General Chapter References
Frederick Buechner, “Nicodemus,” Peculiar Treasures, p. 121-123
“Nicodemus”
Jesus said, “I’m telling you God’s got such a thing for this loused-up planet that he’s sent me down so if you don’t believe your own eyes, then maybe you’ll believe mine, maybe you’ll believe me, maybe you won’t come sneaking around scared half to death in the dark any more but will come to, come clean, come to life.”
Emily Dickenson, “XLIV,” Collected Poems, p. 240
“XLIV”
Verna J. Dozier, Equipping the Saints, p. 14-20
Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality, p. 130
Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus: The Man Who Lives, p. 65 f.
William Stafford, “Easter Morning” & “It’s heavy to drag this big sack …” The Way It Is, p. 6, 36
“Easter Morning” & “It’s heavy to drag this big sack …”
“Easter Morning,” (p. 6)
Maybe someone comes to the door and says,
“Repent,” and you say, “Come on in,” and it’s
Jesus. That’s when all you ever did, or said,
or even thought, suddenly wakes up again and
sings out, “I’m still here,” and you know it’s true.
You just shiver alive and are left standing
there suddenly brought to account: saved.
Except, maybe that someone says, “I’ve got a deal
for you.” And you listen, because that’s how
you’re trained—they told you, “Always hear both sides.”
So then the slick voice can sell you anything, even
Hell, which is what you’re getting by listening.
Well, what should you do? I’d say always go to
the door; yes, but keep the screen locked. Then,
while you hold the Bible in one hand, lean forward
and say carefully, “Jesus?”
“It’s heavy to drag this big sack …” (p. 36)
It’s heavy to drag, this big sack of what
you should have done. And finally
you can’t lift it any more.
…
But now has arrived and is looking
straight at you, the way a lion does
when thinking it over, and anything
can happen. …
Henry Vaughan, “The Night,” Divine Inspiration, p. 187
Wendell Berry, “1994 – III [Ye must be born again],” A Timbered Choir, p. 178
“1994 – III [Ye must be born again]”
I think of Gloucester, blind, led through the world
To the world’s edge by the hand of a stranger
Who is his faithful son. At the cliff’s verge
He flings away his life, as of no worth,
The true way lost, his eyes two bleeding wounds
And finds his life again, and is led on
By the forsaken son who has become
His father, that the good may recognize
Each other, and at last go ripe to death.
We live the given life, and not the planned.
John Dominic Crossan, “Kingdom and Children,” The Historical Jesus, p. 266-269
John O’Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us, p. 1
To Bless the Space Between Us
Virginia Stem Owens, “Secret Admirer,” Looking for Jesus, p. 162-167
William Stafford, “Sometimes,” A Scripture of Leaves, p. 46
“Sometimes”
It could be you move through a crowd and your arm
touches a new kingdom. Surrounded,
you shake off a self and become everything
else. It is moving that brings this bonus,
or something about your arm, how you raise it
and become a whole nation, more than a person
lost among others. A few times I’ve felt this.
You balance, you turn, and out there around you
loom parts of a life that you can become.
Everyone is a dancer; your plod gathers in
the sunset and all the separate lights coming on
as you turn. There’s a music. Someone has adjusted
what was only a noise. Some people say it
this way: “I’m born again.”
W. B. Yeats, “Under Ben Bulben,” Selected Poems and Plays, p. 190
3-10 Hosea 13:13
4 Malachi 3:7
10-11 John 1:11-12
1-3 Imaging the Word, Vol. 2, p. 152-155
3-8 Dan Bellm, “Anointing,” Practice, p. 54 f.
“Anointing”
3-5 Ivan Steiger, Ivan Steiger Sees the Bible, p. 241
3 Sundar Singh, Wisdom of the Sadhu, p. 175
Wisdom of the Sadhu
… another man … had led an evil life. When he reached the door of heaven, however, and saw the holy, resplendent palace with all its glorious inhabitants, he began to feel uneasy. … He turned away in an agony of self-loathing and fled in such haste, that he cast himself headlong into the bottomless pit.
Then I heard the voice of the Master saying: “Look, my dear child! I forbid no one to enter my kingdom. No one forbade this man, nor did anyone ask him to leave. It was he, with his impure life, that fled this holy place. Except you be born of the spirit, you cannot see the kingdom of God.”
6 Ivan Steiger, Ivan Steiger Sees the Bible, p. 242
7 John Wesley, “The New Birth,” Fifty-Three Sermons, p. 567-579
8 Lin Xia Jiang, “Parade of Winds, Series I,” Imaging the Word, Vol. 3, p. 235
8 John Wesley, “The Marks of the New Birth,” Fifty-Three Sermons, p. 198-211
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can this be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?
3:1 ην δε ανθρωπος εκ των φαρισαιων νικοδημος ονομα αυτω αρχων των ιουδαιων 3:2 ουτος ηλθεν προς αυτον νυκτος και ειπεν αυτω ραββι οιδαμεν οτι απο θεου εληλυθας διδασκαλος ουδεις γαρ ταυτα τα σημεια δυναται ποιειν α συ ποιεις εαν μη η ο θεος μετ αυτου 3:3 απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτω αμην αμην λεγω σοι εαν μη τις γεννηθη ανωθεν ου δυναται ιδειν την βασιλειαν του θεου 3:4 λεγει προς αυτον ο νικοδημος πως δυναται ανθρωπος γεννηθηναι γερων ων μη δυναται εις την κοιλιαν της μητρος αυτου δευτερον εισελθειν και γεννηθηναι 3:5 απεκριθη ιησους αμην αμην λεγω σοι εαν μη τις γεννηθη εξ υδατος και πνευματος ου δυναται εισελθειν εις την βασιλειαν του θεου 3:6 το γεγεννημενον εκ της σαρκος σαρξ εστιν και το γεγεννημενον εκ του πνευματος πνευμα εστιν 3:7 μη θαυμασης οτι ειπον σοι δει υμας γεννηθηναι ανωθεν 3:8 το πνευμα οπου θελει πνει και την φωνην αυτου ακουεις αλλ ουκ οιδας ποθεν ερχεται και που υπαγει ουτως εστιν πας ο γεγεννημενος εκ του πνευματος 3:9 απεκριθη νικοδημος και ειπεν αυτω πως δυναται ταυτα γενεσθαι 3:10 απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτω συ ει ο διδασκαλος του ισραηλ και ταυτα ου γινωσκεις
10-11 John 1:11-12
14 Numbers 21:9
14-15 Carol Bechtel Reynolds, “Life After Grace: Preaching from the Book of Numbers,” Interpretation (July 1997), p. 273 f.
“Life After Grace: Preaching from the Book of Numbers”
14 Simone Weil, Awaiting God, p. 87
11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
3:11 αμην αμην λεγω σοι οτι ο οιδαμεν λαλουμεν και ο εωρακαμεν μαρτυρουμεν και την μαρτυριαν ημων ου λαμβανετε 3:12 ει τα επιγεια ειπον υμιν και ου πιστευετε πως εαν ειπω υμιν τα επουρανια πιστευσετε 3:13 και ουδεις αναβεβηκεν εις τον ουρανον ει μη ο εκ του ουρανου καταβας ο υιος του ανθρωπου ο ων εν τω ουρανω 3:14 και καθως μωσης υψωσεν τον οφιν εν τη ερημω ουτως υψωθηναι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου 3:15 ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον
Christoph Blumhardt, “God So Loved the World,” Blumhardt Reader, p. 195-204
16 John 20:31
17-21 Luke 2:34-35
17 John 12:47; 1 Thessalonians 5:9
19-21 Job 24:13-17; 1 John 1:5-7
21 Matthew 5:14-16
16-17 Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Imaging the Word, Vol. 3, p. 170
Imaging the Word
16-17 Stephen Doughty, “Exploring God’s Love,” Weavings (January/February 1998), p. 37-44
“Exploring God’s Love”
16-17 Denise Levertov, “Salvator Mundi: Via Crucis,” Evening Train, p. 114
“Salvator Mundi: Via Crucis”
16-17 Vincent Van Gogh, Imaging the Word, Vol. 3, p. 172
16 Wendell Berry, Sex Economy Freedom & Community, p. 97
Sex Economy Freedom & Community
16 Frederick Buechner, “The Rider,” The Hungering Dark, p. 104-112
16 Billy Graham, “Sermon,” Lend Me Your Ears, p. 465
16 Gary Gunderson, Deeply Woven Roots, p. 123
Deeply Woven Roots
16 Geoffrey Hill, “Lachrimae Amantis,” Tenebrae, p. 21
“Lachrimae Amantis”
What is there in my heart that you should sue
so fiercely for its love? What kind of care
brings you as though a stranger to my door
through the long night and in the icy dew
seeking the heart that will not harbour you,
that keeps itself religiously secure?
At this dark solstice filled with frost and fire
your passion’s ancient wounds must bleed anew.
So many nights the angel of my house
has fed such urgent comfort through a dream,
whispered “your lord is coming, he is close”
that I have drowsed half-faithful for a time
bathed in pure tones of promise and remorse:
“tomorrow I shall wake to welcome him.”
16 James S. Stewart, Thine is the Kingdom, p. 14 [note]
Thine is the Kingdom
To say, ‘I believe that God so loved the world that in Christ He gave everything He had, gave His very self,’ to use such words, not lightly or conventionally, but in spirit and in truth, means that the one who uses them binds himself irrevocably to make selfgiving the controlling principle of life: and this is the very essence of mission.
[my note: This is not a ‘giving up’ but a ‘giving over to’. God gave his son to us that this same self-giving might be part of our lives as Jesus lives within us (eternal life). And then we give to others out of the abundance of this gift of God. The more we give, the more we have to give. The more we give, the more alive we are and thus have more to give. As God gave his son he became father to more sons & daughters to give.]
