I've always thought the word "news" was a little weird. It sounds a bit bizzare doesn't it? You think anyone would be interested in the 10 o'clock "olds" as well as the "news." Or what about the 10 o'clock "second-hands?" Just saying...
It's been a while (as usual) but here is some big "news" and a few "olds" in my story within the Story definitely linked to our story.
First, I am a dad! My wife and I welcomed our first son in February! It has been an adventure to say the least. God is blessing us beyond measure. We are so thankful for this new part of our journey. God has opened spaces within my heart that I did not know existed through my son. It's definitely a new way of knowing love.
Second, I have many books I would like to tell you about that I've been reading over the past few months...hopefully over the next few weeks I can "update" you on my readings. Andrew Marin's book Love is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community is very good. Other authors that I've been reading lately include Thomas Merton, Richard Rohr (as always!), Thomas Moore, Charles Swindoll, Jean Vanier, and Stanley Hauerwas. More from these readings to come...
Finally, I am currently reading Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. It's been big "news" lately around some Christian circles...some like it, some not. I am half way through it and all I can say is...you need to read this book. It is conversation dynamite. More to come on this excellent provocative read later...right now dad duty calls :-)
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Reading Update
I am currently reading Job and the Mystery of Suffering by Richard Rohr. I wanted to pass on some snapshots from the reading…
“Religious education has for years given people answers to questions they’re not asking. The people accept answers quickly and easily. And the answers go about an inch deep. And the people, all too often, spout the answers for the rest of their lives.” “…such knowledge can pass away as quickly as it came, because we never thirsted for it. Until we make space inside, what comes is not an answer but an excuse – an excuse not to face the question, an excuse to stop searching, to avoid the journey.”
“The mystery of why there are thorns on the rose eventually becomes a question of who God is”
“Is Jesus your ‘personal lord and savior’? This phrase has become very popular, even though it’s very recent, and very individualistic. I get letters every week from people telling me they have made Jesus their lord and savior. I’m glad they have, but it’s going to take most of us all our lives to know what that means.”
“The church is filled with people who are living on hearsay.”
“Don’t let anyone tell you that theology and belief have not evolved.”
“God created a definition of good that seems to include evil.”
“The New Testament metaphor of Gehenna, the garbage dump of Jerusalem, ‘where the worm never dies and the fire never goes out,’ (Isa. 66:24) didn’t help us much either. For some self-loathing reason we tend to take negative metaphors literally and dismiss positive metaphors – such as, ‘your names are written in heaven’ (Luke 10:20) – as innocuous poetry.”
“But faith does not mean having answers; it means being willing to live without answers. Cultural faith and civil religion tend to define faith poorly and narrowly as having certitudes and being able to hold religious formulas. Such common religion is often an excuse for not having faith. Strange isn’t it? Faith is having the security to be insecure, the security to live in another identity than our own and to find our value and significance in that larger union.” (Gal. 2:20)
“It seems the real revolution, which we still have trouble accepting, is the Gospel, which tells us to work for justice for others but not to demand, expect, or even need it for ourselves. That is extraordinary freedom.”
“We must never think we are building up God by putting humanity down.”
“We begin here.”
...Rohr continues to illuminate perspective
“Religious education has for years given people answers to questions they’re not asking. The people accept answers quickly and easily. And the answers go about an inch deep. And the people, all too often, spout the answers for the rest of their lives.” “…such knowledge can pass away as quickly as it came, because we never thirsted for it. Until we make space inside, what comes is not an answer but an excuse – an excuse not to face the question, an excuse to stop searching, to avoid the journey.”
“The mystery of why there are thorns on the rose eventually becomes a question of who God is”
“Is Jesus your ‘personal lord and savior’? This phrase has become very popular, even though it’s very recent, and very individualistic. I get letters every week from people telling me they have made Jesus their lord and savior. I’m glad they have, but it’s going to take most of us all our lives to know what that means.”
“The church is filled with people who are living on hearsay.”
