wind blows deeply

Perry Noble's advice for the single guy.
HT: Tony Morgan via Jan

Beautiful_02- Single Guys Outtake from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

“What need has God of categories? Why sort and catalog a collection when you know and can describe every individual item? What meaning do your base labels have for a higher mind? You have created categories for your own use, fallen in love with sorting them, and made a god of the whole affair. This is an idolatry of the highest order. It is a blasphemy so bold as to cause angels to tremble. ‘The mind of The Almighty,’ you say, ‘is like unto my own mind.’”

“God is on intimate terms with the simple matter of earth, yet you dare label people instead of trying to know them. Your precious divisions of nationality, of Christian and non-Christian, saved and damned, good and evil, slave and free. These convenient memory aids might have served you well when you were biting spiritual ankles and wrestling with your primers. Will you not set them aside even now?”

Continue reading Grit & Gravel at RealLivePreacher

I thought that today, on the day when many teachers, if not students, head back to their classrooms would be ideal to share an excerpt from a piece RLP wrote over at CC:

... The human hunger to acquire knowledge is one of the things that sets us apart from other creatures on our planet. We are proud of our knowledge; it defines us in important ways. But we also need grace and wisdom and serenity if our search for knowledge is to have a satisfying ending.

Jordon wrote a few thoughts in his review of "Organic Community" (Joe Myers) that caught my attention.

:: For some reason, many men cling to the idea that their pastor needs to be a visionary leader, perhaps to justify their involvement in the church.
:: True community and traditional churches are incompatible. Part of the problem is the idea of a pastoral calling being a career and also the view that church leaders are interchangeable parts that can be swapped in and out for the good of the community.
:: The leader/pastor has been so ingrained in how we see the church and we have spent so much time building him or her up, it is going to take a long time and a lot of discussion for the church to move away from it. Ironically, for the first bit, it may even take a strong leader to have the church to stop thinking in terms of heirarchical leadership and start thinking in terms of community.

The first chapter, Organic Order, he relates the story of a woman who led a conference workshop:

"The fact is, for about 90 percent of the participants, our time together was a process of learning. They came expecting to learn. And almost all of them were excited to share their own techniques, too.
But I was not prepared for the other 10 percent. These people expected me to deliver a ‘checklist/bullet-point/how-to plan’ ... It caught me by surprise, and it distracted me from much of what I’d planned to do."

While Myers' book is about church community, the woman's story caught my attention in relation to an entirely different context. Perhaps I'm allowed to draw a parallel.
I mentor students as part of my job. It always brings a little bit of trepidation though; half are incredibly keen, soaking up anything you pass their way, and the rest are merely putting in their time. Because they are coming to gain real life experience, all hang tightly on to their safe textbook explanations of the way things are. So how do I create an environment in which they can become passionate, motivated, self-directed learners?

What should churches do for singles? The best thing would be to lovingly tell them the truth. The fact is, no matter how much you want to be married, that may not be God's plan for you right now. It is up to you to work hard at figuring out what He wants you to learn about yourself, or what He intends you should do with your life. It's about you and Him. Not about you and getting what you want from Him. The church should speak the truth, then provide a safe and supportive community in which to live it out.
Jan @ The View From Her

LT recently posted on Prime Minister Harper's and President Bush's environmental perspectives. I thought it would be an interesting follow up to my earlier link on the climate change debate.

I think I should wander over to LT's more often. He talks about a recent (free and downloadable) book entitled "So you don't want to go to church anymore."

Every time we use an external system to motivate people towards a spiritual end we run the risk of obscuring the spiritual reality. For many spiritual growth isn't much more than establishing positive habits based on biblical principles. We use awards and social approval to reward these good habits. Unfortunately when we do this people end up serving the ideals of a sub-culture when they think we are serving Jesus. When circumstances become difficult or the influence of that sub-culture is removed the whole framework comes down like a house of cards.

Once again Jan (of TVFH) points me in an interesting direction.
Recall, if you will, a somewhat popular television series entitled "The Office". Imagine that series set in heaven. Disasters, publicity, communications ... so many departments to manage. To date three episode of "God, Inc." are available for your viewing pleasure.

OK, a nice plug for some friends and their friends I've never met. A group of them started a new blog a while back: Random Acts of Cooking.
If you're one of those sorts that needs a fairly exact recipe, this is not the blog for you. It gives you the gist, assumes you can figure it out and leaves lots of nice photos along the way. I assume my Thanksgiving dinner post would fit the requirements.
Enough rambling. It's almost lunchtime and you need to go have a look at RAC.

Jared wrote recently...

But the funny thing about friends is that too often you only appreciate them when they are leaving. It’s only then that you realize they had become a significant part of your life, something you had relied on . . . and without them you feel a bit more rickety than you did before. You realize that you are just an old house on stilts that didn’t realize how important that stilt was until it fell. And now, without that friend, it’s a tricky balancing act to stay upright.

Yesterday there was a fantastic discussion of "so what exactly is church and what should it be" and "what is a Sabbath anyway and do you observe it" at Bible study. It all began with a look at Psalm 84 and quickly moved onto the tangent at hand.

I recall Mark discussing Sabbath a ways back and then again more recently. In one of his dramatized version, RLP states "the Sabbath was made for people and not the other way around." Steve posted on "Why go to church", quoting Brian McLaren. I'm sure that this concept will come up as we discuss church over the next few weeks.

The question is this: Do you long to gather with other believers in such a fashion that is known as 'church'? If not, why? I sometimes find issue with church ... which proves slightly problematic. For the church is people -- people like me. So rather than bemoan the church collective, I ought to petition God to change me and be proactive in that same process. Join with me in this grassroots movement to revive the church from its slumber.

I believe that the underlying part of all of this is listening to the Holy Spirit and living out His leading within the framework of the Scriptures in the midst of godly community.
... Strong communities are self-correcting. But our churches have bought into the lie that what someone does is his/her own business. It's not, though. If you live in true community, it's the community's business, too.

RLP:

A burning bush would be nice. Moses got one, and he wasn’t even a nice guy. He was on the lam at the time, running from a murder rap back in Egypt. So why can’t a nice guy like me get a burning bush every once in awhile?

I want to see God and to know God’s presence. I want to see God in a clear, unambiguous way that cannot be misunderstood or misinterpreted. And there is something about the clarity that a God-fire in the wilderness provides. You see it. You smell it. You hear it. Yes, that is God. No doubt about it.

Continue reading

A certain person, S (also a "menno girl", temporarily borrowed from ON) mentioned a fantastic new blog today ... the view from her. Immediately noting the subtitle, herself being single, evangelical, and of a certain age, I was ensured that here I would find a soulmate. And a most delightful read it was. And Jan has posted on many similar topics ... the online dating review, the reflection-on-relationships post, the celebration of singleness, as well as various faith meets the world discussions. When I've got a few minutes on my hands, I will certainly need to explore this a little further.

PS - In case you missed it folks, less than 5 months 'til Christmas!!! Just think of it now: shinny and turkey and pine trees and oranges and far too many sweets and family and old friends and new friends and great conversation and hot cocoa by the fire and digging out of snowdrifts and giving and frozen toes and layers of blankets and tobogganing and toques and decorating and traveling. Of course I did save the best for last--a set time on the calendar to reflect on the birth of Jesus! Then again, why wait? You could do that today.

When I read your posts, it seemed to be connected. Yet I'm too tired to explain the synapses, so please do your best to follow. Then again, this post is mainly for me at this precise instance in time. It is likely that I will have absolutely no idea what I was saying in mere hours from now.

I've heard this recently, and I wish I could recall the fleshed out bits. Anyway, it came to mind after reading a bit by Len at Resonate:

we have mistaken the map for the territory, the vehicle for the journey

What Len wrote tied into an out of context reading of Marc's latest:

Len: I’m convinced that we haven’t merely reduced the gospel to four laws, we have done violence to the very character of the message. In wresting propositions from the story of God’s mighty acts in history, in reducing the Truth to a check list, we have moved the gospel from its relational foundation to a rational one.
Marc (from 1 Cor 1): Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ... For consider your calling, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

Joel 2:17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"
And the ensuing discussion about redemption; about blessing following repentence.

My head is a jumble of these thoughts and more. And I am unable to provide any succinct description of the happenings of my peri-conscious. But that's just me, starting far too many sentence fragments with conjunctions, and craving just a wee bit more logic and order and rules. I need the definition of my environment and the definitions of my interactions with it. As of late, I've been thrown into an unfamiliar land without a sheet of "Instructions for play." Now I live with faith that the rules exist; even if I cannot catch a glimpse of them or be blessed by their presence, I will flounder along until our paths cross again.

I've stolen this from Simon who stole it from Patrick who stole it from Lahoma and who the heck knows from whom she stole it from. What have I stolen? It's a meme after my own heart .... it's ASK ME ANYTHING. Ask anything you want, I promise a sincere answer to them all.

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.” -John Donne, Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions: Meditation XVII

If I understand myself primarily as a Texan, then problems in California will not matter as much to me.

If I understand myself primarily as a citizen of the “White” state, then problems in the “Black” or “Hispanic” states won’t upset me much. They are not the problems of my state, therefore they are trivial.

If I understand myself primarily as a citizen of “Straight,” then the problems of “Homosexual” don’t affect me.

If I understand myself primarily as an American, well then, the problems of Sudan, Haiti, Iran, Indonesia, etc., don’t affect me.

