In Genesis 2:7, the biblical account tells us that we were formed from “the dust of the earth.” The fact that we are made from the dust reminds of, quite possibly, the most important fact about us: we are made! We are created. We are creatures of the God who made heaven and earth.

The biblical story tells us that human beings are made from dust for glory. Our material nature—the body—is humble and weak and will die. But for all our weakness, we are made in the image of God, created to reflect his glory.

In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul takes aim at our imaginations. He’s telling us to ponder, consider, think about things that will lead to God himself. He wants us to fill our imaginative lives with Christ, because meditation manifests Christ in us.

In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul takes aim at our imaginations. He’s telling us to ponder, consider, think about things that will lead to God himself. He wants us to fill our imaginative lives with Christ, because meditation manifests Christ in us.

While in prison, Paul wrote down the radical ideas that eventually got him killed. One of those ideas, found in Philippians 3:20-21, showed the subversive nature of his ministry: "our citizenship is in heaven." What was subversive 2,000 years ago remains so today: for Christians, heaven is home.

In a time of national protest and mourning after the tragic death of George Floyd, Christians need to remember that we are good news people. The good news of Christianity is that God is gracious, that he loves even broken people like us. The thrust of St. Paul's message in Philippians 1:1-11 is that we aren't done yet, because God isn't done with us.

Acts 2 tells the story of Pentecost, the birth of Christ’s church. It is the day we remember the gift of God’s Spirit, the gift of himself, his presence, his joy.