“Don’t let anyone tell you that theology and belief have not evolved.”
“God created a definition of good that seems to include evil.”
“The New Testament metaphor of Gehenna, the garbage dump of Jerusalem, ‘where the worm never dies and the fire never goes out,’ (Isa. 66:24) didn’t help us much either. For some self-loathing reason we tend to take negative metaphors literally and dismiss positive metaphors – such as, ‘your names are written in heaven’ (Luke 10:20) – as innocuous poetry.”
“But faith does not mean having answers; it means being willing to live without answers. Cultural faith and civil religion tend to define faith poorly and narrowly as having certitudes and being able to hold religious formulas. Such common religion is often an excuse for not having faith. Strange isn’t it? Faith is having the security to be insecure, the security to live in another identity than our own and to find our value and significance in that larger union.” (Gal. 2:20)
“It seems the real revolution, which we still have trouble accepting, is the Gospel, which tells us to work for justice for others but not to demand, expect, or even need it for ourselves. That is extraordinary freedom.”
“We must never think we are building up God by putting humanity down.”
“We begin here.”
...Rohr continues to illuminate perspective
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Something for the Road
Well...after a two month absence...Here is what I have for you...
"Meditation means to let the word descend from our minds into our hearts and thus become enfleshed. Meditation means eating the word, digesting it, and incorporating it concretely into our lives."
-words from and inspired by Henri Nouwen
What is God trying to teach you today?
"Meditation means to let the word descend from our minds into our hearts and thus become enfleshed. Meditation means eating the word, digesting it, and incorporating it concretely into our lives."
-words from and inspired by Henri Nouwen
What is God trying to teach you today?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
On the fly...
I was reading out of a John Shelby Spong book this morning and had to post this quote...
"The task of the modern Christian is to have the living Word that moves beneath the literal words of the Bible erupt to call people into life and into the task of building an inclusive community where Christ is seen in all persons, where those in Christ can begin to respect the dignity of every human being, and where all people can begin to repsond to the presence of God that is over, under, around, and through all of life."
Wow...
"The task of the modern Christian is to have the living Word that moves beneath the literal words of the Bible erupt to call people into life and into the task of building an inclusive community where Christ is seen in all persons, where those in Christ can begin to respect the dignity of every human being, and where all people can begin to repsond to the presence of God that is over, under, around, and through all of life."
Wow...
Friday, August 13, 2010
Those Unspoken Of
I came across three verses in Matthew that floored me. In Matthew 27:51-53 there is an amazing phenomenon mentioned that no other Gospel mentions. I don’t remember ever hearing about this in a sermon or teaching. It seems like such a huge event just to be limited to one Gospel account. I mean, if you were an eye witness to this, it would make turning water into wine a minor detail. But there it is brushed over in Matthew alone with no New Testament hint anywhere else. Come on. Click on the link and scroll down. You gotta read this for yourself.
Those unspoken of is a fascinating category. Groups of people, verses, stories, individuals, and rules are a few of the infamous members that get the silent treatment. Although we could go many directions with this topic I want to hang out in the realm of Scripture for a brief moment. I love reading or hearing about verses that have gotten the silent treatment in my life. I love having conversations about obscure and difficult passages of Scripture. Internetmonk.com recently started a great series of posts over difficult passages of Scripture. Here is an example. Those unspoken of are deserving of our attention. Whether it’s Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison from Noah’s day (1 Peter 3:18-20) or a scandalous inclusive verse like 1 Timothy 4:10 we need to at least acknowledge the presence of those unspoken of. So what about you? What are some unspoken mysteries you’ve come across lately?
