The God of the Upside Down Kingdom #LectioCast

If you want to know what people expect of God, listen to what they think blessing looks like. Epiphany continues to challenge us to look for and recognize God in the places we spurn and despise—even though these are usually our own places. Matthew 5:1-12 Do we really aspire to the Kingdom depicted in the… Read more about The God of the Upside Down Kingdom #LectioCast

If you want to know what people expect of God, listen to what they think blessing looks like. Epiphany continues to challenge us to look for and recognize God in the places we spurn and despise—even though these are usually our own places.

Matthew 5:1-12 Do we really aspire to the Kingdom depicted in the Beatitudes? Do we really trust God to work like that? 

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Jesus wasn’t the only one advocating an upside-down, cruciform Kingdom. Paul challenges us as those who too often have a faith devoid of power that we attempt to make wise according to the wise of the world.

Micah 6:1-8 Do we trust God enough to live into the reality of God being savior? What sort of saved people are we to be? The way of the Beatitudes finds resonance here.

Psalm 15:1-5 What kind of person does God want us to be? What kind of worshipper can come into God’s presence? Do we trust God enough to live into an upside down economy where interest isn’t charged for dollars lent? 

 Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, and blogger who lives in San Francisco, CA where he is currently Pastoral Director for the Newbigin House of Studies. His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is hot off the presses. Daniel holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (http://patheos.com/blogs/storiedtheology). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.