Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Forgiveness adapted by James Littell from the Bible [Matthew 18:21 – 35]

Forgiveness adapted by James Littell
from the Bible [Matthew 18:21 – 35]

Peter came to Jesus and asked, “How many times should I forgive a friend who does me wrong? One time, two times?” Jesus shakes his head and Peter continued, “three times, five times...as many as seven times?”

Jesus replied. “God, Peter! How many times are you gonna ask me? And, if you are gonna keep these kind of friends, then I guess you ought to be prepared to be extremely forgiving. So, I guess more like seventy seven times!!!” Peter shockingly threw his hands in the air and said, “What the fuck, Jesus?”

Jesus yelled and began a story. “Peter! Listen! The Kingdom of Heaven, (which y'all think is in a 'galaxy far, far, away' exists in the 'here and now' on planet earth, ...but I don't have time to bring you up to speed with 'Emerging Church' theology), is kind of like Bob DeNiro's character, Sam “Ace” Rothstein from the Martin Scorsese film, Casino.”

“Rothstein had plenty of money, power and the ability to kill and have you buried in the Nevada desert when crossed. He also had some friends, clients and employees that had taken gambling markers from the Tangier's Casino and never repaid. Both Sam and the casino were interested in getting these debts off the books. So, Frankie Blue Eyes was escorted by Rothstein's personal detail into the director's office and was unable to payback the $750,000 he lost gambling six months prior. Since he couldn't pay, Sam ordered that Frankie and his wife and his three children and his entire estate be sold on the black market to repay the debt.”

“Frankie, filled with panic and fear, fell to his knees and grabbing hold of Rothstein's pant leg begged, 'Don't fuckin' do this!! I swear I can find the money! Shit man, really? Don't hurt my children!! Fuck my life! I will do anything. I can pay it back! Please just give me more time! Please?' So, the Tangier's Casino having granted Rothstein the authority to cancel debts took pity on old Blue Eyes and erased everything he owed from the books.”

At that moment, Peter gasped and reached for his sword out of sheer habit! Jesus reacted, “What the hell are you doing? It is just the two of us and I Am telling the story. Relax, I Am not done yet. Geesh!” Peter holstered his sword and muttered, “O.K. Jesus”, as he bashfully kicked a stone with his left foot.

Jesus continued. “Frankie, who had been earning his living as a landlord, returned to his family and hugged and kissed his wife and children. Then he went out to visit a tenant who owed him $6,000 in back rent. Blue Eyes screamed at the tenant and while having him pinned by the neck up against the wall he yelled, 'You are gonna pay me that $6,000 you owe me you Jew fuck! You fuckin' momo! You are gonna pay me back every last Goddamn cent, so help me God and Mary mother and Joseph!! Do you hear me? I promise if you don't pay me, you will not live to see your daughter's birth!'”

“After that outburst, the tenant grabbed Frankie's ankle and pleaded, 'Don't fuckin' do this!! I swear I can find the money! Shit man, really? Fuck my life! I will do anything. I can pay it back! Please just give me more time! Please?' So, old Blue Eyes, being a real son of a bitch, had his minions evict the tenant and taken to the desert to be buried alive.”

Peter again whipped out his sword impulsively and wanted to attack Frankie Blue Eyes. Jesus laughed so hard he wept. “Peter, put your sword back in its sleeve. Frankie is a character and I am just using this story to illustrate one of the ways you can recognize what the present Kingdom of Heaven looks like.” Peter laughed as he explained, “ I know, I know! I just get so excited and I am kind of impulsive, I guess.”

Jesus finished the story. “When word got around that Blue Eyes was forgiven his debt and had his tenant whacked for just $6,000 of back rent, everyone and their brother was really pissed so they began texting and emailing Rothstein about the situation. When Frankie Blue Eyes was brought back in to see Rothstein, it was all over.”

