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)

Questions of an Emergent

DISCLAIMER: In no way is the following sarcasm directed towards the (anonymous) individual who asked the questions, but towards the general vibe of the entire "Emerging, Emergent" dialogue.

So I haven't blogged in a year, yet I still keep this thing going.   I was attending these Emergent West Michigan Meetings and reading every "emergent" book I could get my hands on.  Well, since that time, I have resigned from working with Churches officially and have taken great joy in furthering our companies which focus on DJs MCs Photographers RocknRoll Bands Promotions Nightlife & Wedding Receptions.

So today, I receive a random e-mail from a student at RBC, sorry....I mean Kuyper.  It does sound so ....how do you say?......less reformed.  Anyhow, this student wanted me to take time to answer some questions about the "Emerging Church Movement".  Really?  A Movement? 

I think the whole emerging thing is great.....but, it's not a movement.  It is more of an idea, or a way to feel cool amongst your lame christian friends. 

So below are my answers to this student's questioning.  If you have thoughts, I would love to hear them.

Questions:

1. Would you define in your own words the emerging church movement?

Sure, the Church……emerging.  In other words, the movement, in my opinion is an unfortunate occurrence of the whole thing.  It shouldn’ t be classified as a movement, although to many it has become one, simply because those that participate in the “emerging” conversation do not feel, think, or even necessarily believe the same way.  How can something be a movement when there is such diversity within it.  I participated with the West Michigan group for a while and they are fantastic people.  The beauty of the gatherings was that it was ok to be who you are and express your feelings, questions, doubts, pains, joys, etc.  It was an example of the “church’, emerging into something else.  That something else cannot be defined, because that is what makes a movement.

2. Are there any major differences you see between the emerging church movement and traditional expressions of Christianity? If so, what are they?

I don’t really see differences, because an individual that is in the process of emerging will most likely have many uncertainties.  This person will most likely be in a detox, or deconstructive mode.  While they may hold on to some of the traditions they may have experienced, they may also be interested in asking tough questions about their beliefs and why they think and feel the way they do.

3. Is the emerging church movement significant to Christianity and why?

I believe an emerging state of being, rather than one who is emerging, is essential not just to Christianity, but all of life.  Emerging individuals should not be threatening to us, but encouraging.  Someone who is truly emerging, is asking questions, examining themselves and the influences of those around them.  Asking questions, searching, and not becoming stagnant can only bring us all closer to truth.  It is when we stop pursuing, that we find ourselves in trouble.

4. In your opinion, what positive things is the emerging church movement bringing to Christianity?

I believe the permission to emerge is the greatest thing someone who is emerging is giving to others within Christianity.  It is the permission to be ok with “I don’t know” and “ I’m not sure”.  It is the freedom to become friends with and form relationships with individuals that look, act, think, and feel differently than somebody else does.  It is the security that god still loves you and cares about you amidst your doubt, questioning, and uncertainty.  Many have been brought up without the freedom to challenge and ask questions…….now they are getting it.

5. In your opinion, are there any dangers or risks associated with the emerging church movement?

Since I believe someone who is truly emerging, is not part of any movement, but a conversation and a learning, deconstructing, and discovering process, I don’t see any dangers.  There may be some element of threat to the business, politics, and control that the church enjoys maintaining over people.  But, I find no threat to human beings, their hearts, minds, or souls.

6. Any other thoughts you would like to share?

Simply this…….if you find the word emerging to represent a movement, you truly may not know what it means.  If you call yourself emergent, you are probably not.

Websters defines the word “emerge” as rising up, to become manifest, to rise from an obscure or inferior position, to evolve into being.

To me it represents the idea of “ever changing”, or continually reforming oneself.  It suggests to me that  we cannot allow ourselves to get comfortable or become stagnant.  It cannot be a movement because once you emerge, you will emerge again……you may find yourself to be continually emerging

Poopy Diapers

   

 

Poopy Diapers

"The apostle Paul counts all of his good things excrement compared to the righteousness Jesus gives us through faith.  We as children of the King do not need to produce goodness to be good. We simply are righteous by our recognition of Christ's work in our lives.

Because, He does not need us for all of the "Hot Shit" we can do.  He loves us because of the wonderful children we are."  -  Heather Lunde

I recently read this article entitled "Grace, or what is this crap and why is it on my hands?" It is written by Heather Lunde and was found on the OOZE.

