A shotgunning look into my random thought patterns, turning up surprisingly non-random, non-trivial connects on several hoopy wavelength. Your Mileage May Vary.
Purpose is important. If something doesn't do what it should we either repurpose it or throw it away.
Today I had to throw something away.
It started with a morning trip to the break area for coffee. We have a machine in our office that will custom grind a single cup of coffee's worth of beans, and brew you fresh a cup! It's very good coffee. People will often place little "Take one" snacks out, and this Christmas season has been no exception. There's been an amazing array of cookies, cake, snack, other "Junque Food" available!
"Today" there were cookies
Perfect in shape and perfect in appearance, I gladly chose my portion, and my fresh cuppajoe, and returned to my desk to go about my day and be about business. I sipped the coffee, delicious, medium roast, fresh, and amazing!
I took a bite.
nope, nothing good happenin' here.
Folks, I didn't eat any more of these cookies. They weren't stale in texture, but the taste was as if they'd spent all year soaking in plastic wrap. It's hard to explain. They were off. Almost like there were old ingredients used to make these precious things, or that they'd been sprayed with saran wrap.
They weren't good for anything but to be thrown out.
I immediately thought about what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:13:" 'You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet."
That's what needed to happen to these cookies. They were untasty, and no matter how good they looked, I knew better than to take another bite. Jesus uses the example of salt because they didn't have the same salt we had, they had sea salt, and it was possible for the actual "salt" in their salt to be washed out leaving only the tasteless impurities behind. It looked right, but it weren't right. It would still poison the ground though, so it would be thrown out.
May I, in this New Year heed the warning, and be salty salt, useful in my place.
Every decision you make alters the course of your life. Some are more significant than others. What I ate for lunch today is probably insignificant, but it could be. I don't know. I can't know how significant something that trivial may be in my life. There are decisions, however, that are significant, and that I can make them knowing they are significant, that they will change me and affect me for the rest of my life.
Many of these significant decisions are choices that are constantly being made. For instance, I choose every day to remain faithful to my wife and family. I choose to go to work, and i choose the route i take to get there. All of these choices can profoundly affect me, and i make them knowing this. One choice i made, i made a long time ago. It seems long ago at least, although, sometimes it seems like yesterday.
On Sunday morning, June 12, 1988, I made a choice. It is a choice I've made every day since. I chose to follow Jesus of Nazareth. He is the Christ, promised to crush satan's head, defeat death in resurrection, and clothe me with His righteousness when I was baptized in His name.
It's a choice that has often sobering and dire consequences. It's a choice that is never not joy-bringing, and peace-making. I don't fear many things others do but i am afraid for the souls of some.
There's a difference between your friends and people you treat in a friendly manner.
Part of it is boundary issues, you place a boundary further out from people you treat friendly than you would your friends.
Boundaries are healthy to a point, but they can be a crutch too.
If we don't set boundaries, we can compromise our character.
If we set them too far out, we can nullify the effectiveness of our character to influence others positively.
There is wisdom to learning when to treat people friendly, and when to call them your friend.
Sometimes, a little intentional placing of faith in someone you pretty sure doesn't deserve it but you do it anyway because you want to call them your friend can go a long way toward creating a better world. I think this is especially true in places where society forces us to be friendly without being friends, like work.
I'm a big believer in good habits. I don't always have them, but I know I should. Sometimes I make habits I know are bad for me. It starts innocent enough, "Sure I'd like Jelly Cake with my Bread Pudding!" Next thing you know, extra desserts are a habit.
And you're 50lbs over weight.
Good habits are harder to start I think because the reward is more ephemeral. There's usually some pleasurable carnal reward for bad habits. Sugar tastes good, laziness is self gratifying... you get the picture.
James 1:14 talks about some of the consequences of developing bad habits though: Desire leads to sin, sin leads to death. This makes developing good habits important, and indeed, James 1:2-4 talks about how testing our faith leads us first to steadfastness, then to completion. The contrast is between faith and desire. Test your faith, do not indulge your desires. I think that the same situations can lead to one or the other.
My plan over the next few months is to make some good habits, and through these good habits, my faith will be tested. These habits include:
physical
regular exercise. Jogging and weights
Intentionally eating differently. More protein, fewer carbs.
Eating less overall.
Early to bed - in bed by 11pm every night
Early to rise - up at 5am to start the day
Spiritual
Regular Devo time with the family
Praying over my kids. I mean through physical contact.
Samuel Clemens ("Mark Twain") said something to the effect of "I never let schooling get in the way of my education". Sound advice!
There's a tendency among some to think that the only place worth seeking an education is from an expert, but my Daddy taught me long ago that while schooling can TELL you many things, the best thing it will TEACH you is how to learn. By and large after that, you will be your own teacher.
This has been sound advice, and I hope you can take it. As a testimonial, I offer some of the following observations:
I frequently evaluate and critique my world view, in it, empathy plays a key role.
On this idea of empathy, I find that while some people seem to be born with a lot of it, I have learned quite a bit, both by observation and by participation.
My Grandfather thought by and large that people got the government they wanted. If something was wrong, they wanted it that way. I think he was right.
Regarding the previous point, I have learned that I am always free to do the right thing.
This brings me to some things about "Sin":
Anybody can do a particular wrong thing.
Everybody does do wrong
Nothing exists that is so heinous that nobody will do it.
There's only black and white. Whatever you think is grey is made up of myriads of good decisions inside of bad decisions inside of good decisions, etc. It's pixelated and viewed from afar. Get near to understand it, or further away to understand yourself.
It's always a good time to show grace.
That's the start of my advice to anyone who would care to hear it. I hope it's good for your "education" no matter what your age.
In the teachings of "The Sermon on the Mount", a couple of things have always stuck out to me. First: The whole thing ends with the admonition to do the things written in it and not just hear them. We sing the song about wise men, foolish men, building houses, and tell each other to "build our house on the Lord Jesus Christ" but the verse has narrower application than just being like Jesus. Specifically, we are told to DO the things just mentioned in chapters 5, 6, and the previous part of 7. We can't have a life with a firmly built foundation if we don't love our enemies, if we don't control our senses, if we constantly worry about everything. This Sermon isn't meant to be known, or merely heard, it's meant to be practiced.
The second big thing that has always stuck out to me has to do with how we handle the non-believer's favorite passage of scripture: Matthew 7:1-5.
7 “Judge not, that you be not judged.2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
We're not to judge, but the focus, instead of being externally non-judgmental, is placed on becoming internally holy. We are not to condemn others, because we know what to do, and we don't do it, so start doing what Jesus has commanded, then we might understand how sin has trapped people. We all have a problem. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has that plank Jesus talked about in Matthew 7:3-5. Believers, non-believers, back-slidden and "Saint", our sinfulness has distorted our perception to the point where we are ever seeing but never perceiving. Further, our lack of discernment in our own lives can influence how others receive our message. People refuse to believe that the grace of God saves us if we never show grace. People don't accept God's love, because they don't see God's love in us. Furthermore, if we ourselves don't take care of the sin in our lives, it cheapens the Gospel in the eyes of those still caught up in the world, the pigs and the dogs.
Because we are crippled in our ability to perceive our flaws, we are susceptible to casting our pearls before swine. That's why Jesus' command to not judge is immediate followed by a command to be very judging.
6 Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
--Matthew 7:6, ESV
The Gospel is for everybody, Jesus' love is for everybody, but there is a difference I think between the believer and non-believer. The great temptation of modern Christianity is to presume that since everyone wants to be "Good Boy" that everyone's way to God is equal, and able to save. It's a common human way of thinking. In the field of computer programming, we have an expression: TIMTOWTDI. Pronounced "Tim Toady", it means "There Is More Than One Way To Do It", and it encapsulates the idea that a problem can have more than one solution. This is true when we consider things to which we can equally relate. Our reality flattens our relationships, so there becomes more than one route to along the same plane. Our relationship to God isn't like that though. There is a limited interchange between our existence and His. This is where TIMTOWTDI breaks down. There is not more than one way to get to Him because he is transcendent. We do not exist There until such time as we die, are buried, and raise again. First in baptism (Romans 6 talks about this), then in the future, when we die physically, and are given a new body in the resurrection. Finally, as we die to ourselves each day, sanctification takes us a little bit there each day.(SEEMINGLY RANDOM SIDENOTE CONNECTION: What will happen to us in the future is given greater precedence to what's happening now, what is happening now is directly related to what God did in the past, and what happened in the past was the plan all along. This is essential to my worldview) We live for a different purpose. This is precious knowledge, and our best efforts at sharing this with others can be met with opposition because let's face it, people can be pretty horrible. Out of the same mouth comes both blesses and curses.
Sometimes it's very frustrating to deal with people who have things "Figured out man," who have deemed themselves experts in the field of religion. They quote Matthew 7:1 without hearing Matthew 7:5, much less with any consideration that they may be the pig or dog of 7:6. As we're sharing the gospel, we need to know our audience. How do they hear us? Are they dogs? Are they pigs? Many times a dog is pleasant to be around, and pigs are smart. Dogs hear without understanding, pigs eat without being filled. When you tell a dog a thing they don't understand (something like "Jesus is the only way to God"), they bark and attack: MATTHEW 7:1 YOU HIPPOCRITE! Try and give a pig real food (Jesus, after all, did say "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink."John 6:53-56), and they will turn on you "ZOMBIE/VAMPIRE JESUS IS A LIE! I FOLLOW SPAGHETTI MONSTER, HE IS THE YUM!" They mock us because they have to.
