two nights ago, our community did some advent reading/reflection. this is my favourite time of the year...probably because i'm drawn most strongly to the mystery of our faith at christmas. and to be honest, sometimes i need that 'drawing' feeling. at the end of the day...it's an incredible story.
some of you may practice advent, so this is 'old hat'. but some of you might be clueless when it comes to the age-old traditions of liturgical practice. note: all the 'tradition' stuff becomes clearer/simpler when you realize that the church has been doing what it does for two millennia. this path we walk is well-trodden.
which is why one thought on friday really struck me. advent is not about celebrating Christ's birth/coming; that feast/celebration formally starts on christmas eve. no...advent is not technically part of the celebration.
it's a time of remembering...a time of awakening to how much we NEED him to come.
have you ever stopped in the furious activity of the season to think and feel through how badly our world needs jesus? HE is what we need...
his infantile innocence
his bold and abrasive disdain for religiousity
his care for lost and broken ones
his selfless sacrifice
our businesses, our schools, our relationships.
our hearts.
we need Him.
what do you think?
sw
I have often thought about the consequences of truly encountering Jesus in the everyday. I know I often get distracted by the comings and goings and doings and beings...that I forget that He waits for me in even the most simplest of tasks. Christmas makes this come alive in my heart...Jesus, in the simplest of ways coming to me...pushing for me to realize what only He can give. Peace. Not only for me...but through me.
This becomes painfully apparent for me as I reflect on some of my current relationships. The final vision of the dream of the Church is that not only will all men and women recognise that they are brothers and sisters called to live in unity but all members of God's creation will come together in complete harmony. Jesus the Christ came to realise that vision. Long before he was born, the prophet Isaiah saw it:
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the panther lie down with the kid,
calf, lion and fat-stock beast together,
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear will graze,
their young will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like the ox.
The infant will play over the den of the adder;
the baby will put his hand into the viper's lair.
No hurt, no harm will be done
on all my holy mountain,
for the country will be full of knowledge of Yahweh
as the waters cover the sea.
(Isaiah 11:6-9)
I am reminded at Christmas that we must keep this vision alive. “I am doing my Christmas dreaming a little early this year” is the lyric, but I think I would rather sing, I am Being His Christmas dream, a little early, and prayerfully all year...
Thoughts?
j
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
NEW
This is a poem written by our friend Jackie. It captures the heart of a journey...
thoughts?
Life is calling out
In a language I’ve never heard
Words and cadence
That frighten and excite me
That stir and entice me
Calling
To listen
Silent rhythm
Beating to be still
Ears that don’t hear
The usual
Eyes that don’t look
For what’s seen
Skin that feels
Unfelt
And disease free
The sky speaks no lies
And the truth of beauty
I can’t deny
Vastness and abundance
Drown pettiness
Until I die
And something better comes alive
Connecting with this
Naturally perfect
So forgotten
And overlooked
Grows in desire
Until life is not lived
Unless here
In the place of
This peace
With the silent rhythm
Life calling me out
With fear and trembling
I embrace.
thoughts?
Life is calling out
In a language I’ve never heard
Words and cadence
That frighten and excite me
That stir and entice me
Calling
To listen
Silent rhythm
Beating to be still
Ears that don’t hear
The usual
Eyes that don’t look
For what’s seen
Skin that feels
Unfelt
And disease free
The sky speaks no lies
And the truth of beauty
I can’t deny
Vastness and abundance
Drown pettiness
Until I die
And something better comes alive
Connecting with this
Naturally perfect
So forgotten
And overlooked
Grows in desire
Until life is not lived
Unless here
In the place of
This peace
With the silent rhythm
Life calling me out
With fear and trembling
I embrace.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
rubbed raw
I just finished watching a documentary called "When Shall They Ask". My grandpa recommended it to me as it tells the story of the Mennonites in Russia during the early part of the 20th century. This is where my family comes from, better said, where they fled from.
Our family roots lie in religious persecution. My great grandfather and his sister fled the vicious Bolshevik outrage at anything that smelled like religion and prosperity...both of which were found in the Mennonite communities. Great-Grandpa Neufeld fled after watching his family massacred.