Click below and see what you think:

Download grace_or_what_is_this_crap.pdf

The Forest for the Trees

 

 

Sunday December 11, 2006:  The Forest for the Trees

We read tonight from 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.

- James Littell

Emerging Church: The Devil's Pawn?

   
Emerging Church:  The Devil's Pawn?

How long before before we recognize we are all following the same Jesus.  Why does the battle always seem to be raging.  In my experience, Emergents seem to be accepting of other denominations, orthodoxies, and schools of thought on God and Christ.  Why then does it feel like so many want to battle with Emergents?  What is so threatening? 

If somebody is searching, or drawing near to God and they are on the path, then why do we want to set up a road block for them with harsh debate and an argumentative spirit.  Are we afraid to let Jesus stand all by himself?  Does Christ really need us to defend Him like this?

I have always understood Jesus to be really big. When I see people going to war with each other over ideology, I just don't understand it.  Where is the threat coming from? 

If we believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are ultimate reality, that God is spirit, the beyond and in our midst, the ground and depth of our being, then why would we be so bent about someone being on the path to find what ultimate reality is?  If an individual is on the path and asking all sorts of questions, even questions we have a hard time giving answers to, and we know that ultimate reality is God, then why do we have such a difficult time getting out of the way and letting God be God, leading His children whom he created toward Himself.

Sure we have roles to play in this story, but our role certainly is not to stand in the way.  It is to be a help, comfort, and shelter.  It is to give permission to ask the tough questions.  It is to be ok with not having an answer for everything.  It is to trust in the "I don't know", because the "I don't know" still lies within God, who is spirit and Father.

- James Littell

Below you will find some excerpts from the Rev. Ken Silva's blog, Apprising Ministries.

Rev. Silva writes in Emerging Church: the Emerging Cult, the following:

"What needs to be fully understood here is that the time we live is already witnessing the new evangelical Emergent Church movement deny the absolute authority of the Bible, but you will also see the Evangelical section of our Lord’s Church cave-in on biblical inerrancy as well. Be forewarned, the nanosecond that this has happened within any of the many mainline denominations killed by liberal theology, the Lord has immediately removed its Lampstand and the inevitable decay set in. The spiritual bowel movement of the postmodern Emergent Church, the step-sister to modernism, will be the Devil’s champion to accomplish this goal. I tell you in the Lord that men like the Brian McLarens (who are heretics) will be successful in convincing other men like the Dan Kimballs (who are at best compromised new evangelicals) to reject what Scripture plainly says on more and more doctrinal issues." 

Read the entire article by clicking below:
Download ec_emerging_cult_by_ken_silva.pdf

Rev. Silva also writes in Use your Head, the following:

"And anyone who possibly thinks that the Christian Church in America–fragmented by tons of superfluous pride-filled denominations–isn’t being tossed back and forth by the waves of false teachers and women “pastors” and blown here and there by every wind of teaching like that found in the Purpose Driven deception and the burgeoning cult of the Emergent Church and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming of the Word Faith Movement from its repugnant “Christian” home of the Trinity Broadcasting System, is in serious need of having their spiritual head examined."

Don’t you recognize Christ’s judgments on His Church when you see them? This is exactly why the Great Shepherd gave you true under-shepherds in the first place; yet I wonder, why is it these devils prosper while we are forced to continue on sans support? When you get a moment, I encourage you to read Hebrews 13:17.

Hebrews 13:16 - 18

God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship--a different kind of "sacrifice"--that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets. Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them? Pray for us. We have no doubts about what we're doing or why, but it's hard going and we need your prayers. All we care about is living well before God.

Download the entire article below:
Download use_your_head_by_ken_silva.pdf 

Rob Bell Sermons (Teachings)

Rob Bell, Mars Hill:  Sermons, Teachings, Messages, Noomas, Links

I have received much traffic on this blog from people looking for Rob Bell sermons, teachings, messages, Noomas, etc.  Below are the links to where you will find all of this stuff.  Hope it helps.