“Sam looked at him and said very matter of factually, 'You fuckin' fuck! I erase your debt because you begged me to and you immediately go muscle some guy over a measly six grand? Shouldn't you have also shown the same type of mercy upon your tenant? Don't you even think about apologies right now you mudda fuckka! You see that hammer over there? You see that fuckin' saw? Well, we are gonna break your fuckin' skull with that hammer and saw off every last one of your toes and fingers with that saw because to whom much is forgiven, much love and forgiveness towards others is expected! Now you just got three-quarter of a fuckin' million dollars wiped clean from your record and the first thing you do is have somebody whacked for $6000? Let me tell you somethin'. You done fucked up the last time! We are gonna lock you up underneath this casino with nothing but cheerios and water to eat. Then, we are gonna keep you alive and torture you every day until you are able to repay the $750,000. You know why? Because we don't fuck around with forgiveness. It is a serious principle! Now get him outta here!'”

…..................................................................................................................

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

- Matthew 18:35 (NIV)

Sexy on the Inside - Rob Bell

Sexy on the Inside - Rob Bell

I listened to a Rob Bell message recently titles "Sexy on the Inside".  It really had me thinking.  He spoke of how God created us as sexual beings...he spoke of how we can channel are sexual energy.  He talked about how many people in this world that accomplish great things, i.e.  Mother Theresa, are actually very sexual people.  It is just that our view of sex, sexy, and sexual energy is extremely narrow.  Below are some of the things I took away from his talk.

- James

Sexy:  is when it feels good to be in your own skin

Sexy is when you are on the inward journey and so you are more and more ok with who God made you to be.  You are becoming who you are.  You are becoming more you.

As I am more and more comfortable in my own skin,  with who I am, then I am far more able to connect with you.  And if I am ok with who I am, then I will be less jealous, less envious, less angry, less offended.  A lot of times our issues with each other are issues with ourselves and we are just not being honest about it. As I am more ok with who God made me, I can extend it to you.

As I am more ok with who I am, and more and more comfortable in my own skin, then I am probably less and less angry or bitter at God, or you owe me.  I become more and more “Thank you God”, I become grateful.

I become more centered and I have more peace, and as Jesus the resurrected Christ begins to speak to me and again and again invite me to leave behind the old so I can step into the new, I am more and more at peace on the inside.  My own skin feels better and better.

I am more and more centered and more and more connected with God, because God has given me a good life.  I am at peace with the work God has given me to do, interacting with the world around me.

Chasing Relevant

Jason Clark has written an article for on of the more recent Circle 6 magazines.  It is rather interesting.  Read the excerpt, and click below for the entire article.

"The crossroads for today's leader/believer, is whether we choose to chase relevant, or risk it all and chase obedience in whatever form it comes.  The true definition of relevant is found in the heartbeat of God.  And with every heartbeat, relevant is redefined.  Only those whose heads rest upon the breast of the Master will experience relevance.  It is always those who are practiced in the why, that God wants to use in defining the how."

- Jason Clark (www.surrenderedanduntamed.org)

Download and read the entire article below:

Download chasing_relevant_jason_clark_1205.pdf

Bono & Rolling Stone

   

Bono & the Rolling Stone Interview

A few months back, I posted about the U2 DVD "Vertigo", live from the United Center in Chicago.  Recently, I took the time to read through the Rolling Stone interview with Bono.  If you haven't had the opportunity to read it, click below and do so.  Pay attention, particularly to the section on Spirituality.

Download bono_interview_rs_nov_05.pdf

The Forest for the Trees

 

 

The Forest for the Trees by James Littell
(taken from a teaching by Rob Wondergem)

John 5:30-40

"I can't do a solitary thing on my own: I listen, then I decide. You can trust my decision because I'm not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders. If I were simply speaking on my own account, it would be an empty, self-serving witness. But an independent witness confirms me, the most reliable Witness of all. Furthermore, you all saw and heard John, and he gave expert and reliable testimony about me, didn't he?

"But my purpose is not to get your vote, and not to appeal to mere human testimony. I'm speaking to you this way so that you will be saved. John was a torch, blazing and bright, and you were glad enough to dance for an hour or so in his bright light. But the witness that really confirms me far exceeds John's witness. It's the work the Father gave me to complete. These very tasks, as I go about completing them, confirm that the Father, in fact, sent me. The Father who sent me, confirmed me. And you missed it. You never heard his voice, you never saw his appearance. There is nothing left in your memory of his Message because you do not take his Messenger seriously.

"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want."

The verses that stood out to people include the first phrase in the passage: "I can't do a solitary thing on my own".  It was recognized that we really do need to draw our strength from God and rely on Jesus. Phil. 4:3 - "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength".

