March 9, 2010
Text: Joshua 5:9-12 [This is part of a small group series for the Woodmont Hills Church in Nashville, TN, which is prepared in conjunction with Dean Barham’s homilies that are based on the Lectionary texts for Lent.] A new generation had emerged during the wilderness trek. Their parents had refused to enter to the promise […]
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Biblical Texts, Theology | Tagged: Bible-Joshua, Circumcision, Covenant, Israel, Lent, Passover, Wilderness | 
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Posted by John Mark Hicks
February 23, 2010
Text: Genesis 15:1-18 [For an amplified narration of Genesis 15 read my previous post.] Abraham waited for a child. And then his descendants waited 400 years in slavery for the land. Waiting is part of every believer’s journey. The Psalms overflow with the language (e.g., Psalm 25). “Wait for Yahweh,” the Psalmist writes (Psalm 27:14). […]
No Comments » | Biblical Texts, Theology | Tagged: Abraham, Bible-Genesis 15, Covenant, Easter, Eucharist, Lent, Lord's Supper, Resurrection, Sacraments, Table | Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks
February 17, 2010
Text: Luke 4:1-13 Lent is forty days of letting go of some of our normal habits in order to pursue God with a special focus. The pursuit of God during these forty days comes in various forms: repentance, meditation, Scripture reading, prayer, immersion in sacred music, communal worship, almsgiving, etc. Lent was originally named “Forty […]
12 Comments | Theology | Tagged: Ash Wednesday, Christian Calendar, Forty Days, Jesus, Lent, Temptation, Testing, Wilderness | Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks
February 12, 2010
Lent, a historic part of the Christian calendar, is a season of “letting go” (fasting) and seeking God in humble submission. It is a time for repentance, confession, prayer, abstinence, and sharing our resources with others. It is not a time to simply give up something for the sake of abstinence (e.g., giving up coffee), […]
9 Comments | Theology | Tagged: Christian Calendar, Lent, Lenten Practices | Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks
February 10, 2010
We all live with multiple and varied calendars. My work life is regulated by an academic calendar—a schedule of convocations, breaks, exams and class schedules. My national life is regulated by a federal calendar that has declared certain days as “holidays”: Martin Luther King’s birthday, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, […]
17 Comments | Theology | Tagged: Ash Wednesday, Calendar, Christian Calendar, Churches of Christ, Lent, Liturgy, Worship | Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks