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The Redemptive Imagination of Jesus, Part 3
Jesus sees us as we are, with mercy. Jesus sees us as we shall be, with confident hope. The redemptive imagination of Jesus sets us free from self-doubt and shame so that we might become all that God intends for us.
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Leadership Wisdom – Covenantal Relationships
What does Jesus’ teaching about divorce have to do with our work as marketplace leaders?
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Leadership Wisdom – Mind the Gap
Sometimes we get so used to things being the way they are that we can’t see things any other way. It is as if we’ve turned “a blind eye” (and not in the sense that Jesus meant it) to the reality of our situation.
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Workday Prayers: For Joy and Blessing When Work is Painful
Work is often hard—and not just hard, but painful. Yet in our struggles at work, we pray for God’s blessing. We look forward to the joy that is coming even in the midst of our pain.
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The Redemptive Imagination of Jesus, Part 2
The example of Jesus challenges us to consider how we picture the people in our lives. Do we use our imaginations to see people’s potential? Or do we see them in a rather static way? And if we see their potential, do we help them to grow? Or do we keep them in their place if it serves our own interests?
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The Redemptive Imagination of Jesus, Part 1
There is certainly a time and place for didactic language, for explanations and demonstrations, for elucidation and evidence. But the power of imaginative story can take the truth from our heads to our hearts, and from our hearts into our daily lives. We experience this power as we hear the parable of Jesus known as The Prodigal Son.
Read Post![Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C. [Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mathew Ahmann in a crowd.], 8/28/1963](https://depree.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/unseen-histories-bTF3gkd2L28-unsplash-700x450.jpg)
A Recent Example of Redemptive Imagination
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., expressed his “dream” on the steps of the Lincoln Monument in 1963, he was inspired by the redemptive imagination of Isaiah. Dr. King’s example shows us how Scripture can shape our own imaginations and motivate us to participate in God’s redemptive work in the world.
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Isaiah’s Redemptive Imagination, Part 3
Isaiah’s redemptive imagination helps us to see God as the one who reigns over all things. As we worship, our own imaginations are expanded and inspired. As theologian James K.A. Smith writes, “Christian worship shapes our orientation to the world precisely by priming and calibrating our imagination.” Through worship we come to a deeper and truer experience of God the King, which shapes everything we do in life.
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He Is Mine, I Mean I Am His
We all belong to Jesus. We are all loved by the Father. We are all empowered by the Spirit. We are all God’s. Even (especially?) when we make mistakes.
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Don’t Look Up
In his own good time, Christ will bring everything to fulfillment. In the meantime, we should wait for the power, we should work for the mission, and we should not stand around staring at the feet.
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Workday Prayers: Surrounded by God
As we do our daily work, we are not alone. We are not exposed. God is with us. God surrounds us.
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Isaiah’s Redemptive Imagination, Part 2
The example of Isaiah shows us that when God stirs up our imaginations in redemptive ways, we may very well “see” what we have never before envisioned. We may learn that God wants to use us in ways we would have considered unlikely, undesirable, or even impossible. Yet, we will also discover that our God-inspired imaginations will lead us to participate more fully and fruitfully in the redemptive work of God in the world.
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