Also, the highlighted portion above.  The idea is that sometimes we spend so much time filling our heads with bible knowledge and religious information and miss the whole boat.  Jesus says, " I am right here standing right before you and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want."  The scripture is the word of God, but Jesus is right......He is still right here, all around us.....in the poor, the broken, the downtrodden, the defenseless, the orphan, the widow, the mentally unstable.  And isn't it easy to bury our heads in the scripture and miss Jesus all together.

John 8:31-32 - Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you."

We have always heard it said, "The truth will set you free".  Look at what Jesus says here.  It is an (if, then) statement.  He says, " if you stick with what I am telling you, then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you."

The truth does not free us because we study it, or because someone crams it down our throats and says "the truth will set you free".  The truth frees us when we know it, or experience it.  And that happens when we live it out, or stick to what Jesus is telling his disciples to do.

I believe we will live it out, or strive to live it out more and more because we have faith in this (if, then) statement.  Everytime we taste the freedom that comes from living it out, our faith is increased.  And, of course, if or when we are in a situation ourselves that gives someone else the opportunity to "live it out", our faith is increased then as well.

Where does living it out begin?

I believe it begins with Mark 12:29-31, which says: "Jesus said, "The first in importance is, "Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: "Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."

And it continues with James 1:25-27, which says: "But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God--the free life!-even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.

Anyone who sets himself up as "religious" by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless, loveless, and defenseless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

The "Polar Express"

My thoughts on the "Polar Express"

We showed this at Lighthouse last night and I sort of took notes the whole way through.  Just thought I would share them on the blog.  Let me know if this movie struck you in any sort of way.

It Begins....

Everyone is asleep, the night before Christmas.  When the “boy” is awaken by the sound of the Polar Express.  I love this; already the train has come to give the biggest skeptic in the movie with an invitation to the North Pole.  Notice the train comes for him.

He doesn’t even get on at first…….it is after the train takes off that he decides to jump on at the last minute when nobody is watching him.  Somewhat independent and stubborn he is?

His first impression on board the train is of happy singing children.  Second impression is the geeky, annoying kid that knows everything.  I guess there is one of those in every group, a “know it all”.

Then the boy, for a moment turns into my friend, Andrew.  He pulls the emergency cord to stop the train for “los lonely boy” to get on board.  I find it interesting that the “boy” is in a state of disbelief himself, but is concerned about helping others get on board.

Train in progress…….headed to the North Pole, on the journey.

As the train is in progress, “Hero Girl” loses her ticket to ride.  The “boy” chases after her to return her ticket. He runs into the intoxicated “Hobo”, who claims to be the “King of the train”, and “King of the North Pole”.  A conversation about the North Pole transpires, doubt enters the picture and the “Hobo” recognizes the “Boy” doesn’t want to be “bamboozled”. 

Our “Hobo” suggests “Seeing is Believing.”  The “boy” wonders if he is dreaming or if this is real, if there really is a North Pole and a Santa.

There comes a point just after this conversation where the “Hobo” rescues the “boy” from the roof of the train on skis.  The “boy” ends up tumbling down the train’s coal car and into the engine room.  When he pokes his head out, he has found the “Hero Girl” with the missing ticket.

Does it seem obvious here that in attempting to do something for someone else (return the ticket and prevent the “hero girl” from being kicked off the train), he is led further in his journey by the “Hobo”(whom the “boy” follows by faith).  The “Hobo” helps lead him to the girl with the missing ticket and gives him permission to explore, ask questions, and have doubt.  Then just before the “Hobo” leaves the train top on his skis, he tells the “boy” to jump, and instantly he does.  The boy takes a leap, a jump and trusts the instruction of the “Hobo”.

At the North Pole……

“Los Lonely Boy” is still on the train, afraid to get off because Christmas has never worked out for him.  What has been promised or communicated to him about Christmas so far has failed him.  Now he has arrived at the real thing but is afraid to trust it because of all of the things that failed him in the past.

The girl with the missing ticket, or “Hero Girl” and the skeptic, or the “Boy” are both willing to help “Los Lonely Boy” off the train.  They are willing to trust in Christmas together, as community. During this attempt, the train car is derailed and takes the three on a different journey from the main group to a different part of the North Pole.