- James Littell

Rob Bell Links:

Mars Hill: Rob Bell Teachings (download the last 12 weeks of Mars Hill)
Nooma
Mars Hill Grand Rapids, MI
Downloadable PDF of Velvet Elvis (Amazon)
Buy Velvet Elvis Hardcover (Amazon)
Buy Velvet Elvis Audio CD (Amazon)

Suggested Reading:

Walking The Bible : A Journey By Land Through The Five Books Of Moses ( Bruce Feiler )

Jewish Spirituality, A Brief Introduction For Christians ( Lawrence Kushner )

The Jewish New Testament Commentary : A Companion Volume To The Jewish New Testament( David Stern )

Excavating Jesus : Beneath The Stones, Behind The Texts ( Crossan and Reed )

Biblical Literacy : The Most Important People, Events, and Ideas Of The Hebrew Bible ( Joseph Telushkin )

Understanding The Difficult Words Of Jesus : New Insights From A Hebraic Perspective( Bivin and Blizzard )

Desire Of The Everlasting Hills : The World Before And After Jesus ( Thomas Cahill )

Everyman's Talmud : The Major Teaching Of The Rabbinic Sages ( Abraham Cohen )

Sketches Of Jewish Social Life ( Alfred Edersheim )

Jewish Sources In Early Christianity ( David Fleusser )

The Five Books Of Moses : Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy ( The Schocken Bible Volume 1 ) ( Everett Fox )

The Women's Torah Commentary : New Insights From Women Rabbis On The 54 Weekly Torah Portions ( Elyse Goldstein )

God In Search Of Man : A Philosophy Of Judaism ( Abraham Joshua Herschel )

The Bible As It Was ( James L. Kugel )

The Source ( James Michner )

The Science Of God : The Convergence Of Scientific And Biblical Wisdom ( Gerald L. Schroeder )

Slaves, Women And Homosexuals : Exploring The Hermeneutics Of Culture Analysis
( William J. Webb )

The Divine Conspiracy : Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God ( Dallas Willard )

Our Father Abraham : Jewish Roots Of The Christian Faith ( Marvin Wilson )

Following Jesus : Biblical Reflections On Discipleship ( N.T. Wright )

For All God's Worth : True Worship And The Calling Of The Church ( N.T. Wright )

The Jews In The Time Of Jesus : An Introduction ( Stephen Wylen )

Jesus The Jewish Theologian ( Brad Young )

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.

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

The Emerging Church Conversation

The Conversation....

"I think I am starting to see why getting labeled is not a good thing.....
Once something has become labeled, it inherently becomes a target as well."
- James Littell

The following was posted by Randy Buist on the West Michigan Emergent Blog:

I've heard and read a number of comments in recent weeks in regard to this emergent stuff just being a bunch of 'conversation.' Critics, and even some of us within the 'conversation,' have suggested that we need to get doing something. Until we have 'fruit,' we have done nothing but talked.

Every time that I hear these kind of comments I cringe. This so called 'conversation' is much more than just conversation. As John West recently said, it's code for 'discipleship.' My only addition is that we're not trying to talk in code. We're simply trying to talk like normal people who don't need a special church lingo to understand and learn from one another.

In the real world, conversation shapes people. Or at least it shapes us if we listen and respond according to the person(s) talking to us. In addition, learning theory people have found that younger generations are learning through conversation in ways that previous generations did not.
Back to the point -- I've learned a great deal through conversation over the past five years. I've listened, responded, been pushed against, and have grown in my understanding and expression of the gospel message --- and it is quite different from what it was ten years ago.

The people with whom I have had 'conversation' have been shapers of my understanding of God, and of his kingdom. While many of you would not have considered yourself people who have discipled me, you have.

So, to suggest this emergent thing is simply a 'conversation,' is inaccurate. In addition, it undermines the value of the Spirit in our midst. Each time that I agree to have lunch, to have a cup of coffee, to listen, or to give advice, I hope and believe that the presence of the Spirit and the kingdom accompanies me. I believe that God blesses these 'conversations,' and we don't need to add the label of 'discipleship' in order for them to have kingdom significance.

So what about the 'fruit?' While we need to recognize that a harvest needs a yield, is isn't only a matter of lots of fruit. It's a matter of quality as well. Lots of wormy apples don't make for a good harvest.

In the words of Dallas Willard, "Instead of counting Christians, we need to weigh them. We weigh them by focusing on the most important kind of growth - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and so on - fruit in keeping with the gospel and the kingdom."

