The Greek word pneuma can be translated ldquo wind breath or spirit rdquo So when the sound at the door is ldquo like the rush of a violent wind rdquo you should answer and you had better be prepared to have your world turned upside down Or right-side up Because according to the Acts of th

Still reeling from the trauma of the crucifixion and then the shattering of all earthly expectations by Jesus rsquo resurrection from the dead the apostles trying to make sense of the common Jewish beliefs regarding the Messiah and the apocalyptic establishment of God rsquo s kingdom pose a simp

In the Talking Heads song ldquo Once in a Lifetime rdquo the refrain repeats over and over ldquo Same as it ever was same as it ever was rdquo Whether the refrain is meant to reflect the constancy of sameness or the inevitability of change is an open question There is in life a tension b

We might not say it outright although unfortunately many of us do but we are often not convinced that so-and-so is a true Christian We might know the person well by public reputation or just by name or we might not know the name of the person at all who bothers us or worse with their words an

In 4 Ezra 5 18 a Jewish apocalyptic text of the first century A D Ezra is asked by ldquo Phaltiel a chief of the people rdquo whether he knows ldquo that Israel has been entrusted to you in the land of their exile Rise therefore and eat some bread and do not forsake us like a shepherd who

To what do the apostles and the other disciples witness when they are called to be witnesses to Jesus Christ On the one hand they bear witness to his death ldquo but you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you and you killed the Author of life rdquo Yet