He never talked about what happened. Ever. Not to his wife. Not to his kids. Not to his friends. What we know has been pieced together for 90 years.
It has started me thinking about the cause of the unrest and revolution amongst the peasants in Russia. They were starving and the rich were getting richer. And someone saw the pain and anguish...and acted.
The old Marxist slogan was “Rub raw the sense of discontent”. It motivated a people who had given up life to "this is just the way it is" to acting towards change...acting at all costs. Note: *This is not something I am writing in support of Marxist ideology but rather a reflection on what motivates people to act with such passion that entire nations shift? Early Marxists knew how to create the environment of unrest, of revolution, of passionate movement.
How do we become provokers of this sense of discontent and so awaken a hunger to move hearts towards what could be?
Holy unrest.
Unsettling dissatisfaction.
Passionate inquest.
Insatiable desire.
What keeps us in the 'system' of what is? Fear.
Fear that we will not be loved.
Fear that we will be rejected.
Fear that we will be refused the relationships we so desperately want...and need.
Fear of being unpopular, of being criticized, of being seen as trouble.
And just a note: how many of us have been reading this in from the perspective of the church vs. the world?
We must look our discontentment, and that of so many of our brothers and sisters who have walked away from what we have called 'the church', in the face and rub it raw.
And maybe find some salt and rub it in the wounds...not in anger or rage or vengence or selfish frustration...but simply to bring truth to what seems overwhelmingly real. We have to stop settling for what is as though we are powerless and without hope. Love pushes us to ask hard questions...and pushes us to ask them in a way that honours Jesus.
Could lots of this come down to self preservation? I just don't want to risk me. I think the word is selfishness.
Think about it like this (to take a step away from the personal nature of trying to grapple with the church as it is):
Why do I (personally) do very little or nothing about the great injustices of our day?
Poverty
Abuse
Child Prostitution
Widows
Orphans
Disregard for our bodies, our planet, and our fellow man
Shall I continue?
"But what can I do?" Well now...that is the question. Maybe Jesus knows.
I am realizing in my own heart, that the hinge of my future is 'when will I live as though I had nothing left to loose'? Could it be that the future swings on the hinges of :When will I stop living for me...and live for Him, and those He loves.
Greater love has no man than this...
This is how they will know you are my disciples...
Love.
Maybe then...the ‘church’ we so highly criticize will be the place where miracles happen.
Thoughts?
j
good thoughts.
i think i've said this to you before...
several years ago i was wallowing in dark clouds of frustration/disillusionment with 'church'. surprise surprise. :)
i was sitting in a gathering that had nothing to do with any of that, and i sensed the Holy Spirit gently prod my mind: 'Scott, remember...YOU are the church.'
all of sudden, the source of my 'discontent' came clearly into focus. it was all clearly 'reflected' from what i projected as the 'church's shortcomings' back onto my own lack and inconsistency. i'd been projecting problems as the "organization's"...when most of them were part of a large log-jam hanging out of my own eye. the 'church' can't have issues without me having issues.
sometimes i wonder how to rub raw the spots where 'we' have fallen short...
because, if i'm not honest, i loose perspective on how it's not really about 'the church'...
And it comes down to me.
sw
Our family roots lie in religious persecution. My great grandfather and his sister fled the vicious Bolshevik outrage at anything that smelled like religion and prosperity...both of which were found in the Mennonite communities. Great-Grandpa Neufeld fled after watching his family massacred.
He never talked about what happened. Ever. Not to his wife. Not to his kids. Not to his friends. What we know has been pieced together for 90 years.
It has started me thinking about the cause of the unrest and revolution amongst the peasants in Russia. They were starving and the rich were getting richer. And someone saw the pain and anguish...and acted.
The old Marxist slogan was “Rub raw the sense of discontent”. It motivated a people who had given up life to "this is just the way it is" to acting towards change...acting at all costs. Note: *This is not something I am writing in support of Marxist ideology but rather a reflection on what motivates people to act with such passion that entire nations shift? Early Marxists knew how to create the environment of unrest, of revolution, of passionate movement.
How do we become provokers of this sense of discontent and so awaken a hunger to move hearts towards what could be?
