In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world, the world of renunciation and supposed holiness. …
Then it was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts, the depths of their hearts where neither sin nor desire nor self-knowledge can reach, the core of their reality, the person that each one is in God’s eyes. If only they could see themselves as they really are. If only we could see each other that way all the time, there would be no more war, no more hatred, no more cruelty, no more greed…I suppose the big problem would be that we would fall down and worship each other.
I find this post from Mastin Kipp thought provoking:
“BUT, as a lover of Jesus, it breaks my heart to see so many “Christians” hate so many people. I believe to be a Christian simply means to try your best to be Christ-like, and all that means is to be as LOVING as possible. I have a tattoo of a cross on my left arm and it says on it only two words, “Be Love”. It’s my constant reminder that no matter what path we walk in the world, Love is always the bottom line. And Love has many different forms.
I believe that there is no stopping an idea whose time has come, and the time for marriage equality has come.
Jesus didn’t say, “Love the sinner, hate the sin” – he simply said above all else, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” So on behalf of all Christians, please accept my apology if any of us have made you feel hated, judged or criticized for who you were born to be – be it gay, straight or anything else.
You were made perfectly. You are perfect. And as so many stand in judgment, perhaps you could give them a little dose of Jesus and simply utter the prayer “Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.”
The life of Saint Patrick, the humble man from Britain who escaped Roman slavery and brought Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, is celebrated annually on March 17. Despite Saint Patrick’s successful Christian missionary work and his designation as the primary patron saint of Ireland, the day we commemorate his life has become associated with wearing outrageous clothing, drinking pints of Guinness, and being excessively inebriated. Without taking away the joy and camaraderie that many people feel when they celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, we should also remember Patrick’s admirable character by following his example and adhering to his moral teachings. Continue reading “Another Way to Celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day”→
Bad days can be extremely overpowering sometimes. When we’re having a bad day, everything feels wrong and the day seems to get even worse as we sink further into frustration and despair. By the end of the day, all we want to do is pull the covers up over our heads and block it all out.
When I clawed my way out of a depressive phase last year, it was a daily challenge to keep myself from falling back into that phase again. I had to go through a process of re-building my self-esteem and re-evaluating my life. But there were days when I was not very successful with these things and the negative thoughts that stayed with me for so long would interfere again. Continue reading “10 Things to Remind Yourself on a Daily Basis”→
Happy New Year, everyone! It seems many of us make New Years resolutions and in order to stay inspired as we revamp our diets or workout routines, relationships or careers, we turn to quotes and affirmations. Universally, we all seem to be able to relate to quotes and “life advice” from spiritual leaders throughout history: Gandhi, Buddha, etc. What about advice from Jesus Christ? It seems when many hear the name “Jesus Christ,” they recoil. Sides are taken, much like a debate between a staunch Republican and avid Democratic. People dont want to hear advice from Jesus Christ, yet his advice is as powerful as Buddha and Gandhi. You can put a quote from Gandhi on your Facebook wall and people will hit “Like” but put one from Jesus Christ and you might get defriended. If you can stay open minded, keep reading.
When I look into your eyes
It’s like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
Well there’s so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you’ve come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?
I won’t give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I’m giving you all my love
I’m still looking up
And when you’re needing your space
To do some navigating
I’ll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find
‘Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We’ve got a lot to learn
God knows we’re worth it
No, I won’t give up
I don’t wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I’m here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use the tools and gifts
We got yeah we got a lot at stake
And in the end,
You’re still my friend at least we didn’t tend
For us to work we didn’t break, we didn’t burn
We had to learn, how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I got, and what I’m not
And who I am
I won’t give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I’m giving you all my love
I’m still looking up
I’m still looking up
I won’t give up on us
God knows I’m tough, he knows
We got a lot to learn
God knows we’re worth it
I won’t give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I’m giving you all my love
I’m still looking up…
“Ours is a time of continual movement which often leads to restlessness, with the risk of ‘doing for the sake of doing.’ We must resist this temptation by trying ‘to be’ before trying ‘to do.’”
For those reading from the States, today is Independence Day, the peak of America‘s summer. So in the midst of cookouts and fireworks, let’s do a quick dial back to the founders.
America and its founders. Now that’s a conversation folks can get passionate about, whether in political rhetoric or some Christian circles. However, beyond any dispute on the role Christianity played in those early days, we can say undoubtedly that public opinion in 1776 considered Christians beneficial to the American republic. In short, the consensus was that Christians bring a lot of societal good in a representative democracy.
The man who led the way in articulating this benefit was John Witherspoon, founding father, Presbyterian minister and president of Princeton University, among other things. Though he flies under the radar in many history classes, Witherspoon’s influence is significant. And while he embodied the major intellectual traditions of his day, he has a helpful word on the gospel’s influence in society.
Witherspoon contended that the contribution of “true religion” to the public order is the morality of its adherents. Or said another way, the gospel’s influence on society comes by the means of transformed lives.
And this influence is stewarded by the church’s pastors. Witherspoon writes,
The return which is expected from [pastors] to the community is, that by the influence of their religious government, their people may be the more regular citizens, and the more useful members of society. I hope none here will deny, that the manners of the people in general are of the utmost moment to the stability of any civil society. When the body of a people are altogether corrupt in their manners, the government is ripe for dissolution.
Good laws may hold the rotten bark some longer together, but in a little time all laws must give way to the tide of popular opinion, and be laid prostrate under universal practice. Hence it clearly follows, that the teachers and rulers of every religious denomination are bound mutually to each other, and to the whole society, to watch over the manner of their several members.1
How might pastors influence their people to be “the more useful members of society”? Or how might they “watch over the manner of their several members”? By “feed[ing] the saints with such meals that they go out strengthened and robust and able to do the study and do the courage and do the action needed as salt and light in this world.” via Pastors, Politics, and the American Republic – Desiring God.
(First published July 19, 2011. And here’s the video version).
It happens to all of us. A friend, a family member, a coworker looks like they have picked the wrong track and are heading toward a trainwreck. Not physically, probably, but emotionally, spiritually, or relationally. I probably hear about more of these than many people because I’m one of the people that people talk to: “Jon, you’re a (social media) chaplain/pastor. You’ll know what to do. How do I stop them from wrecking everything?”
1. Maybe you are missing something. Probably not, but consider the possibility.
2. TV Movie endings are only in TV movies. If you want an intervention to always end with “How could I have been so foolish, I’m sorry, you were right,” you are going to be disappointed. Every time.
3. Humans almost always choose the short-term over the long-term. Even when the short-term looks painful, it’s because it is easier than the real hard work that would bring about long-term change.
4. Remorse and repentance aren’t the same thing. One is about getting caught. The other is about getting right. The first will only lead to avoidance. The second may lead to change.
5. Yelling almost never works. It just makes fingers go into ears.
6. Sin is fun like antifreeze is sweet. Both are delightful for the short term. And then kill you.
7. Self-destruction often isn’t evident to the self being destroyed. What looks obvious from the outside looks very different from the inside. Of course, the outside view can often see further down the track.
8. Consequence pain is often a good alarm clock. Sometimes people sleep through gentle warnings.
I know it hurts to watch. And you want to help. But sometimes the best help is to be around after the wreck. And to ask God for wisdom and clarity and the right words.
Earlier this Spring we had the chance to hear from Trip Lee on his new album and its connection to the gospel and on-the-ground sanctification. In this video he explains the gospel in two minutes.
A married couple, friends of mine, decided to make some changes in their living situation. They had always lived in the city, and now they decided they wanted to live in the country, on a lake.
They found a small, lake home. It wasn’t the house of their dreams, but when they sold their city home, they would have money to remodel it. They had saved some money, so they moved into their lake home before selling their city home.
One year passed, and the city home didn’t sell. My friends went through many changes during this time. They had times of patience and impatience. Some days they trusted God; other days they couldn’t figure out why God was making them wait so long, why God wouldn’t let them move forward with their plan. The doors just wouldn’t swing wide open.
One day, a neighbor came to visit my friends. His home on the lake was my friends’ dream home — everything they wanted, plus more. The first time my friends saw this house, they admired it, wishing they could have a home just like it, but then they forgot about the idea. They didn’t believe it could ever be possible.
The reason the neighbor came to visit my friends was that he and his wife had decided to move. He offered my friends the first option on purchasing his home.
My friends accepted his offer, and signed a purchase agreement. Within two months, they sold their city home and their small but adequate lake home. A short time later, they moved into the home of their dreams.
Sometimes, we experience times of frustration in our life. We believe we’re on track, trusting God and ourselves, yet things don’t work out. We have false starts and stops. The door refuses to swing wide open.
We may wonder if God has abandoned us, or doesn’t care. We may not understand where we’re going, or what our direction is.
Then one day we see: the reason we didn’t get what we wanted was because God had something much better planned for us.
“God is near me (or rather in me), and yet I may be far from God because I may be far from my own true self.” C. E. Roll.
Our relationship with God and our relationship with ourselves are always interwoven. Sometimes we feel disconnected from ourselves or emotionally flat. We may block the flow of communication with our deeper selves by trying to evade a difficult or painful truth. At those times we grope for some kind of contact and may even ask, “Where is God?”
God is always with us, but sometimes we are the missing party. In the past, most of us were deeply alienated from ourselves and from our Higher Power. Our first moments of spiritual awakening may have been when we saw how far we were from our true selves. This honest message from ourselves to ourselves was painful but was also a re-contact with the truth that made it possible to find God.
It was a stressful time in my life. I didn’t know what to do. I had pressing business decisions to make, and painful relationship issues to face. Everything felt like a mess.
I gathered up a few favorite books, the Bible, a journal, and some clothes. Then I headed for the mountains, a resort that was a favorite place of mine to hide out in and gather my thoughts.
I told myself, “I’m going to stay in there. Write in my journal. Pray. And meditate. I’m not coming out until I know what to do.”
After forty-eight hours of writing about my problems, praying about my problems, and meditating about my problems, I remembered something a friend had said to me.
“What are you doing?” he had asked.
“I’m trying to surrender to God’s will.”
“No you’re not, you’re trying to figure it out.”
Within six months, each of the problems I was wrestling with worked themselves out. I was either guided into an action that naturally felt right at the time, or a solution came to me. The immediate solution to each problem was the same: let go. Just surrender to the situation taking place. Sometimes, what we need to do next is surrender.
If you don’t like the word surrender, try calling it making peace.
This cartoon perfectly illustrates a profound thought. I think that when we die we will ALL find out that we were wrong. Christians, I believe that in the first ‘Monday morning meeting’ in Heaven, God will say in his best Dr. Phil imitation “Dudes — this denomination thing. What were you thinking?” Religion is man’s feeble attempt to placate and ultimately control God. God, however, has a different plan I believe. He says:
1Cor 2:9: “as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[c]14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
I’m fully aware I may be wrong about everything I believe, but I think God is more about relationship than religion. Cartoon via Anderson Layman’s Blog Uh-oh once again…………...
Bright, shiny objects! 
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