Robby replied:

I believe that anytime that we engage in conversation we should be careful......
What still is ringing loud in my mind is the words of my friend. He said, "We can talk all that we want, but until we feed the poor what good is it?" Perhaps, we should consider a balance........

To which I reply:

I believe Randy's point was clear.....and what I took from Randy's comments was that it is the conversation that helps to encourage and produce fruit in our lives and the lives of those around us.

I am not speaking about the conversation (The emergent church, the emerging church, the church emerging, Emergent, often times referred to the conversation), but I am speaking about what happens when those of us in West Michigan meet one Tuesday a month for conversation.

All of us who meet together come from and represent many different communities around West Michigan. It is by joining together once a month and participating in "the conversation" that we continue to connect ourselves to one another as part of the body of Christ and continue to get closer to living Christ's teachings the way He did.

Robby made the point, "We can talk all that we want, but until we feed the poor what good is it?"

To think that any of us who connect through "the conversation" would be satisfied to say, "We sit in a room once a month with coffee and we talk, we e-mail, we blog, therefore we are living Christ's teachings", would be to completely miss the point.

We all join together in this way because we are passionate about seeing the risen Christ change our lives, and then use us to change the lives of those around us. (i.e. "feed the poor")

Many of us are tired of the formula of witnessing, getting someone to say the "sinner's prayer", and than telling them "enjoy your crappy life, we'll pray for you, God bless you, and hope to see you in heaven someday!"

The "conversation" exists because it is in community that the Holy Spirit and Jesus can change us, and it is in community that we can be used to freely put the love of Christ on display for anyone in need.

James 2:14-17

Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup--where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

James 1:27

Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.

Searching for God knows what

Searching for God knows what

What if small minded boxed in formulas were not the truth? 

Don Miller writes this about returning home after a christian book writing seminar:

"I returned home and began pouring over my bible, looking for formulas I could use  for my [future] book of daily devotions. And I have to tell you, this was much more difficult than you might think. The formulas, in fact, are hidden. It seems when God had the Bible put together, He hid a lot of the ancient wisdom, so basically you have to read into things and even kind of make things up to get a formula out of it. [sarcasm] And the formulas that are obvious are terrible."

"For instance, a guy named Stephen was miserable and then he became a Christian, and then he was stoned to death.  This formula of course, was not good enought to make the cut. And for that matter, neither was the one about Paul, who was a murderer before he became a Christian.  And then, he was blinded while traveling, met Jesus in a burst of light, and then spent various painful years moving from city to city, prison to prison, routinely being beaten and bitten by snakes.  No formula there [sarcasm]. Then I moved on to Peter, who was rescued from a successful fishing business only to be crucified, and some historical accounts claim along with his wife. And of course that wouldn't work [as a formula for the book of daily devotions]."

"So I decided to ignore the actual characters of Scripture and just go with the teachings of Jesus. And that is when things really became difficult.  Apparently Jesus had not heard of the wonderful tool of acronym.  He mostly told stories, some of which were outlandish.  Step one: Eat my flesh.  Step two: Drink my blood. "

"Of course, I got frustrated.  And it really got me thinking that, perhaps, formula books, by that I mean books that take you through a series of steps, may not be all that compatible with the Bible."

"It seems if there were a formula to fix life, Jesus would have told us what it was."

Apparently Jesus hid the formulas in his words, and left it up to guys like Joel Osteen, John Hagee, Hal Lindsey, James Dobson, and others to figure it out for the rest of us.

Or, is God such a relational God, a God of fellowship, that He sent His Son to redeem and call us into a relationship, a fellowship, a journey with Him.

As it is written on the Blue Like Jazz website:
"Before the gospel of Jesus became a self help formula, it was an invitation from God, for us to know Him. One hundred years after the invention of the printing press, 60 years after Martin Luther kick started the reformation, and 30 years after John Calvin would write his institutes, William Shakespeare would sit down in the thick of the dust and explain to an Elizabethan audience the relational dynamic of reform theology. Not a list, not ideas, but Beauty, Love, desire, and sacrifice. God dying for man, man dying of himself, and the two united in death."

Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more will we be saved from God's wrath through Him.
For if when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His son, how much more having been reconciled shall we be saved through His life? 
If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. 
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. 
-  Paul's letter to the Romans

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