Friday's thoughts

This sermon has helped me look at what it takes to be exalted and how that is preceded by being humbled. I'm beginning to wonder if you can be exalted without first being humbled.

In the class Dr. Jansen and I are teaching we are looking at the theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer writes, "The offence caused by Jesus Christ is not his incarnation -- that indeed is revelation -- but his humiliation. The humanity of Christ and his humiliation should be carefully distinguished. Jesus Christ is human both as the Humiliated One and as the Exalted One. Only the humiliation is the stumbling block.

Christianity brings us a very different point of view. It reminds us if we are in Christ and if Christ is in us we are subject to humiliation and that humiliation leads to our exaltation.

Life will put us down but that's how God lifts us up. We are confronted with disappointment, but through the disappointment our character develops. We are face to face with the reality of death, but, as we face it, we have the possibility of conquering it.

When you and I think about the darkest time in our lives; did we not find the light that shone in the darkness at that very moment?

When we come to understand that we will die, isn't that the time we began to realize the fullness of being alive in those moments, or days before our death?

Is this what you have found? Do you have some thoughts on this subject? If so write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the box below.


I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles