Life on Planet Earth on Authority

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Dressed in a Brief Authority

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Shakespeare’s play, Measure for Measure is an exploration of the nature of power and mercy. Isabella, the novice nun, trying to persuade the tyrant Angelo to have mercy on her brother Claudio, utters ...

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Author

Hannah Arendt

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The defiance of established authority, religious and secular, social and political, as a world-wide phenomenon may well one day be accounted the outstanding event of the last decade.

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Lord, You have authority in all places

Author

Charles Teixeira

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Scripture

Colossians 1:16-17, Isaiah 45:7-9, Job 42:2, Lamentations 3:37-39, Matthew 28:18, Romans 13:1-2, Psalm 36:6, Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 117:1-2, Psalm 86:15

Lord, You have authority in all places, times, and circumstances. Lord, You are good in all places, times, and circumstances. Lord, meet us here, now in all our many needs for You to move.

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The Transfer of Energy

Author

Simon Sinek

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In physics, power is defined as the transfer of energy. In a light bulb, for example, electricity is transferred into light and heat. A 100-watt light bulb is more powerful than a 60-watt light bulb b...

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Author

Abraham Kuyper

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God built into the creation a variety of cultural spheres, such as the family, economics, politics, art, and intellectual inquiry. Each of these spheres has its own proper "business" and nee...

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The Age of Suspicion

Author

Thomas H. Troeger

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There are many titles that historians of the future may give our era, but one that they are certain to consider is "The Age of Suspicion." People are suspicious of political authorities beca...

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A Seed of Wanting to Be the Boss

Author

Walter Brueggemann

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Scripture

Mark 10:42-45

People in the world naturally want to boss others. Imagine a boy beginning work with a firm. He has a lowly place and is ordered around by everyone. Do this! Do that! Every dirty job is his. He is the...

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Author

Amy Chua

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A Western upbringing tends to stress questioning authority, which is always asking why, why, why.

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Inspired by Mark 4:26-34

Author

Dustin Ray

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Scripture

Mark 4:26-34

Leader: King Jesus, you taught your disciples a great deal about your kingdom, and we confess that we have thought much more about our own kingdoms than about yours. In fact, you are the king over all...

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Prayer for Sound Government

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Scripture

1 Timothy 2:8, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 21:1, Daniel 2:21, Proverbs 29:2, Romans 13:1-7

The responses in bold may be omitted. O Lord our Governor, bless the leaders of our land, that we may be a people at peace among ourselves and a blessing to other nations of the earth. Lord, keep t...

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Prayers of the People, Form III

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Scripture

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, James 1:27, Romans 12:15, Micah 6:8

The Leader and People pray responsively Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church; That we all may be one. Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you; That your Nam...

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Gracious God, thank you for giving

Author

Mark D. Roberts

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Gracious God, thank you for giving human beings authority over your world. It is truly an honor to receive this from you. Forgive us, Lord, for all the ways we have been poor stewards of the world yo...

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Jesus, we receive your blessings and

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Scripture

Psalm 51:10, Ephesians 4:23-24, 2 Samuel 12:1-14, John 7:37-38, Philippians 2:5-8, Matthew 5:3-4, Psalm 51:10

Jesus, we receive your blessings and pray for the Holy Spirit to make them real in our lives. Renew a right spirit within us, a poor spirit, a spirit that knows our deep need of your grace and deliver...

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Prayer for our Country

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Scripture

James 1:5, 1 Timothy 2:8, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Proverbs 29:2, 2 Chronicles 7:14

Modern Language Version Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly ask that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bles...

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Narcissism in the Pulpit?

Author

Chuck DeGroat

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A colleague of mine often says that ministry is a magnet for narcissistic personality—who else would want to speak on behalf of God every week? While the vast majority of people struggle with public s...

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The Emperor of the United States

Author

Andy Cook

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Did you know the United States once had an emperor? Believe it or not, it’s true – at least, it was in the rather confused mind of Joshua A. Norton. Norton lived in San Francisco during the gold-rush...

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Author

Ian MacLaren

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Ability involves responsibility; power, to its last particle, is duty.

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Prayer of Adoration We praise you, Lord

Author

Richard Herman

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Scripture

Luke 15:11-24, 1 John 1:9, Luke 22:54-62, Romans 3:23, Luke 19:1-10, Psalm 139:1-4, Job 38:1-4

Prayer of Adoration We praise you, Lord for you are all-wise and all-powerful, faithful, loving and gracious, holy, just, merciful, constant and pure, omnipresent, intimate and immortal. You are big...

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Author

N. T. Wright

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Many in the church have turned their back on serious study, and have embraced an anti-intellectualism which refuses to learn anything from scholarship at all lest it corrupt their pure faith. It is ti...

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When Vasili Arkhipov Saved the World

Author

William Rowley

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Everyone knows that during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis we were perilously close to WWIII and nuclear Armageddon. Most people don’t know HOW close we were. Or how much we owe to Vasili Arkhipov. Ark...

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“Neil!”

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

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Scripture

Acts 17:11, 1 John 4:1, Proverbs 4:7, Ephesians 4:14

Neil Marten was a member of the British Parliament from 1959-1984. One day he was giving a group of constituents a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. During the tour, the group happened upon the...

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All Knowledge Requires Some Presumed and Final Authority

Author

Craig Gay

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Scripture

Colossians 2:8, 1 Corinthians 1:20-21, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Isaiah 55:8-9, Hebrews 4:12

What we need to realize, however, is that there is no such thing as autonomous or “self-grounding” knowledge. All systems of interpretation and all claims to true knowledge are ultimately grounded out...

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Author

R. C. Sproul

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We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the presence of God, under the author...

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Let Questions and Doubts be Adequately Expressed

Author

Travis Dickinson

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Scripture

Genesis 18:10-15, Numbers 13:14, Job 1:42, Matthew 14:22-33, Psalm 73:

It is quite common for Christians to experience doubts from time to time. Unfortunately, doubts about our Christian beliefs are often treated in the same way we would treat a common cold. We wait it o...

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Author

Rowan Williams

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The skills have been lost of being present for and in another, and what remains is mistrust and violence.

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Author

Rowan Williams

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The truth is simpler… and more alarming. [This] is the end of religious experience, the very opposite of mysticism…. We have been going round the paths, and suddenly we see our path goes round a hole,...

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King of kings and Lord of lords, today

Author

Mark D. Roberts

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 2:2

King of kings and Lord of lords, today I am reminded of your preeminent sovereignty over all things, including me. Psalm 2 calls me to “kiss” you, to acknowledge your authority by submitting myself to...

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Abusing a Very Small Amount of Power

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 23:13, Matthew 23:3, Proverbs 16:18, Luke 14:11, Romans 12:3, Mark 10:42-45, 1 Peter 5:2-3, Ecclesiastes 10:1

My wife is a big fan of an advice column called “Ask a Manager.” The articles offer a variety of subjects, many of which are serious, but some are downright hilarious. They often capture the absurditi...

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Blaming Creation Instead of Sin

Author

Albert Wolters

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 1:31, Romans 8:20-21, 1 Timothy 4:1-5, Colossians 1:20, Psalm 24:1

The great danger is to always single out some aspect of God’s good creation and identify it, rather than the alien intrusion of sin, as the villain. Such an error conceives of the good-evil dichotomy ...

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The Gospel and the Other: Preaching in an Age of "Us vs. Them"

Author

Andrew DeCort

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Scripture

Luke 10:25-37

When conflict and division are driving both politics and media (including social media), the contrast between the way of the world and the way of Jesus stands out more than ever. How can pastors, task...

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