Don't give them what's sacred.
Their destruction awaits them. Until them, keep the faith you show simple: ask, seek, knock for the opportunities to share faith. Pigs and dogs are easily distractible, lead them toward God's goodness. Let them find the way, and they will remember they walk on 2 legs not 4.
Thoughts from this last Sunday:
The kids are in the other room getting Easter Baskets.
I love watching them get a "surprise". Little toys, some candy, it brings joy and helps you understand what Christ means when he said to have a "child like faith".
There's nothing happier than a 2 year old with chocolate.
Sunday service just blurs past me. The same two year old is now a handful. Scared of children's service because of the ever present threat of puppets. Never mind that last week I worked with her using a puppet, that she apparently now likes.
Sunday morning was too much.
After the kids time she goes to the two year olds' class. I caught 5-10 minutes of the sermon.
Eating at a church potluck with small children is a challenge.
And the two year old fears the Easter Bunny.
I'm home, processing the day, wondering:
Have I proclaimed that He is risen? Does anyone know what I believe?
The only direct proclamation I made all day was a single Facebook post (29 likes when I wrote this), quoting an angel at the tomb: "Why do you seek the living among the dead?"
Is this my only witness now? What else is needed?
The early Church used a sort of code, they would great each other with "He is Risen", and the person being addressed would respond: "He is Risen Indeed."
Let's think about what that means: "He" -> Jesus, born in Bethlehem, son of Mary, son of Joseph (so it was thought), son of God, savior of the world
"is" -> currently, RIGHT NOW, verifiably.
"Risen" -> Once dead, now no longer. Resurrected, without death. Not merely a reanimated corpse zombie Jesus, as the godless mock, but alive with a spiritual body that's physically discernible, rationally observed.
"indeed" -> actually, observably, physically happened, "indeed" means "in deed". A real act. Witnessed by many.
Because He is Risen In Deed, I hope to obtain the same.
I'm getting better and better. These words come from a French pharmacist turned psychologist, Émile Coué de la Châtaigneraie. According to him, by repeating this statement every day, you subconsciously influence behavior and produce positive change. I believe there is some power in believing in the positive, especially for the Christian. I'd go as far as to say this is Biblical, and commanded. It doesn't come from the rote repetition of words, but from how we practice sanctification. Sanctification is where our repentance turns to positivity, when the meaning behind our action turns from "in order to..." to "because of". We read this in the Bible: 2 Peter 1:3-11
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to[a] his own glory and excellence,[b]4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[c] and virtue with knowledge,6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.8 For if these qualities[d] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.10 Therefore, brothers,[e] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:10Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
Our lives cannot be stagnant. Jesus Christ has given us the power we need to overcome the world. We must make effort every day, and in every way to get better and better. When we gather around the table, we're renewing the pledge to make our knowledge effective, and effective knowledge makes more Christians, and makes us better and better.
Struck by their beauty, and in awe of how they lived, I listened for a deeper message. Sometimes, when you read God's word, you don't remember what you've read, until God shows you something He needs you to see, and then you will remember what you have heard or read.
These plants are not like other plants. They have a different place, and different food. Some plants live on the ground, roots deep in the soil. They have a job to do there. These plants live in trees, and their job is to be in that tree. When an air plant hits the ground, it soon begins to die. They have to stay above. People are like that, especially redeemed people.
Colossians Chapter 3 starts off like this:
1If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
We're called to set our minds on things above. We can't be down below. Just like air plants, we have to be in a different state of existence than the people who still live without Christ. To continue to exist as terrestrial plants means death for our Tillandsia, and so to, we have died in Christ and must live as something else. Doing this isn't easy. It requires constantly pruning off that which wants to keep us down:
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice,slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old selfwith its practices10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Notice that when we "put off" the old self, something new, by necessity, takes it place. Once we were rooted in the world, but when we take up the old, we must be anchored to something else. Let's remember that our anchor is to Jesus, and that we are 'being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator'.
I dislike that song.
A lot.
Recently I ran across this quoted statement on Facebook:
I am slowly and painfully learning that more people we come across in life will bear the title of "acquaintance" rather than "friend". Thank you to the few I hold so very dear.
I will be perfectly frank, the first thing I thought after reading that first sentence was:
"Thank God!"
