Some Kingdom Thoughts

Here are two other takes on the idea of the Kingdom of God:

1. From Scott McKnight in his book "A Community Called Atonement"
Jesus decides to express his whole vision in one phrase, and he chooses " kingdom of God." It is here and it is coming, and it is small and it is big, and it is powerful and it it sometimes silent, and it is for big folks and little folks, and it is for off-the-map sinners and on-the-map righteous prigs (if they'll just learn to follow Jesus and stop thinking so highly of themselves.) The kingdom, is the society wherein God's will is established and practiced. "Kingdom" once again, it about people, about what I will call the ecclesial community.

The church is a local expression of God's kingdom. It is a community in which God's will is to be actualized. The church is the alternative society to the structures of power found in the world. The kingdom is justice and peace and a society wherein God's loving will is lived out.

The kingdom of God, is the society in which the will of God is established to transform all of life. The kingdom of God is more than what God is doing "within you" and more than God's persoanl "dynamic presence"; it is what God is doing in this world through the community of faith for the redemptive plans of God - including what God is doing in you and me. It transforms relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the world.

2. From Brian McLaren in his book Everything Must Change:
"We talked about eh metaphor Jesus used again and again to convey his essential message: the Kingdom of God. We considered how this message of the kingdom - conrtrary to popular belief - was not focused on how to escape this world and its problems by going to heaven after death, but instead was focused on how God's will could be done on earth, in history, during this life. We described God's kingdom in terms of God's dreams coming true for this earth, of God's justice and peace repacing earth's injustice and disharmony."

"What could change if we applied the message of Jesus - the good news of the kingdom of God - to the world's greatest problems?

What do you think?

perhaps?

The "kingdom of Heaven" is a condition of the heart - not something that comes "upon the earth" or "after death." 

-Friedrich Nietzsche

The Jesus Creed (Wellspring Edition)

Sunday I was thinking of how long it has been since the Jesus Creed was posted. So here it is again. This is what I believe, how about you.


We believe in Jesus Christ who healed the sick, the blind, and the paralyzed and even raised the dead. He cast out evil powers and confronted corrupt leaders. He died for the sins of the world, rose from the dead, and ascended to the Father. He sent the Holy Spirit. We believe in Jesus who taught in word and example, sign and wonder. He taught the way of love for God and neighbor, for stranger and enemy, for those rejected and those ignored. We believe in Jesus, who called disciples, led them, gave them a new purpose and sent them out to preach good news. He celebrated, he sang, he feasted, he prayed and he wept. We believe in Jesus, so we follow him, learn his ways, seek to obey his teachings and live by his example. We have not seen him, but we love him. His words are words of eternal life to us, and to know him is to know the true and living God. We do not see him now, but we believe in Jesus. Amen.