Into The Gray

Blessed are you who are hungry, for you will be satisfied.

Luke 6:20-31 20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor,     for yours is the kingdom of God. 21  Blessed are you who hunger now,     for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now,     for you will laugh. 22  Blessed are you when people hate you,     when they exclude you and insult you     and reject your name as evil,         because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 24  “But woe to you who are rich,     for you have already received your comfort. 25  Woe to you who are well fed now,     for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now,     for you will mourn and weep. 26  Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,     for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. Love for Enemies 27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. Recent Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile?fbclid=IwY2xjawL7QEFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHk53JV80JOtTjwIkKXtC7jKm8s1bnyhof1K74sW_a90XkgwXq6AJtAHL2uw4_aem_jDwG1K1kNnaqWAhpwIwNbw] My Email: ben@benjaminrcremer.com If you'd like to support this project, you can do so ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/products/into-the-gray-podcast] Thank you so much for listening!

The Freedom to Love in a World of Fear.

Scripture Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Closing Prayer God of truth and mercy, You spoke freedom into a world bound by fear. You revealed that real power is found not in domination but in love. Forgive us when we mistake control for faith, when we weaponize your name to secure our comfort. Empty us of pride and fill us with your Spirit of truth. Give us the courage to speak light into deception, to resist violence without becoming violent, to seek justice without losing compassion. Teach us the freedom that cannot be legislated or enforced— the freedom born of love, humility, and hope. May the truth of Christ live in us, until every chain of hatred and fear is broken. Amen. Recent Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile?fbclid=IwY2xjawL7QEFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHk53JV80JOtTjwIkKXtC7jKm8s1bnyhof1K74sW_a90XkgwXq6AJtAHL2uw4_aem_jDwG1K1kNnaqWAhpwIwNbw] My Email: ben@benjaminrcremer.com If you'd like to support this project, you can do so ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/products/into-the-gray-podcast] Thank you so much for listening!

The Widow's Prayerful Protest.

Luke 18:1-8 "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not lose heart. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Recent Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile?fbclid=IwY2xjawL7QEFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHk53JV80JOtTjwIkKXtC7jKm8s1bnyhof1K74sW_a90XkgwXq6AJtAHL2uw4_aem_jDwG1K1kNnaqWAhpwIwNbw] My Email: ben@benjaminrcremer.com If you'd like to support this project, you can do so ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/products/into-the-gray-podcast] Thank you so much for listening!

They Are Us. We Are Them.

Luke 17: 11-19: “Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Recent Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile?fbclid=IwY2xjawL7QEFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHk53JV80JOtTjwIkKXtC7jKm8s1bnyhof1K74sW_a90XkgwXq6AJtAHL2uw4_aem_jDwG1K1kNnaqWAhpwIwNbw] My Email: ben@benjaminrcremer.com If you'd like to support this project, you can do so ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/products/into-the-gray-podcast] Thank you so much for listening!

Mustard-Seed Hope in an Age of Empire.

Luke 17:5-10 New International Version 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. 7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Recent Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Find it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/profile?fbclid=IwY2xjawL7QEFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHk53JV80JOtTjwIkKXtC7jKm8s1bnyhof1K74sW_a90XkgwXq6AJtAHL2uw4_aem_jDwG1K1kNnaqWAhpwIwNbw] My Email: ben@benjaminrcremer.com If you'd like to support this project, you can do so ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://benjamin-cremer.kit.com/products/into-the-gray-podcast] Thank you so much for listening!