Those unspoken of is a fascinating category. Groups of people, verses, stories, individuals, and rules are a few of the infamous members that get the silent treatment. Although we could go many directions with this topic I want to hang out in the realm of Scripture for a brief moment. I love reading or hearing about verses that have gotten the silent treatment in my life. I love having conversations about obscure and difficult passages of Scripture. Internetmonk.com recently started a great series of posts over difficult passages of Scripture. Here is an example. Those unspoken of are deserving of our attention. Whether it’s Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison from Noah’s day (1 Peter 3:18-20) or a scandalous inclusive verse like 1 Timothy 4:10 we need to at least acknowledge the presence of those unspoken of. So what about you? What are some unspoken mysteries you’ve come across lately?
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Ubuntu
I first encountered the word Ubuntu (pronounced oo-BOON-too) in this amazing article. I strongly encourage you to read the article. I wanted to learn more about Ubuntu so I purchased Michael Battle’s book Ubuntu: I in You and You in Me . Here is what I’ve learned so far…
Ubuntu is an African philosophy of personhood. It is an African way of seeing a person. It emphasizes the communal and spiritual dimension of human identity and challenges the philosophy of individualism. Ubuntu is about the interconnection of human beings on a global scale as well as the interconnection of human beings living across the street from one another. Michael Battle argues that Ubuntu teaches us that the only true way to know self is in community. It helps us see how we all are inextricably linked together. I cannot help but think about Paul’s words about the Body of Christ: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Desmond Tutu describes Ubuntu like this:
“A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”
There is an African idiom that states, “A person is a person through other persons.” In other words no one can be human alone. We are created for relationships by a Relationship. Ubuntu, according to Battle, is “the development of the kind of character in a person who proves a neighbor to a stranger and welcomes them as friends.” It does not presuppose that individuals lose their unique personalities, but it never loses sight of their place in the whole. Understanding Ubuntu means we realize that we are all connected. As Tutu proclaims we must begin by understanding that as much as God loves us, God equally loves our enemies. Ubuntu connects us with our enemies. Our healing is connected to theirs. Jesus is in the business of drawing all people to Himself. Ubuntu reminds us that we are each a God-carrier, a tabernacle of the Holy Spirit. Without a communal dimension there is a danger that we confuse self with God.
For this last section I want to pass on some of the more provocative thoughts from Battle. He suggests that what we often call a personal relationship with God in the West is shorthand for my own version of God. Instead of seeing ourselves made in the image of God, we create God from our own image. He counters the Bible Belt question “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?” with “Do you have a communal relationship with Jesus?” Try starting an invitation to the altar with that one. It sounds so foreign because we’ve never been asked that question. Does a communal relationship with Jesus matter just as much as a personal relationship with Jesus? Does it carry the same salvific importance? Is it possible to argue that my very salvation is dependent on yours? That’s radical stuff for Western ears to hear…almost as radical as asking a thief to become your treasurer.
Thoughts?
Ubuntu is an African philosophy of personhood. It is an African way of seeing a person. It emphasizes the communal and spiritual dimension of human identity and challenges the philosophy of individualism. Ubuntu is about the interconnection of human beings on a global scale as well as the interconnection of human beings living across the street from one another. Michael Battle argues that Ubuntu teaches us that the only true way to know self is in community. It helps us see how we all are inextricably linked together. I cannot help but think about Paul’s words about the Body of Christ: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Desmond Tutu describes Ubuntu like this:
“A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”
There is an African idiom that states, “A person is a person through other persons.” In other words no one can be human alone. We are created for relationships by a Relationship. Ubuntu, according to Battle, is “the development of the kind of character in a person who proves a neighbor to a stranger and welcomes them as friends.” It does not presuppose that individuals lose their unique personalities, but it never loses sight of their place in the whole. Understanding Ubuntu means we realize that we are all connected. As Tutu proclaims we must begin by understanding that as much as God loves us, God equally loves our enemies. Ubuntu connects us with our enemies. Our healing is connected to theirs. Jesus is in the business of drawing all people to Himself. Ubuntu reminds us that we are each a God-carrier, a tabernacle of the Holy Spirit. Without a communal dimension there is a danger that we confuse self with God.