On the journey of the North Pole…..

The “Hero Girl” begins to lead them by following the sleigh bells.  She can hear them but the skeptic, “Boy” cannot.  Look at these three, the “Hero Girl” (confident, joyful, unafraid, trusting, hears the bells ringing), the skeptic “Boy” (untrusting, confident, doesn’t buy into it), then there is “Los Lonely Boy” (lonely, doubtful, afraid, doesn’t want to get burned again.

These three kids, because of the attempt to come along side the “Los Lonely Boy”, have been taken down a different road than all the rest.  They are afraid, uncertain, and not sure if they are making the right decisions.  They fear they will miss out on the real deal and all of the excitement that everyone else will get. However, their journey or path leads them right into Santa’s gift bag.

Out of Santa’s bag and at the Celebration of Christmas…….

All of the elves and the kids gather round to experience Christmas…..everyone is happy and joyful, they can all hear the Sleigh bells ringing.  The sleigh bells are known to be the most beautiful sound; they are singing Santa Claus is coming to town, thousands of them. 

The “boy” is the only one who cannot hear the bells and he becomes immensely frustrate.  Finally, he gives in to what has been tugging on him this entire journey.  Belief has been pounding on his door the entire ride.  He experiences the communal enjoyment of Christmas that is happening all around him and he wants to fully experience it too.  He wants to hear the sound of the sleigh bells.  At the very moment he utters the words, “I believe”, he begins to hear the bells ring.

Back at Home…..

The Conductor leaves this: 
“One thing about trains, it doesn’t matter where you are going. What matters is deciding to get on!”

“At one time most of my friends could hear the bell……..the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.”

Final thoughts:

Santa refers to himself as a symbol of the spirit of Christmas, and suggests the true spirit of Christmas lies in our heart.

When the boy is asked if all of this was just a dream, he answers, “No!”

The tickets they all received upon leaving the North Pole:

“Know it All”  L-E-A-R-N
“Los Lonely Boy” Rely on/Count on
“Hero Girl”  Lead – the way
“Boy”   Believe

Scripture: Replacing Authority

In Scott McKnights most recent post, he writes on his blog, "Jesus Creed", the following:

Click Here for Scott's Blog, there are plenty of comments that accompany this article.

Replacing Authority  by Scott McKnight
Some of you will remember a previous post when I suggested that a “purple” theology probably will not find the word “authority” as the appropriate word for Scripture. Now, I have no truck with the word “authority” apart from the fact that I do not believe it tells us enough about what our relationship to Scripture is and what it ought to be. So, I’m suggesting we find another.

I know that for many of us the doctrine of Scripture is presuppositional and prolegomena to all we do. I fear that such an approach will turn the Bible as God’s Word into bibliolatry and idolatry, where mastery of the Bible is equated with loving God and others. Scripture is God’s gracious gift to us, but that doesn’t mean that every extreme is justifiable. We are in need of a new set of categories for understanding Scripture.

I’m suggesting we use the term “identity.” The term “authority” is that of power — it tells us that we are “under” something. The term “identity” speaks of the Spirit who is at work — in the world in God’s redemptive work, in the Church as the community of faith, and in that community as it tells the story of God’s redemptive work. And I’m not suggesting that we understand “identity” as filling the same spot as “authority,” but that we learn to see Scripture (not so much as the Authority) but as what gives us our Identity because through it God’s Spirit speaks to and guides us.

Identity invites us to conceptualize our relationship differently than the term “authority,” which invites us to see ourselves in submission (which is not the worst thing in the world, to be sure). Identity, I am suggesting, gives us the opportunity to rethink our relationship to Scripture in terms of a pneuma-shaped identity.

And our relationship to that Scripture, that Theo-Drama (to use Vanhoozer’s term, The Drama of Doctrine), is that we listen to it as the script we are to live, as the script God has used with the community of faith, as the script to which the Church has always turned — and in so listening, our “identity” is formed, shaped, re-formed and re-shaped. It is our identity, and it gives us our identity.

We are invited in the term “identity” to find ourselves as God’s people in listening to God’s Word.

Let me also suggest that I am not surrendering “authority” so much as seeking for a term that does more justice to our relationship to Scripture.