17-19 Wendell Berry, “2010,” This Day, p. 349
“2010”
Let us not condemn the human beings
self-appointed to serve machines,
poor humans, so weak of mind,
so self-misled, so willing to risk
heroic wrong. What’s the satisfaction in
condemning the self-condemned?
Let them be answered by themselves
who grow smaller, their great works
uglier, more lethal, day by day.
18 Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love, p. 61
18 Kallistos Ware, quoted in Plough Reader (Winter 2001), p. 21
Plough Reader
God does not condemn us to Hell; God wishes all humans to be saved. He will love us to all eternity, but there will exist the possibility that we do not accept the love and do not respond to it. And the refusal to accept love, the refusal to respond to it, that precisely is the meaning of Hell. Hell is not a place where God puts us; it’s a place where we put ourselves. The doors of Hell, insofar as they have locks, have locks on the inside.
19-21 Ivan Steiger, Ivan Steiger Sees the Bible, p. 243
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.
3:16 ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος τον κοσμον ωστε τον υιον αυτου τον μονογενη εδωκεν ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον
3:17 ου γαρ απεστειλεν ο θεος τον υιον αυτου εις τον κοσμον ινα κρινη τον κοσμον αλλ ινα σωθη ο κοσμος δι αυτου 3:18 ο πιστευων εις αυτον ου κρινεται ο δε μη πιστευων ηδη κεκριται οτι μη πεπιστευκεν εις το ονομα του μονογενους υιου του θεου 3:19 αυτη δε εστιν η κρισις οτι το φως εληλυθεν εις τον κοσμον και ηγαπησαν οι ανθρωποι μαλλον το σκοτος η το φως ην γαρ πονηρα αυτων τα εργα 3:20 πας γαρ ο φαυλα πρασσων μισει το φως και ουκ ερχεται προς το φως ινα μη ελεγχθη τα εργα αυτου 3:21 ο δε ποιων την αληθειαν ερχεται προς το φως ινα φανερωθη αυτου τα εργα οτι εν θεω εστιν ειργασμενα
24 Matthew 14:3; Mark 6:17; Luke 3:19-20
28 John 1:20
30 Ted Kooser, “Baptize,” The Poetry Home Repair Manual, p. 3
“Baptize”
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been put in prison.
25 Now a discussion arose between John’s disciples and a Jew over purifying. 26 And they came to John, and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
3:22 μετα ταυτα ηλθεν ο ιησους και οι μαθηται αυτου εις την ιουδαιαν γην και εκει διετριβεν μετ αυτων και εβαπτιζεν 3:23 ην δε και ιωαννης βαπτιζων εν αινων εγγυς του σαλημ οτι υδατα πολλα ην εκει και παρεγινοντο και εβαπτιζοντο 3:24 ουπω γαρ ην βεβλημενος εις την φυλακην ο ιωαννης
3:25 εγενετο ουν ζητησις εκ των μαθητων ιωαννου μετα ιουδαιου περι καθαρισμου 3:26 και ηλθον προς τον ιωαννην και ειπον αυτω ραββι ος ην μετα σου περαν του ιορδανου ω συ μεμαρτυρηκας ιδε ουτος βαπτιζει και παντες ερχονται προς αυτον 3:27 απεκριθη ιωαννης και ειπεν ου δυναται ανθρωπος λαμβανειν ουδεν εαν μη η δεδομενον αυτω εκ του ουρανου 3:28 αυτοι υμεις μαρτυρειτε οτι ειπον ουκ ειμι εγω ο χριστος αλλ οτι απεσταλμενος ειμι εμπροσθεν εκεινου 3:29 ο εχων την νυμφην νυμφιος εστιν ο δε φιλος του νυμφιου ο εστηκως και ακουων αυτου χαρα χαιρει δια την φωνην του νυμφιου αυτη ουν η χαρα η εμη πεπληρωται 3:30 εκεινον δει αυξανειν εμε δε ελαττουσθαι
31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony; 33 he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit; 35 the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.
3:31 ο ανωθεν ερχομενος επανω παντων εστιν ο ων εκ της γης εκ της γης εστιν και εκ της γης λαλει ο εκ του ουρανου ερχομενος επανω παντων εστιν 3:32 και ο εωρακεν και ηκουσεν τουτο μαρτυρει και την μαρτυριαν αυτου ουδεις λαμβανει 3:33 ο λαβων αυτου την μαρτυριαν εσφραγισεν οτι ο θεος αληθης εστιν 3:34 ον γαρ απεστειλεν ο θεος τα ρηματα του θεου λαλει ου γαρ εκ μετρου διδωσιν ο θεος το πνευμα 3:35 ο πατηρ αγαπα τον υιον και παντα δεδωκεν εν τη χειρι αυτου 3:36 ο πιστευων εις τον υιον εχει ζωην αιωνιον ο δε απειθων τω υιω ουκ οψεται [την] ζωην αλλ η οργη του θεου μενει επ αυτον