Reading: “From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.” (Apostles’ Creed); Isaiah 96:11-13; Acts 10:34-43 Rejoice, heavens, and shout for joy, earth! Let the sea and all that fills it resound! Let the field and all that is in it exult! Let all the trees of the forest shout for joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one […]

Čitanje: He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father (Apostles Creed) Reflections: Jesus the Christ, Jesus the God-Man, spent almost his entire public ministry talking about a whole new reality; that God was ruling and that people could live in that reality now. The “Kingdom of God”, the range of God’s effective will, as Dallas Willard put it, and its availability in the here and now, was the key message that Jesus called The Good News. Jesus spoke in the flow of the Prophets of old. They had heard […]

Redding: On the third day he rose again from the dead. (Apostles’ Creed) Reflection: A dear brother in the church often says on Easter, “Because the tomb is empty, heaven will be full!” As I was researching Jesus’ resurrection recently, I read a statement from the most famous theologian of the last century, Karl Barth, which caused a lot of controversy in theological circles. He said that “Christians do not believe in an empty tomb but in the living Christ.” I like this statement very much, and I won’t explain here why it’s controversial. The […]

Reading: Was crucified, died, and buried (The Apostles’ Creed), Isaiah 53,5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities… Reflection: “This image could make a man lose his faith!” Count Myshkin’s comment in Dostoevsky’s “The Idiot” perfectly describes the spiritual state that prolonged contemplation of the masterpiece of the great Hans Holbein the Younger produces. If anyone could have thought there was something special, or even divine, in this figure that was crucified and died in Jerusalem 2000 years ago, this scene would dispel any doubt. Holbein did not paint […]

Reading: John 13:1-17, 31b-35 (Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14; Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) So when he had washed their feet, taken his garments, and sat down again, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” Reflection: After washing their […]

Reading: John 13,21-32 (Isaiah 50,4-9a, Psalm 70, Hebrews 12,1-3) Reflection: If engineers could create something like a seed – that can grow and produce more seeds for infinite generations – that would be an absolutely phenomenal achievement. It would still need to have a lifespan that lasts for thousands of years, and still work. A team in Israel has just published a paper highlighting the miracle of the seed. At four archaeological sites in the Judean Desert, including Qumran and Masada, intact date palm seeds of the species Phoenix dactylifera – a precious cultivar that […]

Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 71:1-14; John 12:20-36) Reflection: When the panelists (the three of us) at a forum in Novi Sad were asked why we chose Christianity, I didn’t have to think much. I replied that it was the most foolish choice of all! No sane person who dares to start a movement that aspires to become a world religion would choose the narrative of the early Church and do it their way. This kind of foolishness should be a characteristic of every person who has chosen Christianity. Paul summarizes this foolishness […]

Reading: John 12:1-11 Reflection: The Instagram page @land_geist recently posted maps from a Pew Research Center study from 2018 on Europeans who believe in God with absolute certainty and those who say that their faith is very important in their lives. Our country is highly positioned in both researches, ranking first and second. The results of the Corruption Perception Index (Source: Transparency International, 2022) were also published. In this study, we ranked third, just behind Russia and Ukraine. There will surely be those who conclude that this poor ranking on the corruption scale is due […]

Reading: Tortured under Pontius Pilate (Apostles’ Creed) Reflection: As I write this, the thought comes to mind that the story of the Old Bridge in Mostar and its creation can serve as an illustration for what I want to say. I’m not sure if that’s the case, but I’ll tell the story anyway. It was long believed that the bridge took nine years to build, but today the prevailing opinion is that it was built in one season. This quick construction project was preceded by eight long years of thinking, preparation, and failed attempts by […]