Let me explain. I have lived a many different places in my youth. When you move around a lot you have to make friends quickly or be alone. I don't always like being alone with myself, I can drive myself crazy pretty quick. I'm probably driving some people crazy even as they read this. Usually, within a week of moving to a new place, I'm asking someone if I can be their friend. In this manner, I've had a lot of friends, most of whom are acquaintances and not friends, but that's a good thing. Concurrent with learning that true friends are hard to find, I learned that friendship is something intimate, and shouldn't be entered into lightly, nor should it be shared often. When I make a friend, I am very loyal to that person. I will not allow that person to suffer harm if I can help it. I will stand with them, stand up for them, follow them, lead them, counsel them, ask them questions, annoy them, and even suffer myself to be annoyed by them. This is different from being open with someone. To have community you need openess. Being open means you can say to someone "Hey, me too!" Openess begins with basic you're-alive-and-I'm-alive-and-we-are-both-people love, and ends in conversation. From there, you will need to decide on whether to make that person a friend. I'd say that I am ready to start becoming friends with someone when they've seen everything in my closet, and respond "Cool!", and I believe that I've seen everything in their closet, and can respond "Cool!" even if we both are a little uncomfortable with what we see.
I've been doing some thinkings about relationship formation, community, cohesion, society, individuality, and how it all orchestrates to enrich the kingdom of God.
I've had to think about what happens when someone I've trusted betrays the work we've done together.
I've had to accept myself when I've betrayed the work I've done with other people.
I've had to think about 'my neighbor'.
I've had to accept being alone.
I've had to follow the rational, logical train of implication of Marriage: "The two shall become one flesh" (if 2 =1 then when you get married, you are still alone)
I'm pretty sure I can't be a friend to myself because I'm my own worst enemy. I'll have to think about that some more.
In conclusion: Dear facebook poster: All is well! It's a good thing to have few friends.
Here's something that ROCKS! Consider it an apology for that atrocious song at the top:
Lyrics:
We place ourselves down in a position we think is safe,
the marks of the people that walk on us leave a trace,
of where we should act then they should react.
Brought up, and beat down, and then the luster lacks,
and stacks up on the minds of the ill-content.
Not every angel sent before you is even heaven sent.
We look into the eyes of the people that follow.
Time to follow the sheep the battle`s not won.
You`re just a snail, but you will never see
Surrounded by the circle of salt, that`s your destiny
You`re just a snail, but now you`ll never
Praying to God don`t let the wind blow
You lay your cards down and it`s a hundred and ten percent,
but then the thirty- five percent of the people who haven`t spent.
The time to get to know you as a person,
they just stand behind you backstabbing and straight up cursing.
Playing you down to be something that your not.
The forked tongue of the wicked rambles off piping hot killing you softly
but you will feel the sting for ever.
when was the last time your heart had been severed.
You`ve fallen twenty steps back to see what`s two steps ahead,
and then they kick you to the side of the road left for dead
because ther concern would be to not deal with ya.
To the rest of the open ears you know you have to paint a picture.
To open wounds and emirs them into salt,
there as stupid as chicken`s, but still it`s not there fault.
They just don`t know what it means to take it face to face, be long after.
Yes they leave a bad taste
I have had what I would consider an interesting life. Born into a Navy family full of travellers, I've had many opportunities to meet different people, experience different parts of the country and see different parts of the world. One of my biggest desires in life is to share the connections I see between seemingly disconnected pieces of the puzzle known as "Earth" and "Life". I believe in a God who has done, will do, and is doing strange things in an effort to help us see these connections too. We all play a small part in something I've known as "Telos" or "The End" end meaning not a stopping point, but a purpose. For a while I've seen myself in a role that has made me the proclaimer of "The Telos", a herald of the way, something most people refer to as 'preacher' or 'evangelist'. I've spent hours preparing material that basically says the same thing over and over again:
0. The Universe is apart from God, contrary to His Telos because humanity has made a Telos for itself despite the fact our knowledge of the implication of our self made Telos is limited, incomplete, and contrary to what has already been proclaimed.
1. God Himself has made a Way of reconciliation and restoration to Him.
2. Without that Way, you will not see His Telos in this 'Earth'
3. This Way is through and along side of His Son Jesus, whom He sent as Himself in the flesh
4. Your role in "The Telos" can only be realized as you walk the Way God has/will/is providing.
As I see it, ever sermon you hear will be about one of those five points.
I could be wrong, but that's what I see. Usually, when I preach, I try to combine points 1, 2, 3. I want to leave you walking along the Way. Point 4 takes the longest to workout, and accept because you will constantly be realizing your role in the Telos until the Telos is realized. Point 0 is obvious when observing the 'evil in the world', and overarches, influences, sometimes contradicts, sometimes reinforces each of the other points.
I want to help you understand that God's purpose for you is for Him and you to mold your self-made Telos into His Telos, to follow that Telos to it's finality, and to rejoice in the acceptance of its rewards.
EDIT: I've seen Telos spelled Telos, Telios, and Teleos. I don't understand there to be any differences between them all, just understand I am refering to The End of the Process in it's most generic consideration.
