Reflections on faith, life, and the questions in between.
Have a read of my thoughts and ask me a question!
Have a read of my thoughts and ask me a question!
I was sitting down to pray with some brothers recently, and the opening line of a prayer was ‘Dear Heavenly Father…’ So far, so good. It was the next word that made me think. ‘Lord…’ When we pray, who is it we are actually praying to? Is it to the trinity, each member at the same time?
The Garden of Eden forms the opening landscape of the Bible. Establishing God as creator, humanity as uniquely special in their relationship with Him and their purpose as caretakers of His creation. The third chapter of scripture introduces the great travesty that defines the shape of the relationship between God and creation from then to now. It’s what we know as the fall. The moment when humanity rebels against God, his rule and charge.
It was a Thursday night 15 years ago when I first turned to Christ. It was not on a pinnacle night of a conference or the conclusion of an evangelistic series. No grand alter call. It was a cry of desperation. I was an unhappy 15-year-old, wrestling deeply with anxiety, depression, and anger. My family was concerned about me. I have a distinct memory of my sister throwing wrapped sandwiches through my bedroom window (I’d barred the door) to make sure I had food to eat.
Baptism is one of the two sacraments instituted by Jesus. However, the practice of baptism existed before Jesus established it as a sacrament for his disciples to participate in (Jn. 1:19-28). The symbolism of baptism is relatively simple; it is a ceremonial ritual that represents the cleansing of one’s soul.