The title chosen for this blog reflects the belief that it is our challenge both to interpret for ourselves the word of God and act upon that understanding to bring about the kingdom of God on earth.

Crux is Latin for cross and according to the Oxford English Dictionary means a “difficulty which it troubles one greatly to interpret or explain; also the chief problem, the central or decisive point.”  Crucible means “any severe test or trial.”

Both words speak to difficulty.  It is difficult to discern the word of God for ourselves at any particular point in our lives presented with the challenges of daily living and the crises that we all face from time to time.  Living the word of God is a crucible often entailing a severe test of our obedience to God’s will and of acting with His righteousness.

The photo is of the Sea of Galilee at sunset much as it appeared to Jesus as he spent much of his public ministry walking its shores and crossing its waters.  BibleWalks.com has granted use of the copyrighted photo.

The map shows the juxtaposition of the villages where Jesus taught and performed his miracles as well as the distances between them and Jerusalem, his final destination.

Scriptural texts are taken from the New American Bible.