You are going to Hell

She may not want to abort her unborn child, but she may feel she has no other options. Her mother and father may kick her out. Her friends may view her as a slut. Her church may close its doors on her, because she sinned.
But the pastor who looked at porn the night before may on a Sunday morning stand in front of his flock and declare, "She, who sinned, is no longer welcome here."

The previous quote is an excerpt from an article written in the most recent edition of Circle 6 magazine.  Jason Campbell writes of his own experience and the unfortunate manner in which most of us who proudly call ourselves Christians actually treat people.  Read the entire article below:

Download congratulations_you_are_going_to_hell.pdf

By all means, can we please start to give grace to our brothers, sisters, friends, aquaintences, and enemies?  Can we please help people feel loved and accepted?  Can we please start by taking the log out of our own eye before we pull a splinter out of someone elses?

Can we please give Jesus an opportunity to stand on His own without us having to defend Him and argue about Him?  Can we please get out of the way of the Holy Spirit and let Him be teacher, helper, comforter, truth.  Why must we always jump in as if the Holy Spirit isn't working on a quick enough time table for us?

I don't believe we can be guilty of loving too much, or giving too much grace. I really feel that offering grace and love to people is contagious.  When I've been given grace, love, and acceptance, I just want to give it away to someone else.  I believe that giving away grace, love, and acceptance is what paves the way for the Spirit of God to work in our lives and the lives of those around us.

They'll Know we are Christians

BY OUR LOVE.......by James Littell

"We will work with each other, we will work side by side.  We'll save each man's dignity and save each man's pride.....and they'll know we are christians by our love."

So are the lyrics to an old campfire song.  God has been teaching me much about Love, Grace, and Forgiveness lately.  I have certainly been forgiven much and I have experienced God's love and grace in my life.  Now I must give that love and grace away freely and generously.

When we think of ourselves as christians, do we think of ourselves in this way (guarding each man's dignity and saving each man's pride)? When we think of our western christian culture is this the picture that one sees in their mind?  I don't.

I see arguing, debate, taking a stand for your "right beliefs", and pompus attitudes.  I see this from myself sometimes. Jesus said there are no other commands that rank with these:

Mark 12:29-31
Jesus said, "The first in importance is, "Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.  And here is the second: "Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."

I read a letter recently, it was written in 1st century A.D. about christians.  The letter was written by someone who would not describe themselves as a follower of Christ.  This writer described christains in a very different context than how I believe we represent ourselves today.  He described christians as people that were a joy to be around because they were full of love, grace, and compassion.  They lived in this world and enjoyed participating in the culturally social events of the day.  People recognized there was something different and it was contagious.  What happened?

A couple of verses struck me this week:

I Cor 10:23-24   Looking at it one way, you could say, "Anything goes. Because of God's immense generosity and grace, we don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster." But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well.

Romans 8: 1-2  Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

John 15:5  "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 

Paul wrote that "Everything is permissable for me, not everything is beneficial."  In Romans, he suggests that there is no, absolutely no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

John in chapter 15 quotes Jesus as saying, "If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit.

• Don't you want to be the christian that people see Jesus in? 
• Don't you want the Love of God that flows through and out of your life to be contagious? 
• Don't you want people to see that you are different, not because of your own merit, or because you can brag about all the things you don't do that the world participates in, but because Jesus love is just oozing out of your pores like strong garlic from the Indian dinner you ate the night before?  You know how it is when you eat Indian food.....everyone can smell the garlic coming out of your pores except you.  Isn't that it?

Remember, we have been saved by grace, forgiven much, and commissioned to give it away freely and generously.  There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.  We are to live well, and when we screw up, reclaim the forgiveness that is already ours.  Finally, remain in Christ and let His love flow freely.

May you experience God's grace, love, and acceptance this week. Amen!

Download 1st_century_letter.doc

Rob Bell & Brian McLaren

Brian McLaren & Rob Bell - Zondervan Conversation
from 9-12-2005
from Tony Myles Blog, "Postmodern Breakfast Food"

Back in September, I had the privelege of attending a pastor's breakfast at Zondervan.  It was a conversation or dialogue with Rob Bell and Brian McLaren.  Just recently I ran across this transcript from the morning.  You are welcome to it.......

Download mclaren_bell_transcript9122005.pdf