For this last section I want to pass on some of the more provocative thoughts from Battle. He suggests that what we often call a personal relationship with God in the West is shorthand for my own version of God. Instead of seeing ourselves made in the image of God, we create God from our own image. He counters the Bible Belt question “Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?” with “Do you have a communal relationship with Jesus?” Try starting an invitation to the altar with that one. It sounds so foreign because we’ve never been asked that question. Does a communal relationship with Jesus matter just as much as a personal relationship with Jesus? Does it carry the same salvific importance? Is it possible to argue that my very salvation is dependent on yours? That’s radical stuff for Western ears to hear…almost as radical as asking a thief to become your treasurer.
Thoughts?
Monday, July 12, 2010
Journey of We
It seems like forever since I posted last...I recently finished Michael Spencer's Mere Churchianity. I've been following his blog for the past 2 years. I never had the opportunity to meet him or have a conversation with him but I've been impacted by him through his writing. The Internet Monk has been my Internet Paul. He has challenged me to love like Jesus loves. He has challenged me to bring the conversation back to Jesus. He has challenged me to be more transparent and honest in life. The words he left with us in Mere Churchianity reflect an honest, vulnerable pursuit of a Jesus-shaped life.
Like much of Michael's writing, Mere Churchianity isn't your politically correct user friendly version of how to be a better Christian. It's an honest look at modern day western Christianity from the perspective of a self ascribed post-evangelical, reformation-loving Jesus follower in search for what he terms "Jesus-shaped spirituality." The provocative title is classic. There is no question that the Western instututional church is called out in many areas in this book. In fact the first part of the book is dedicated to the Jesus disconnect in western church culture. At one point Michael claims that the Western church's dilemma is that it "doesn't look like Jesus, act like Jesus, or promote the agenda of Jesus" and the reason the church got distracted from Jesus-shaped Christianity is that "discipleship got lost in a fog of church traditions, human rules, and religious culture." As heavy as those statements are I don't want to give you the impression that this is a church bashing book. It's not. It's a call live as Jesus lived. Michael is unrelenting with his focus on Jesus-shaped spirituality. It's about asking Jesus-related questions before you ask any others. It's about the equation "Salvation = Jesus + nothing" instead of "Salvation = Jesus + church." It's about being honest in what it means to be human and messed up. It's about being forgiven. It's about creating a community of vulnerable, recovering ship-wrecked people. It's about humbly placing our confidence in Christ. It's about Kingdom living. It's about loving and serving the least of these. It's about discipleship being a call to me but a transformational journey of we. It's about Jesus. I highly recommend this book for anyone on the journey. May we continue to learn, unlearn, and relearn...
Like much of Michael's writing, Mere Churchianity isn't your politically correct user friendly version of how to be a better Christian. It's an honest look at modern day western Christianity from the perspective of a self ascribed post-evangelical, reformation-loving Jesus follower in search for what he terms "Jesus-shaped spirituality." The provocative title is classic. There is no question that the Western instututional church is called out in many areas in this book. In fact the first part of the book is dedicated to the Jesus disconnect in western church culture. At one point Michael claims that the Western church's dilemma is that it "doesn't look like Jesus, act like Jesus, or promote the agenda of Jesus" and the reason the church got distracted from Jesus-shaped Christianity is that "discipleship got lost in a fog of church traditions, human rules, and religious culture." As heavy as those statements are I don't want to give you the impression that this is a church bashing book. It's not. It's a call live as Jesus lived. Michael is unrelenting with his focus on Jesus-shaped spirituality. It's about asking Jesus-related questions before you ask any others. It's about the equation "Salvation = Jesus + nothing" instead of "Salvation = Jesus + church." It's about being honest in what it means to be human and messed up. It's about being forgiven. It's about creating a community of vulnerable, recovering ship-wrecked people. It's about humbly placing our confidence in Christ. It's about Kingdom living. It's about loving and serving the least of these. It's about discipleship being a call to me but a transformational journey of we. It's about Jesus. I highly recommend this book for anyone on the journey. May we continue to learn, unlearn, and relearn...
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