The Background Story
"It is finished"
Saints Sergius and Bacchus Chapel
Palm Springs, California
"It is finished"
"I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."
"Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest."
“I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”
"If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and now I see."
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;”
In the second step, we’ve located the object of our faith: a personal Transcendent Power that is capable of restoring us to sanity. In this step, we’re going to find […]
"Then from the cloud came a voice that said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.'"
"He fasted for forty days and forty nights and afterwards he was hungry."
In this segment, we’ll be looking at some of the nagging problems that afflict us all, and show how the first step can initiate the process of spiritual recovery. Here’s […]
In this first segment, we’re going to be examining spirituality and giving a brief introduction to the steps. First, we’ll develop a definition of spirituality that consists of four elements: […]
"Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them."
Let’s begin by taking a bird’s eye view of what we’re going to be considering for the next six weeks. The title of this series is “Twelve Steps to Spiritual […]
Showing our true selves is always risky. We risk rejection, especially if we wish to be agents of change. Anyone who promotes change—even change for the better—will encounter opposition.
The author wanted people to come away from their writings with a deeper appreciation of the gift of creation and the power of the God who formed it. They also wanted people to better understand humanity’s place within it.
In this section, we see the Yahwist holding chaos—represented by the desert wasteland—at bay and bringing plants, animals, and humans into the lush garden of creation, not just to enjoy it, but also to work with God in the maintenance of its richness and beauty.
"'Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'"
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.
“’But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”
Now, before we charge ahead into verse three of Genesis, let’s take a look at the early history of Israel where the Book of Genesis was composed.