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Reflection | June 03, 2013 Coop's Column - Vivid Awareness of the Greatness and Goodness of God This week and in the weeks following we’ll focus on seven Christian character qualities, each of which the 17th-18th century English Puritan Christians claimed is Spirit-endowed and ought to mark faithful followers of Jesus. Serious Christians, said these Puritans, measure their spiritual progress by them. The first of these marks: “Vivid Awareness of the Greatness and Goodness of God.” Reflection | May 29, 2013 Coop's Column - God present and active Pentecost is a day for the church to loudly sings its thanks and praise. Reflection | May 16, 2013 Coop's Column- Risen With Jesus Jesus' triumph over the grave has enduring impact. The fact of his having arisen involves our rising with him to new life. His living presence now indwells us. Thus, to remember him today is to know him as fully alive. Reflection | April 05, 2013 Coop's Column - Risen Indeed "All suffering, trouble, and despair are now taken away, because of Jesus’ great love for me when he took up his cross, went to Calvary, and rose again on Easter." Reflection | March 29, 2013 Coop's Column - Jesus Condemned and Crucified Ibis ad crucem! You shall go to the cross! With these three words Pilate condemned Jesus to die by crucifixion. In this Lenten series we have been paying visits to several places where Jesus stopped as he with his disciples made his final journey to Jerusalem to die. Reflection | March 25, 2013 Coop's Column - The Lord's Example, the Teacher's Command Maundy Thursday. The name comes from the Latin, novum mandatum or “new commandment” and recalls the event of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Reflection | March 25, 2013 Coop's Column - Royally Welcomed It’s Passover festival in Jerusalem, the holiest season in the Jewish year. Thousands upon thousands of Jewish pilgrims have been travelling toward the Holy City to remember and celebrate God’s rescue of his people from long and heavy bondage in Egypt. As Jesus enters Jerusalem riding upon that lowly donkey, the mood of the thronging multitude turns deliriously jubilant. The people walk beside him as he rides, and laud him loudly as “King of the Jews.” Reflection | March 21, 2013 Coop's Column - A Beautiful Gesture, A Fragrant Gift In these Lenten meditations we have been paying a visit each week to a place where Jesus stopped as he with the disciples made his final journey toward Jerusalem. Our aim in doing this is to be attentive to our Savior as he makes his way toward his God-appointed destiny with suffering and death on the Cross for us. As his church, the Body he so much loves, we want to be present to him in his sufferings, and to show our love for him. We long to be close to Christ, for we cannot get enough of his presence. Reflection | March 19, 2013 Coop's Column - Will You Go With Him? Jesus never hid his scars to win a disciple, nor lured anyone into following him by promising an immediate jackpot of blessings. On the contrary, he was forthright in declaring that to follow him would cost a person dearly. Jesus told his disciples that if to carry out his Father’s will was going to end up costing him not less than everything, it would cost them dearly too. Reflection | March 11, 2013 Coop's Column - Unswervingly Resolute During each remaining week of Lent, we shall visit a place where Jesus stopped as he with his disciples made his final journey toward Jerusalem. We’ll note the people he met there, the words he spoke to them, and the decisions he made in order to be ready to take on the excruciating task which lay before him—to endure unspeakable humiliation and torture, and then at the end to die on a cross. Our only purpose in retracing the steps of his journey: to attend carefully to what our Lord did for us, and in response to offer him our adoration and worship. Reflection | March 04, 2013 Coop's Column - Pentecost Pentecost Sunday is a day to celebrate, with full-throated thanksgiving and joy, Jesus' sending of his Holy Spirit. And, Pentecost Monday and the entire succession of days during Pentecost season, are a time of summons and challenge. Pentecost season is a time for the church to remind believers of their daily, lifelong call to bear witness to their Lord and to engage in his mission. Reflection | May 25, 2012 Easter Sunday Christ’s Rising: Life Stronger than Death “On the third day He arose again from the dead.” By these words in the Apostles Creed, Christians are declaring, forthrightly and unequivocally, a radical conviction, full of cosmic implications. He is stronger than death. His triumph over the grave ensures the defeat of any pretender to his authority and rule. Reflection | April 08, 2012 Good Friday Christ's Cross: ‘Of First Importance‘ On some points of doctrine, honest Christians honestly disagree. On one point, however, all do agree: The cross lies at the very heart of the Christian message. Reflection | April 06, 2012 Mouths to Taste, Lips to Declare Mouths are for eating. No fewer than 700 times Biblical writers mention the vital role that eating plays in maintaining one’s health. Eating is important to physical health, of course—that goes without saying. But Scripture also uses eating as a metaphor for how God’s people can maintain spiritual health and grow in fellowship with their Creator and Redeemer. Reflection | March 30, 2012 Hands To Worship and Embrace the One We Crucified Consider the amazing dexterity of our hands. With them we care for our bodies: we wash, feed and groom ourselves. Think, too, of our remarkable ability with our hands to bring blessing or cursing upon others, to help them or to inflict deep hurt. The power of touch, whether for good or ill, is immense. Reflection | March 16, 2012 Feet to Follow Jesus Jesus, who willingly directed his feet to walk that difficult path of obedience marked out for him by his heavenly Father, endured heavy opposition from enemies as a result. Be clear, therefore: When Jesus bids a person to follow him, he doesn’t present the call as something of an attractive bargain. Reflection | March 13, 2012 Ears to Hear, Hearts to Obey To love to hear the Lord spoken of, and to seek to follow him: Is there a finer summary description of a Christian’s aim? Reflection | March 09, 2012 Eyes to Behold Our Savior's Grandeur Eyes are for seeing. Good eyes can see well; bad eyes, less well; blind eyes, not at all. Audio | Reflection | March 02, 2012 The Radiant Preciousness of Jesus Series During this Lenten season, I intend to focus these meditations on the radiant preciousness of our Lord Jesus Christ and his love-driven willingness to endure cruel suffering and death in order to bring us new life. Audio | Reflection | February 21, 2012 « Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »