a thought, not mine ..

http://reknew.org/2013/05/the-heresy-of-marcion-and-the-cruciform-hermeneutic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-heresy-of-marcion-and-the-cruciform-hermeneutic

consider this ...

and be blessed

peace

experience & sabbathing

we can't simply bypass experience ...

our logic
learning
addiction to information
in ever-smaller bites (and bytes)
ever-increasing desire to be titillated 24/7
... .. .

there is the stuff of experience
that can't be had elsewhere
kinda like the protein in red meat
we can substitute but it's not the same

experience
learning life's truths first-hand
in the crucible of life's experiences

when we rely on youth's
energy
intelligence ...
arrogance ?
we dismiss the wisdom
that comes from experience
and make our selves the poorer

selah

.........................................................................................................
..~..~ .. . ~ .

we can't seem to chill anymore
unless we induce it with alcohol or drugs
or entertainment
we exist in tension

sabbath lost

no more sense of rest
introspection
reflection
consideration
meditatation
relaxation

doctor to the soul

peace

as i sort out the madness

work back to ground zero
look for reality
behind what's in-my-face
the fluff
and glitter
and mud
of life

sabbathing
healing
Godward

'go and do the same'

shalom

i have god's word on it ...

"i heard sermons on that passage already ..."
"are we really going to hear about the beatitudes again?"
"i read my bible. i've read '1 corinthians' before; i know what it says. i don't need to read it again."
...

sounds like a list of excuses-for-not-really-wanting-to-dig-in-in-my-faith
kinda like "i've arrived" kinda
smacks a little of arrogance ...

i believe i'm accurate when i say
one of the better bible commentators
whose work is still used today
did his work on his knees with an open bible

i believe i'm correct when i say
one of the better preachers
whose sermons are still studied today
said, near the end of his life
"if i had more lives to live i'd use it studying the scriptures
all over again" ... , or something similar.

thing is, the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart. 13 No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account. (Heb 4.12,13)

besides the fact that 

our ideas change

and our thoughts change

so that we're not the same today as we were yesterday

and therefore approach the Scriptures as different people today vs. yesterday

...

seems the writer of hebrews treats scripture as 

alive

active

penetrating

deep

judging

exposing

i

need 

to 

be

exposed

to

the Word

regularly

....

if not

fail ...

thing is

i want to grow

up

i need god's help

i have god's Word on it

his Word

i simply cannot see my self

as anything worthwhile

to the kingdom perspective

if i am not constantly

being changed

into the image

of the Son

.. my master

my elder brother

my friend

my example

... my idol

i have god's Word on it

... dig in

shalom

kaleidoscoping .. . . .... . .. .

                                                                            (not my pic)
now that i'm paying attention ....
i see more and more butterflys

they're everywhere

and i usually don't see many at one time
just 1 or 2 here and there  ...
seems they're not much into 'kaleidoscoping', 'lekking', 'swarming' or 'rabbling'
... at least, not around here

those terms refer to the gathering of butterflies
(as in 'flock' or 'herd')
and each term has an underlying meaning
... they don't simply mean 'group'

for instance, 'rabble' denotes a swarm of animals or insects; a crowd or array of disorderly people; a disorderly collection; a confused medley.

... i take this to refer to the seeming random frolicing

as they flip and flutter - 
the confused group medlying to their own tune

'lekking' refers to the practice of gathering

... i like

it speaks to community

sharing life

'swarning' denotes movement, albeit in the same place, or movement in the same general direction, as in migration
they're busy

i haven't found a similar definition for 'kaleidoscope' ...

however, one dictionary defines it, in part, as constantly changing pattern or sequence of objects or elements

wonderful desriptive

selah

... i increasingly see evidence of movement in an old/new direction

in 'christianity'

little groups of people are moving

trying to be Jesuses to their neighbours

trying to manifest in some small way

what the kingdom looks like

and too, there are writing members

who tell about what's going on

and try to explain why it's going on

and how it all points to the kingdom

as in 'thy kingdom come'

so there's this movement

and the journey is creating a community that journeys together

ya, they look a bit like rabble

just ordinary folk

and they look confused at times

as they try to figure which way to go

but that frolicing

that flipping and fluttering

is beautiful to behold

for the way of 'christianity' has been rabbit-trailed

and doesn't look/smell/taste/sound/feel like Jesus

for the most part

in fact the rotting smell of it
has left a bad taste in the mouths of the onlookers

there needed to be re-think

and somebodys are rethinking

and re-looking

and re-examining

and re-storing

and re-theologizing

and re-teaching

... re-Jesusing

......

and it's all very cool

if you ask me

and methinks i see Jesus looking over the balustrade

watching

and pumping his fist

saying "yes! that's what i'm talkin' bout!"

there is movement

and even though it looks random

there is an underlying organisation in it

a vision

a common motivation

to see Jesus in every one

to be Jesus to every one

to bring Jesus to every one

for the ultimate allelujah-ing of God

the source

selah

.~:~.. .. . . ..~:~.. . .. . . .. ....~:~

butterflies may be a bit flimsy

look like they haven't got a care in the world

nothing to do but flicker and flitter and flip

but they're beautiful

and they often turn my mind towards God

and think how incredible he is

how wonderful

as his creation sings it loud

and bold

butterflies rock

and the ones i like to kaleidoscope with
are rabble-ing towards a kingdom
bringing it on
inviting it

living it

i pray it keeps rockin'
in Jesus' name

peace

redeeming the manure

when i think of the energy i've wasted ...

the relationships i diss'ed
the people i put off or put down or put out
pushed aside
like leftovers

the years gone to ruin

..... ...

when i think ...

i chill inside
at the hurt i have caused
the damage i've done
the places i've run from
and to
knowing none can be undone

....

selah

but then i walk away
again
i move on
i climb out of that pit
and scramble my way to the sonlight

i love the sun

it exudes life
to all that come within it's sphere of influence
and is no respecter of persons

not even i

so i look up as i walk
into the son
and bask in his energy
not in mine

and i see
i see stuff
good possibilities
maybe a chance to repent, to turn
and head in that direction

to
not from

in hope
blinding, energizing hope
charging my soul
warming my crippled heart

because i cannot see
but i can hope
and that hope is as real as ... i am
because i faith it
because he is real
as real as ... i am
and faith brings that all to reality
gives it substance
and i can touch it
provides evidence
for my oh-so-dull mind

.... selah

i love the son

he energizes me
and renews my life every day

yea, even i

if i can
you can
anyone can

that's the life the Son brings
to all who move in his direction
that look for him
diligently

go there
head there
move in that direction

he is no respecter of persons
not even you
with your truckload of baggage

i know
i been there

i am there

come on ... .. .


shalom

the mockingbird and the butterfly ...

he sees himself in the mockingbird

and becomes silent in that realization ...

and wishes he were a butterfly

doesn't have to be a particularly beautiful butterfly ....
all butterflies are beautiful

.... ..

they are delicate dancers
wonders in the wind
...

and are very unheard ...

they bring a lightness to my day
with their frolic-y and simple enjoyment of ....

being

i love to listen to the beautiful calls of the mockingbird ...
all copied
none his own
all from one mouth

but i despise his borrowed beauty
...

i wish ... ..

    butterfly .. . ... .

sick/sickening, as in, the 'church' is so in need of a makeover ...

If you've read the intro to this blog, you know one of the driving issues with me is 'where on Earth is the church Jesus built?' I have apologized for the reputation of the Christian church, have disavowed myself of several labels attached to that institution, and now simply am a follower of Jesus. You can go where you want to with that. Perhaps I'm too radical, rebellious, looking for trouble, trying to get attention for myself, on the rebound from failed religion/church/doctrine, blah blah blah ... it's cool.

I heard a comment recently that upended my brain. After sweeping up what was left of it, I thought, "this cannot be real". I did some research. What follows is the text of an article written in 2010. You decide. Any underlining, etc. is mine.

On a nationally syndicated radio program about a year ago, Alan Colmes interviewed the Rev. Wiley Drake, a pastor who once served as second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention. In the course of this interview, Drake said that he regularly prays for the death of “the usurper that is in the White House, B. Hussein Obama.”

Stunned into disbelief, Colmes asked Drake several times to clarify himself, and each time this evangelical leader confirmed that he prays that God would use whatever means necessary to strike Obama dead. When a flabbergasted Colmes asked Drake why he would do such a thing, Drake responded that he “believes the whole Bible,” including the “imprecatory psalms” in which David prays for God to slay enemies.

Drake is certainly right when he says there are vengeful psalms in the Bible. In fact, some of them are absolutely ghoulish. For example, David prays that his enemies would be buried alive (Psalm 55:15) and celebrates the prospect of watching people smash the heads of his enemies’ babies against rocks (Psalm 137:9).

We evangelicals certainly want to believe “the whole Bible,” but does this mean we’re required to pray like this? I believe not only that are we notrequired to pray like this, we are forbidden to do so. For these prayers completely contradict the way Jesus instructs us to treat our enemies.

While David and others in the Old Testament often expressed hatred toward their enemies, Jesus commands us to love (agape) our enemies (Luke 6:27). David wanted God to smite his enemies, but Jesus commands us to pray that God would bless our enemies (Luke 6:28). David prayed for God to help him vanquish his enemies, but Jesus commands us to seek to do good to them (Luke 6:27).

David prayed that God would not forgive enemies, but Jesus illustrates with His last breath upon the cross that we are to ask God to forgive them (Luke 23:24). And while David often prayed for his enemies to die, Jesus dies for His enemies and commands us to adopt the same attitude (John 13:15; Luke 6:27-35; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 Peter 2:19-23; 1 John 2:6).

Yes, we evangelicals confess that the whole Bible is divinely inspired, but we can’t regard every verse as carrying equal authority for us today. To the contrary, the New Testament makes it very clear that the authority of Jesus trumps all others. Jesus himself declares at one point, “I have testimonyweightier than that of John” (John 5:36, emphasis added).

Interestingly enough, Jesus regarded John to be the greatest of all the Old Testament prophets (Matthew 11:7-14). If Jesus’ testimony is to be given more weight than John’s, then it should certainly be given more weight than the other voices in the Old Testament, including David’s.

This is why we should not be surprised when we occasionally find Jesus replacing Old Testament commands with teachings of His own. Most famously, the Old Testament several times commanded “[e]ye for eye, and tooth for tooth,” but Jesus teaches us to “not resist an evil person” but to instead “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:38-39, 44-45, emphasis added).

Notice that while retaliating against enemies was allowed and sometimes even commanded in the Old Testament, acting this way after the advent of Christ disqualifies one from being considered a child of God. Something has clearly changed! We have moved from an old way of treating enemies under the Old Covenant to a new way of treating enemies under the New Covenant of Jesus Christ.

The change was clearly displayed as Jesus was traveling through Samaria on His way to Jerusalem. Several Samarian towns didn’t welcome the disciples, so James and John asked Jesus, “Do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” (Luke 9:54).

As vengeful as their request was, it had a precedent in the ministry of Elijah, who twice called down fire on people in that very location (2 Kings 1:7-17). One could argue that James and John were simply “believing the whole Bible.” Yet Jesus strongly rebuked them and, according to many of the oldest manuscripts, accused His disciples’ request of manifesting a different “spirit” than his own (Luke 9:55).

Think about it. Elijah calls down fire and is held up as a hero in the Old Testament, but had he done the same thing as a disciple of Jesus, he would have been rebuked and possibly accused of operating under a demonic influence!

Theologians and scholars have opinions about why there is this remarkable shift between the two Testaments. But no matter how it’s explained, it is perfectly clear that followers of Jesus are never permitted to appeal to the precedent of David, Elijah or anyone else in the Old Testament to justify treating enemies in ways that contradict the example and teachings of Jesus.

All of us have people we disagree with—even people we may call our “enemies”—but as Christ followers we’re called to bless them no matter who they are or what they’ve done. If any of us is tempted to pray otherwise, we should be prepared for a serious rebuke from our Lord Jesus!

Greg Boyd is senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul.

http://www.minnesota.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Aug10/Art_Aug10_oped2.html

I am a follower of Jesus. I will not desist from pointing to the misrepresentation of Jesus foisted on his sheep by the wolves who dress themselves in woolly clothes. Jesus regularly points to their hypocrisy, and upends their tables, their customs, and their man-made doctrines imposed on the sheep, who took it for granted that they were speaking for God as his representatives. Wicked!


shalom

traces of pharissee ..

we never know
we may think we do 
but if it's not personal, we never know exactly what people are going through in their struggles
even if we know what they are facing
we don't/can't know the depth of it
because it's not happening to us
we're not in it

i'm not dealing with this issue
he is
she is

and i'm here making comments about it
talking about them
talking disparagingly
like "why are they doing that?"
or "why don't they do this?"
"can you believe they're ..." this or that
and am amazed that they're acting the way they do

i have my opinion on their problem

and i know what they should be doing
and they're fools for not doing it

when really i don't know what is in their head
when they go to bed at night
or how destructive that relationship is
the relationship they had banked on for the rest of their life
or how difficult it is for her to raise those children alone
or how they've been thinking about suicide ...
or tried it already

think about it ...
selah

who am i?
who am i to look across at them and pass my judgement?
who am i to even comment?
who am i to?

where do i get off being their judge?

i mean, people don't know what i'm going through
i wouldn't want them talking about it
about me
about what i should do or shouldn't
about what kind of a fool i am
to be dealing with things this way....'


i did an internet search; result follows:

This more recent study found that the original list of Holmes and Rahe to be relevant today for the most part but there were some noted differences. Here is the top ten list of life stressors as found by researcher Anne Spurgeon and colleagues:
1. Death of a spouse

2. Jail sentence

3. Death of immediate family member

4. Immediate family member commits suicide

5. Getting into debt beyond means of repayment

6. Period of homelessness

7. Immediate family member seriously ill

8. Unemployment (of head of household)

9. Divorce

10. Break up of family
( http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/157571/115211/life-predictors/ )

i did a mental tally of the family and friends i'm currently in communication with
and all rate in the top 10

some are in more than once
some several times

people don't deserve this
we are not made to handle these, except on rare occasions
they're the top 10, for goodness sake
all are in
now
at the same time

and i am to sit and judge their lives?
on what authority?
am i God?
because only he knows it all
even those closest to us don't know the depth of the issues we struggle under

i will not judge them
i have to stop

i will support them
i have to make that my goal ...
not condemn
come alongside
with a cup of coffee
a listening ear
a praying heart
acknowledging God in all of it
and refusing to rely on my understanding of the way things are
(prov 3. 5,6)

i have to

besides all that
the stinging fact is that i'm failing to acknowledge
that there are spiritual forces of evil
everywhere
and they are all bent on thwarting the will of God on Earth
and on destruction

Ephesians 6 tells me my enemy is not clothed in flesh and blood
our battle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens

there's a principle i'm trying to ram into my brain
be quick to judge my self
but slow to judge another
regardless of the way things look

i am the log
they are the splinter

people hurting all around me
will i be the Accuser to them (the Satan)
or will i be Jesus to them

shalom

i want

i want to 'spend' the rest of whatever life i have here
helping

i'm tired of wanting-to
tired of that nagging desire that stirs me
from time to time

i don't want that anymore
i want do
i want live-it
i want be-it

i want to hear his story
and her story
i want to listen
after they've eaten
and showered

i want to know what happened to them
how they got 'here'
and where their 'there' was they came from

i want to watch the face
the eyes
the hands
as the story rolls out
as the drama unfolds

i want to be in their world
to learn their way

to understand

i want to know why

and i want them to meet him
him, their lover

him, the one that cares
that sorrows over them
that compassions
with heavy heart
and bloody hands
dripping the blood-ransom he paid
for them
in hope

i want the face of their souls to smile
in the light of that gospel
that brings hope back
that energizes
that the entire creation sings for ...
like they did by the rivers of Babylon
where they sat down
remembering Zion

that smells like life
new life
life worth living
life that bursts with light

and hope

the hope that now seems so left-behind
so far back there
that you have to squint to get a glimpse

because
the eikon of Creator God
lives in them
as in me
in them too
as in you

in them

he is there
i want to see him there
in them
and embrace that

i want

i want ...

shalom

thoughtful words ...

What follows is a poem I heard while listening to a message.
It spoke to me.
Maybe to you too.


i caught a glimpse of you just the other day
in the wide open eyes of that screaming baby
as my frazzled nerves
were moving me to forget
(you’re not fooling me)

i saw you shuffling down the street
begging for my loose change-
your hands stretched out and your breath
smelling like whiskey
(i almost missed you there)

i recognized your voice just underneath
the voice of that woman
when she was irritating me
with her heartless gossip-
thank you for getting my attention
just in time
before i unleashed a harsh judgment
or joined her
(you’re so good)

i love the way you come to me
in these clever disguises
holding up a mirror so i can see myself too
i’m looking for you jesus
where will you show up today?

(pdf file of the booklet resource for the sermon series. The poem, along with others Terri Churchill penned, are here ... http://media.whchurch.org/series/Animate/Animate-booklet.pdf )