Christ the King Lutheran Church - Gladwin, Mi.
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    • Stephen Ministry
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    • Pumpkin Farm
    • Christmas Tea
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  • Letter from Pastor
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  • sermon
  • Audry
  • Rick McCoy
  • Ballot for Church council
  • Holden Prayer 12-23
  • Dec 20 Children's Program
  • Christmas Eve
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  • Ash Wednesday
  • Week One February 25, 2021
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Clever Words for the Apocalypse

Νικάω, to conquer, win, or prevail

12/22/2020

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Revelation 2:7

Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.
​Classical Insight
Unlike many of our other “clever words,” this one is actually quite common in Classical Greek! In fact, νικάω (nikaō) is a verb that students often encounter early on in their Greek studies, in part because it provides an example of a distinct pattern of conjugation (but we don’t need to worry about that here). Its familiarity is probably due, in part, to its broad usage -- it can describe victories in battle, athletic contexts, law courts, and arguments, and might often be better translated as “to prevail.”
Devotion
Wondrous things are promised to the churches that conquer or win νικάω: the morning star, manna, fruit from the tree of life, white robes, among other things.  But how does the church go about winning?  If we look to Jesus, victory does not involve fierce battles and daring deeds, but the cross.  A Christian is victorious not through winning but through losing.  
Not necessarily heroic losing either.  Song, story, and cinema glorify the idea of a last stand.  The hero dies in a fiery battle, resolving the problem through bloodshed, his enemies’ and his own.  But if the cross shows us anything, it is that we are not the heroes in this story.  Jesus is the savior and we are the saved, freed to lose because victory is not up to us. What if apostasy protects a loved one?  What if denying Christ means we get to live and witness another day?  What if lying about our belief shelters the vulnerable? And what if at the end of all of this apostasy and denial and lying we turn to Christ, trusting in his mercy for a messy world?  It may not be heroic, it may not get us a halo or stained glass window, but it does proclaim Jesus, and Jesus wins in the end.    
 Questions for Reflection
When have you experienced failure as a Christian? How have you encountered Jesus in failure?


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    About the Blog

    In this season of plague, flood, fire, hungry cats, and Advent, we invite you to reflect on the words (such clever words!) of the Prophet John in the book of Revelation.
    Join the Liturgisaur on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Advent for devotions based on the first three chapters of Revelation
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      Perhaps you have encountered the #Liturgisaur on Instagram or Facebook.  He is a small, green, pants wearing, one armed dinosaur who makes the rounds in Gladwin County and beyond, highlighting the various ministries of Christ the King Lutheran Church.   
         The word dinosaur is Greek in origin, a combination of the words  δεινός (terrible or clever) and σαύρα (lizard).  You may have heard about how dinosaur means "terrible lizard," but you probably didn't realize that it can also mean "terribly clever lizard."   And the Litrugisaur is quite clever.  
         This Advent you invited to check into this blog for theological reflections (some clever) and insights from the Liturgisaur and his minder, Pastor Emily Olsen.  We will be focusing on the first few chapters of Revelation, or as they call it in Greek, The Apocalypse. 

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Christ the King Lutheran Church
600 S. M 18 
Gladwin, Mi. 48624
989-426-1659
Pastor Emily Olsen
pastor.ctkinggladwin@gmail.com


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