, why do postmoderns head to the mall when they are upset, while back in the day moderns typically stopped to pray in a church? Far from uninteresting, philosophy shapes our music, explains trends in art, and leads us both to see and explain the world and ourselves in fresh, new ways and to rediscover aspects of our history which previously seemed mysterious or simply a bit nonlinear.
In his book, Unapologetic Theology, William Placher makes three observations about the postmodern apologetics project that bear repeating.
Because we cannot argue from a foundation of absolute truth for the truth of Christ, neither can anyone else, such as secular modernists or scientists, argue from a foundation of absolute truth. This is an important observation because if Christian apologists continue to play by Enlightenment rules, there is no inherent reason why anyone should listen (138) and there is the danger that they may simply be shouted down by “imperialistic Enlightenment rationalism and liberalism” (168).While conversation cannot proceed from a foundation of absolute truth, common cause can still be found on an ad hoc basis. Placher observes that Christians can agree with both Jews and Marxists on the need to extend assistance to the homeless among us (167).In a real sense, our theology is justified in the eyes of the world by our actions, not the other way around (167).Let me turn to each of these observations in turn.
No absolute truth, but shouted truth.The Enlightenment effort to find a foundation for absolute truth failed to discover a set of observations or logical relationships which could be used to justify objective truth. In its absence, competition has opened up to substitute subjective truth or truths of various sorts.
In the political realm, an early development of postmodern thinking evolved in Germany in the early twentieth century in the form of national socialism. If no absolute foundation exists, then let’s pick a leader to tell us what to believe. The logic was as unmistakable as the evil that it implied. Fear motivates us to seek easy answers and to accept solutions that would otherwise be unacceptable. The link of national socialism to the philosophy of Nietzsche, particularly his “will to power” is direct and undisputed among those that have studied it. Political correctness, which originates with Karl Marx, flows out of this line of thinking because once you promote a subjective alternative for absolute truth it is terribly inconvenient having your opponents point out the subjective nature of your alternative.
In an economic realm, the absence of absolute truth helps explain the critical role of advertising and Hollywood movie productions in forming public opinion and preferences in daily purchases. If subjective truth is the only truth, storytelling is extremely interesting and important in cultural development because it persuades.
Agree not on truth but on service.Placher makes the point that when we meet someone, we do not lay out a detailed foundation for conversation; we just look for points of agreement and start talking.
At one point I attended my uncle’s retirement from the Council of Churches in New York city and, although he worked as a pastor, a table of orthodox Jews attended the retirement gala. This observation interested me and I invited myself to sit with them. When I asked why so many orthodox Jews were attending a meeting of the Council of Churches, they told me that although they do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah, they agreed with many of the service projects undertaken by Council of Churches and wanted to get involved.
Service points to Gospel truth.Although Placher does not develop this theme, it is an inference that can be drawn. In a world where many voices scream for attention, actions speak louder than words and point to the motivations that brought them to fruition. Jesus said: “each tree is known by its own fruit.” (Luke 6:44) No one cares for a tree that bears no fruit and such it is with philosophies.
William C. Placher (1948 – 2008) was a postliberal theologian, a professor at Wabash in Indiana College, and the author of numerous books. His doctorate (1975) was from Yale University.
William Placher’s book, Unapologetic Theology, reviews modern and postmodern philosophical arguments that affect how we do theology and witness in the postmodern age. In part 1 of this review I summarized Placher’s argument for why the modern age is truly over—objective truth has no foundation that we can all agree on. In part 2 I summarized key implications of his work. Placher’s work is a fascinating read written for college students, but helpful to anyone concerned about cultural trends.
ReferencesLind, William S. 2009. “The Roots of Political Correctness.” Online: http://www.theamericanconservative.co.... November 19.
Schaeffer, Francis A. 1976. How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture. Wheaton: Crossway Books. (Review: http://wp.me/p3Xeut-wW).
Sacks, Jonah. 2012. Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell—and Live—the Best Stories Will Rule the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. (Review: http://wp.me/p3Xeut-1E0)
FootnotesFor example, Nazi propagandist, Leni Riefenstahl, named her documentary on the 1934 Nazi rally at Nuremberg a paraphrase of Nietzsche’s famous phrase, Triumph of the Will (Schaeffer1976, 62).
For example, see: (Lind 2009).
Marx tried to substitute his concept of dialectal materialism for the existence of God, but enthroning man or man’s thinking in place of God begged a creation account. Evolution seemed to fit the bill here until scientists in the ninetieth disproved the concept of spontaneous generation. Rather than explain how mankind could not evolve to be the center of the universe, Marx and his followers refused to talk about it and began to restrict access to Bibles, which competing creation account. It was curious to see why communist countries, such as North Korean, imprison anyone with a Bible while also arguing that God does not exist! This persecution is not arbitrary but has a philosophical foundation that goes all the way back to Marx.
This is the theme of a recent book by Sachs (2012).
Placher Argues Foundations, Part 2Also see:Books, Films, and MinistryOther ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.netPublisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Market_2025, Signup
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March 3, 2025
Faithfulness: Monday Monologues (podcast), March 3, 2025
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Faithfulness. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Faithfulness: Monday Monologues (podcast), March 3, 2025
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Market_2025, Signup
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March 2, 2025
Prayer for Faithfulness and Truth
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
God of all wonders and truth,
All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours, because you honor truth and faithfully make yourself available to us in our hour of need.
We confess that we are more likely distracted when we should be available. Even when we don the clothe and take on a doctor’s scrubs, we have trouble being fully present to those in need whom we presumably serve. Forgive us.
Thank you for the example of Jesus of Nazareth and the presence of the Holy Spirit who give direction and grant us hope that we can more faithfully discharge our duties as Christians in a fallen world and truly witness to those around us.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, enable us to utilize the gifts that you have given us.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen
Prayer for Faithfulness and Truth
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Market_2025, Signup
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Oración de la Fidelidad y la Verdad
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
Dios de todas las Maravillosas y la Verdad,
Toda alabanza y honor, poder y dominio, verdad y justicia son tuyos, porque honras la verdad y fielmente te pones a nuestra disposición en nuestra hora de necesidad.
Confesamos que es más probable que estemos distraídos cuando deberíamos estar disponibles. Incluso cuando nos ponemos la ropa de un pastor y la bata de médico, tenemos problemas para estar plenamente presentes con aquellos necesitados a quienes presumiblemente servimos.
Gracias por el ejemplo de Jesús de Nazaret y la presencia del Espíritu Santo que nos da dirección y nos da la esperanza de que podemos cumplir más fielmente con nuestros deberes como cristianos en un mundo caído y dar verdadero testimonio a quienes nos rodean.
En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, permítenos utilizar los dones que nos has dado.
En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.
Oración de la Fidelidad y la Verdad
Also see:
El Rostro de Dios en las Parábolas
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Market_2025, Signup
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