Holy unrest.
Unsettling dissatisfaction.
Passionate inquest.
Insatiable desire.
What keeps us in the 'system' of what is? Fear.
Fear that we will not be loved.
Fear that we will be rejected.
Fear that we will be refused the relationships we so desperately want...and need.
Fear of being unpopular, of being criticized, of being seen as trouble.
And just a note: how many of us have been reading this in from the perspective of the church vs. the world?
We must look our discontentment, and that of so many of our brothers and sisters who have walked away from what we have called 'the church', in the face and rub it raw.
And maybe find some salt and rub it in the wounds...not in anger or rage or vengence or selfish frustration...but simply to bring truth to what seems overwhelmingly real. We have to stop settling for what is as though we are powerless and without hope. Love pushes us to ask hard questions...and pushes us to ask them in a way that honours Jesus.
Could lots of this come down to self preservation? I just don't want to risk me. I think the word is selfishness.
Think about it like this (to take a step away from the personal nature of trying to grapple with the church as it is):
Why do I (personally) do very little or nothing about the great injustices of our day?
Poverty
Abuse
Child Prostitution
Widows
Orphans
Disregard for our bodies, our planet, and our fellow man
Shall I continue?
"But what can I do?" Well now...that is the question. Maybe Jesus knows.
I am realizing in my own heart, that the hinge of my future is 'when will I live as though I had nothing left to loose'? Could it be that the future swings on the hinges of :When will I stop living for me...and live for Him, and those He loves.
Greater love has no man than this...
This is how they will know you are my disciples...
Love.
Maybe then...the ‘church’ we so highly criticize will be the place where miracles happen.
Thoughts?
j
good thoughts.
i think i've said this to you before...
several years ago i was wallowing in dark clouds of frustration/disillusionment with 'church'. surprise surprise. :)
i was sitting in a gathering that had nothing to do with any of that, and i sensed the Holy Spirit gently prod my mind: 'Scott, remember...YOU are the church.'
all of sudden, the source of my 'discontent' came clearly into focus. it was all clearly 'reflected' from what i projected as the 'church's shortcomings' back onto my own lack and inconsistency. i'd been projecting problems as the "organization's"...when most of them were part of a large log-jam hanging out of my own eye. the 'church' can't have issues without me having issues.
sometimes i wonder how to rub raw the spots where 'we' have fallen short...
because, if i'm not honest, i loose perspective on how it's not really about 'the church'...
And it comes down to me.
sw
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Hide and Seek
How to Hide Jesus by Steve Turner
By Hamo on Poetry
There are people after Jesus.
They have seen the signs.
Quick, let’s hide Him.
Let’s think; carpenter,
fishermen’s friend,
disturber of religious comfort.
Let’s award Him a degree in theology,
a purple cassock
and a position of respect.
They’ll never think of looking here.
Let’s think;
His dialect may betray Him,
His tongue is of the masses.
Let’s teach Him Latin
and seventeenth century English,
they’ll never think of listening in.
Let’s think;
humble,
Man of Sorrows,
nowhere to lay His head.
We’ll build a house for Him,
somewhere away from the poor.
We’ll fill it with brass and silence.
It’s sure to throw them off.
There are people after Jesus.
Quick, let’s hide Him.
By Hamo on Poetry
There are people after Jesus.
They have seen the signs.
Quick, let’s hide Him.
Let’s think; carpenter,
fishermen’s friend,
disturber of religious comfort.
Let’s award Him a degree in theology,
a purple cassock
and a position of respect.
They’ll never think of looking here.
Let’s think;
His dialect may betray Him,
His tongue is of the masses.
Let’s teach Him Latin
and seventeenth century English,
they’ll never think of listening in.
Let’s think;
humble,
Man of Sorrows,
nowhere to lay His head.
We’ll build a house for Him,
somewhere away from the poor.
We’ll fill it with brass and silence.
It’s sure to throw them off.
There are people after Jesus.
Quick, let’s hide Him.
nice...disturbing piece.
i like how the poet shines light on how the historical jesus (a first century, bi-vocational 'prophet' living under a death warrant) has been obscured by the Church proper. i agree that over time he's been dressed up and made eloquent through our repeated translations of copiously copied texts...and in some cases, he's been obscured.
was thinking though...
i read a snip-it out of a book today...another treatise on how a truly committed xian community should be marked by visible justice. and in many ways, i'm thankful for this author joining the growing ranks of evangelicals who are 'recovering' the 'hidden' jesus, the jesus certainly marked by passionate anti-religiousity and, simultaneously, traditional Hebrew expressions of justice. our particular faith strain had hidden this jesus long enough.
but i must also confess...and i don't know if we've talked about this bro...that i'm getting tired of this point being the main thrust/thesis of every 'progressive', xian book i pick up. it's not that i live a life of incredible justice, or that the Church has tilted its hear to ear the prophetic edge of these writers across the continent. no...what i'm wondering is if, by focusing on this 'lost' jesus, we're hiding him in other ways.
i wonder sometimes what our society would be like if all xian communities read jesus' justice teaching literally and radically. would xian protests again corporate greed and homelessness and immigrant exploitation then become normative? would more people 'see'/meet jesus (aka 'get saved') just because we became radical in a way we haven't been?
am thinking that while the world needs that jesus and that Church in some ways...the popular xian publishing that hinges on this concept reminds me that we don't believe that the world needs justice alone. i believe that jesus is primarily concealed when we do not share/reflect his answering of both temporal AND eternal questions. making jesus 'cool' and 'relevant' to our society's issues [by handing out day-old bread or protesting global warming] may fill our buildings and increase our public persona, but it doesn't guarantee that we've stopped hiding jesus.
thoughts?
sw
i like how the poet shines light on how the historical jesus (a first century, bi-vocational 'prophet' living under a death warrant) has been obscured by the Church proper. i agree that over time he's been dressed up and made eloquent through our repeated translations of copiously copied texts...and in some cases, he's been obscured.
was thinking though...
i read a snip-it out of a book today...another treatise on how a truly committed xian community should be marked by visible justice. and in many ways, i'm thankful for this author joining the growing ranks of evangelicals who are 'recovering' the 'hidden' jesus, the jesus certainly marked by passionate anti-religiousity and, simultaneously, traditional Hebrew expressions of justice. our particular faith strain had hidden this jesus long enough.
but i must also confess...and i don't know if we've talked about this bro...that i'm getting tired of this point being the main thrust/thesis of every 'progressive', xian book i pick up. it's not that i live a life of incredible justice, or that the Church has tilted its hear to ear the prophetic edge of these writers across the continent. no...what i'm wondering is if, by focusing on this 'lost' jesus, we're hiding him in other ways.
i wonder sometimes what our society would be like if all xian communities read jesus' justice teaching literally and radically. would xian protests again corporate greed and homelessness and immigrant exploitation then become normative? would more people 'see'/meet jesus (aka 'get saved') just because we became radical in a way we haven't been?
am thinking that while the world needs that jesus and that Church in some ways...the popular xian publishing that hinges on this concept reminds me that we don't believe that the world needs justice alone. i believe that jesus is primarily concealed when we do not share/reflect his answering of both temporal AND eternal questions. making jesus 'cool' and 'relevant' to our society's issues [by handing out day-old bread or protesting global warming] may fill our buildings and increase our public persona, but it doesn't guarantee that we've stopped hiding jesus.
thoughts?
sw
i am end up reflecting on how trend driven we are...it is as though we wait for the next brand stamp to determine who or how we should be as the 'church'.
We wait and watch...looking for the next success story, so that we can model ourselves after that, copy that, do that, be like that...and in the process we paint a picture of a Jesus who is blury and hard to understand.
Why? because He is very often seen only through the lens of success.
I am not against cool, hip, suave, or slick...i just long for something more...for me...for everyone.
It is as though we have in some way returned to the days where the priest stood as the representative of God to the people...only now we have a personal relationship with Jesus but we wait for someone to interpret the church and the church's activities for us.
The essence of the Gospel is love. for Him. and for him/her. Both require a very personal reality of Jesus that is alive and transforming.
the doing comes out of the being...it has to. and i for one am tired of strategies and ideas that do not, at the end of the day, awaken, strengthen and draw deeper my love for Him and for him/her.
does this make any sense?
j
We wait and watch...looking for the next success story, so that we can model ourselves after that, copy that, do that, be like that...and in the process we paint a picture of a Jesus who is blury and hard to understand.
Why? because He is very often seen only through the lens of success.
I am not against cool, hip, suave, or slick...i just long for something more...for me...for everyone.
It is as though we have in some way returned to the days where the priest stood as the representative of God to the people...only now we have a personal relationship with Jesus but we wait for someone to interpret the church and the church's activities for us.
The essence of the Gospel is love. for Him. and for him/her. Both require a very personal reality of Jesus that is alive and transforming.
the doing comes out of the being...it has to. and i for one am tired of strategies and ideas that do not, at the end of the day, awaken, strengthen and draw deeper my love for Him and for him/her.
does this make any sense?
j
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
the roar of the crowd
last night, my dad and i were at the canucks game (courtesy of good friends in high places...chuckle). about halfway through the second period, it was announced that Barack Obama was the president elect of the US. and everyone cheered. a crowd of 18,000+ drunk canadians roared in approval. loudly.
i was surprised. honestly.
are the canucks that bad that Obama could inspire such a cheer...on a night that they won 4-0? :)
what else was was happening last night? what did it say about our culture...that a foreign election could inspire canadian sportsfans?
and what does it say about me when i didn't cheer?
not sure what to think.
sw
I have wondered that...what else is going on. Canada is a unique place in terms of social reality. Our Mosaic demands openness and liberality. And yet we have little tolerance for that which smacks of narrowmindedness or fundamentalism.
We have a very unique way of processing life north of the 49th parallel. It's one where we live out egalitarian ideals, the equality of people with respect to social, political or economic rights and privileges. We believe that anyone who sticks their head to far about the crowd should be decapitated...thus our mistrust of leaders, corporations, and large organizations. Its why we love potential leaders and have little use for them when they become THE leader.
I read recently B.W. Powe's take on the Canadian/US relationship. His take was that Canada is like Athens, cerebral and contemplative, during the time of Sparta(a vibrant military society).
Could it be that we respond to the recent events in the US because we see a leader who most reflects who we are and who we are becoming? Could we be responding to our love of the underdog? Could we be responding to our fear of what we have been almost forced into accepting simply because of relationship?
Or could we simply be living out what we do best: critical analysis, critique and enjoyment of proceedings that require very little of our active involvement or commitment.
I sat in meetings recently...and felt the underbelly of the entire room rumbling...even seething at times...yet very few voiced anything. It seems we are great at being vocal about things that have little personal cost or risk. How does that play out in our country? In our relationships?
I have been asked lots, who would you have voted for. I avoided the question like crazy...what does that say about me?
not sure if any of this makes sense...am thinking i would rather be watching a flames game.
jonathan
i was surprised. honestly.
are the canucks that bad that Obama could inspire such a cheer...on a night that they won 4-0? :)
what else was was happening last night? what did it say about our culture...that a foreign election could inspire canadian sportsfans?
and what does it say about me when i didn't cheer?
not sure what to think.
sw
I have wondered that...what else is going on. Canada is a unique place in terms of social reality. Our Mosaic demands openness and liberality. And yet we have little tolerance for that which smacks of narrowmindedness or fundamentalism.
We have a very unique way of processing life north of the 49th parallel. It's one where we live out egalitarian ideals, the equality of people with respect to social, political or economic rights and privileges. We believe that anyone who sticks their head to far about the crowd should be decapitated...thus our mistrust of leaders, corporations, and large organizations. Its why we love potential leaders and have little use for them when they become THE leader.
I read recently B.W. Powe's take on the Canadian/US relationship. His take was that Canada is like Athens, cerebral and contemplative, during the time of Sparta(a vibrant military society).
Could it be that we respond to the recent events in the US because we see a leader who most reflects who we are and who we are becoming? Could we be responding to our love of the underdog? Could we be responding to our fear of what we have been almost forced into accepting simply because of relationship?
Or could we simply be living out what we do best: critical analysis, critique and enjoyment of proceedings that require very little of our active involvement or commitment.
I sat in meetings recently...and felt the underbelly of the entire room rumbling...even seething at times...yet very few voiced anything. It seems we are great at being vocal about things that have little personal cost or risk. How does that play out in our country? In our relationships?
I have been asked lots, who would you have voted for. I avoided the question like crazy...what does that say about me?
not sure if any of this makes sense...am thinking i would rather be watching a flames game.
jonathan
the question of faith
I am coming to some realizations, dare I say conclusions, about this life of 'faith':
My faith is not a short cut that allows or provides me an escape from the reality of pain. It is my way through it.
My faith is not a underground bunker that keeps me from the dangers of a world locked in darkness. Its the lightning rod of love that asks me, no compells me, to venture to the very gates of hell knowing that He is there waiting for me.
My faith is not my personal hit man who gets rid of any and all opposition or competition. Its my faith that has them over for coffee and throws them a 5 course meal.
My faith is not the Jordan-esque finish with an acrobatic shot from the free throw line to win the championship. It is the average layup that sends me into overtime so I have another shot at it.
My faith is not a guarantee that I will not fail, fall, screw up, or sin. Its my faith that fills my heart with the knowledge that He is enough for me and all that I need.
My faith is not a system of belief to answer my longing for the divine. It is just Jesus.
My faith is not the solution or the answer to the questions that plague me...or should I say haunt me...
My faith forces me to find them.
jonathan
hey...
you said:
'My faith is not a system of belief to answer my longing for the divine. It is just Jesus'. and it got me thinking.
there seem to be two schools of thought operating within N. American Xianity at the moment. in one, we see an obvious emphasis placed on evaulation and reevaluation of both historical and biblical orthodoxy...with emphasis placed on attempts to be 'authentic' and 'true' to 'just Jesus' AND to interpreting/presenting Him to our culture. in the other, we see an obvious emphasis placed on evaluation and reevaluation of both historical and biblical orthodoxy...with the result being a reaffirmation of 'the system of belief' and a desire to remain 'true' to the fundamental assertions made by reformed theologians.
i want my faith to be 'just jesus'...but i CANNOT get away from both historical traditions about who jesus was or my own 'shoeboxes' that i've been given to carry him in. and while somedays i'm frustrated by those who balk at asking questions about interpretation/theology/application because of their belief/fear that we may end up compromising...i'm also struck on other days by a sense that my questioning will lead to an undermining of belief in my life and the lives of others.
maybe it's just my studies that get me thinking like this. i wonder sometimes if all believers listened to what i listen to, would belief still remain? the reality is that many of us believe/trust in the system of Xianity MORE than the revelation of jesus. and that system has significant 'flaws' and inconsistencies. my studies are a series of questions launched at that system; some days the questioning spawns greater faith [because questioning is healthy]...and on others, i'm left wondering if i haven't crossed some line.
do we not ask questions because we're afraid of the answers? are some questions off-limits? how much of our 'system of belief' is actually a well-charted course toward the essence of who jesus calls us to be?
which leads me to say...
My faith is at times a sturdy ship...powered by unseen winds and aimed at new discovery. And at other times it is a shattered piece of timber i barely cling to...a life 'preserver'...tossed and drowned in a rain-drenched sea.
some thoughts. sw
My faith is not a short cut that allows or provides me an escape from the reality of pain. It is my way through it.
My faith is not a underground bunker that keeps me from the dangers of a world locked in darkness. Its the lightning rod of love that asks me, no compells me, to venture to the very gates of hell knowing that He is there waiting for me.
My faith is not my personal hit man who gets rid of any and all opposition or competition. Its my faith that has them over for coffee and throws them a 5 course meal.
My faith is not the Jordan-esque finish with an acrobatic shot from the free throw line to win the championship. It is the average layup that sends me into overtime so I have another shot at it.
My faith is not a guarantee that I will not fail, fall, screw up, or sin. Its my faith that fills my heart with the knowledge that He is enough for me and all that I need.
My faith is not a system of belief to answer my longing for the divine. It is just Jesus.
My faith is not the solution or the answer to the questions that plague me...or should I say haunt me...
My faith forces me to find them.
jonathan
hey...
you said:
'My faith is not a system of belief to answer my longing for the divine. It is just Jesus'. and it got me thinking.
there seem to be two schools of thought operating within N. American Xianity at the moment. in one, we see an obvious emphasis placed on evaulation and reevaluation of both historical and biblical orthodoxy...with emphasis placed on attempts to be 'authentic' and 'true' to 'just Jesus' AND to interpreting/presenting Him to our culture. in the other, we see an obvious emphasis placed on evaluation and reevaluation of both historical and biblical orthodoxy...with the result being a reaffirmation of 'the system of belief' and a desire to remain 'true' to the fundamental assertions made by reformed theologians.
i want my faith to be 'just jesus'...but i CANNOT get away from both historical traditions about who jesus was or my own 'shoeboxes' that i've been given to carry him in. and while somedays i'm frustrated by those who balk at asking questions about interpretation/theology/application because of their belief/fear that we may end up compromising...i'm also struck on other days by a sense that my questioning will lead to an undermining of belief in my life and the lives of others.
maybe it's just my studies that get me thinking like this. i wonder sometimes if all believers listened to what i listen to, would belief still remain? the reality is that many of us believe/trust in the system of Xianity MORE than the revelation of jesus. and that system has significant 'flaws' and inconsistencies. my studies are a series of questions launched at that system; some days the questioning spawns greater faith [because questioning is healthy]...and on others, i'm left wondering if i haven't crossed some line.
do we not ask questions because we're afraid of the answers? are some questions off-limits? how much of our 'system of belief' is actually a well-charted course toward the essence of who jesus calls us to be?
which leads me to say...
My faith is at times a sturdy ship...powered by unseen winds and aimed at new discovery. And at other times it is a shattered piece of timber i barely cling to...a life 'preserver'...tossed and drowned in a rain-drenched sea.
some thoughts. sw
THE conversation
Scott and I are constantly in a conversation. Giggling. Glaring. Dozing. Dreaming or sipping...wrestling with a thought, an idea or the possibility of one.
In the middle of one of these conversations Scott suggested we go global. You know, publish our brilliance...just kidding. He did suggest that we invite others into our conversation.
About what specifically, you ask?
Well...Everything. In his words, "an expression of the journey we (our community) are on...and an expression of the journey we (you and i) are on. and i think we could blog both the theological...historical...cultural...marital...and the sportsical."
So...welcome to the conversation. Join in. And feel free to add, subtract, agree and/or disagree. But please, make sure you do it with a cup of strong coffee in hand(we will allow for substitutes...as long as they have nothing to do with Tim Hortons - for our american friends this is a euphemism for really poor coffee. Our euphemism. Cuz there is actually a company that makes scads of money shamelessly selling this liquid lie).
One more thing. Please don't feel the need to sound smart, coherent, chic or 'hip'. Just journey with us...towards more of Jesus. If something that is said truly sounds like the product of a little too much sumpin sumpin rolled in some tobaccy paper...well, call it like you see it. Chuckle.
Pursuing Him...or in the words of our friend Kim: Go God!
jonathan
In the middle of one of these conversations Scott suggested we go global. You know, publish our brilliance...just kidding. He did suggest that we invite others into our conversation.
About what specifically, you ask?
Well...Everything. In his words, "an expression of the journey we (our community) are on...and an expression of the journey we (you and i) are on. and i think we could blog both the theological...historical...cultural...marital...and the sportsical."
So...welcome to the conversation. Join in. And feel free to add, subtract, agree and/or disagree. But please, make sure you do it with a cup of strong coffee in hand(we will allow for substitutes...as long as they have nothing to do with Tim Hortons - for our american friends this is a euphemism for really poor coffee. Our euphemism. Cuz there is actually a company that makes scads of money shamelessly selling this liquid lie).
One more thing. Please don't feel the need to sound smart, coherent, chic or 'hip'. Just journey with us...towards more of Jesus. If something that is said truly sounds like the product of a little too much sumpin sumpin rolled in some tobaccy paper...well, call it like you see it. Chuckle.
Pursuing Him...or in the words of our friend Kim: Go God!
jonathan
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