Fruitful Abiding

April 28, 2024

What does it mean to abide in Christ? One of the central claims of the Christian faith is that, in some form, Christ is risen and active in the world. He is not simply a spiritual teacher who lived and died two thousand years ago, but the Spirit of light that pulsated within him is at work in the world today. For those of us who would identify as more “progressive,” talking this way can feel rather uncomfortable. However, an aspect of what it means to live in a postresurrection world is that we are invited to an intimate spiritual relationship with Christ and with one another.

Plastic Jesus or Cosmic Christ?

April 21, 2024

Got Fish?

April 14, 2024 • Jason Fairbanks • Luke 24

When in the presence of the risen Christ, still the disciples are wondering and disbelieving. One might expect Jesus to get frustrated with these disciples. How could they not believe? How could their hearts be so hardened? But he doesn’t do that. No, instead of seeking to prove to them who he is or what has happened, he instead asks to eat with them, to share a simple meal around a table with them. The prerequisite of Jesus’ fellowship wasn’t belief, wasn’t agreement, and wasn’t devotion. Jesus sat with them at the table and ate, a symbolic gesture in the first-century Jewish culture of acceptance and union. Jesus demonstrated what was important in a postresurrection world: all transformation begins, not with evidence or reasoning, but with simple fellowship around a table.