How much more and I unaffected if I define myself in increasingly tighter circles, and concern myself only with the issues that face White, straight, male Texas Christians?

Read what Greg wrote in full.

There is no kind of loneliness more lonely than when no one in the world knows who you are. When there is no one waiting to see the tender and fragile thing you pull out of your chest like taking a hamster out of its cage. There is no one there, but you know what it would be like.

Tom posted a great Hubble photo demonstrating gravitational lensing. (To help translate the photo, imagine an invisible sphere slightly offset to the right from the big glowing star in the middle. Invisible sphere = gravity pulling on light = gravitational lensing.)

one red paperclip ... some guy (Kyle) is working his way from a paperclip to a house via whatever you have to trade. He's at a role in a film with some other stuff thrown in. Current offers for the movie role include 8 head of cattle plus calves, a Barbie collection, a kiss from Anna Maganini, an autographed soccer jersey, amongst others.

What could you get for a paperclip?

Meg wrote:

There is a song by the group, 10,000 Maniacs, in which lead singer, Natalie Merchant sings (lucky for you, I won’t be singing it)

“Trouble me.
Disturb me with all your cares and your worries.
Trouble me on the day when you feel spent.
Speak to me when your silence is my biggest fear.
Don’t spare me anything.”

What if we prayed as though those were Christ’s words to us? And, in fact, they are. That is the difference that Christ’s ascension into heaven and place at the Right Hand of God as our mediator makes.

“Since, then, we have a Great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who in every respect has been tested, as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, approach the Throne of Grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Amen.

Thanks to Mark and to Tam, I have wasted several precious minutes of my life on the following ...

Meg ponders marriage/singleness (and cleavage) on her soapbox ... an honest, well put, "theologically thoughtful" introspection.

It struck home for two reasons:
1) The oh-so-classic book I picked up in Winnipeg was just talking about marriage as the norm (singlehood due to orginal sin). If marriage is the norm, than am I the Barnum freak?
2) At Bible study yesterday, the parallel was made between the implied call to marriage and the implied necessity/duty of church membership. I admit, I was slightly offended with the use of yet another marriage comparison and also appreciative of the apology for use of that example. (It was a really good discussion about church membership ... one which certainly should be more prevalent: the responsibilities of being a church member and the accountability to each other.)

I guess I'm just getting a bit touchy these days. I really do enjoy being single despite all my comments which could have you thinking the contrary. I have an incredible amount of freedom and flexibility in my ability to serve God. Yet the desire for a husband quietly waits at the edge of consciousness. Is this my desire, or have I assumed this value of which I am continually assaulted?

A little over 3 years ago, Jennifer Palmer discovered she had cancer. The day before she died, I began to read the blog of her husband, Mark. Jennifer was only 26.

A short 2 years later, he also diagnosed.

A month ago tomorrow, Mark passed away.

My heartfelt condolences to Amy and Micah.

Mark posted about an article (O Brothers, Where Art Thou?) he recently came across.
Apparently, my search for a single Christian man is actually an international issue. Not that this knowledge helps my search any, but at least I'm not alone.

I came across Barnzee's site today. Only a couple of posts thus far, but looks like it could easily become a regular read.

Ryan alerted me to the fact that legal proceedings were initiated between Warren Kinsella (see also) and Mark Bourrie regarding certain postings on MarK's blog. Interesting to see how this works out.

Bridget Jones Goes to Seminary posted an article from her seminary newspaper entitled "The liturgy of line dancing". Quite the analogy really.

a badchristian blog has become a new favourite read. The link is to a post a few weeks ago with a variety of "Christian-wear" logos.

I first began reading Palmer's journal when his wife was dying of cancer. Two years later, he also was diagnosed with cancer. His writing has always been filled with hope and inspiration despite incredible loss and challenges. He wrote this recently...

But it's even more about the Kingdom that has broken in and offers us a chance at relief from that disease. It offers health and victory where before there was none. There is hope in the midst of hopelessness. Death is not where we lose; the onset of hopelessness is the great defeater. So allow hope to rise up within you. And when it seems that hopefulness is the least appropriate response in this situation, let it rise up even more. Whisper your hope when you lie down at night; scream your hope when you wake in the morning. Live your hope as if it is the one and only thing that sustains you in this ravaged world. You will not be disappointed.

I ran across this blog ( Hurricane Katrina: Healthcare workers' stories) about healthcare workers volunteering to help the survivors of Katrina. Most of them are nurses, physicians and EMTs. So I thought a bit about what I could do if I was there. In reading the stories, most of the survivors do not have any of their medications with them. These are people who need insulin or pills for their diabetes, pills to prevent seizures, keep their blood pressure down, or keep the HIV virus in check. And I am a drug expert. I know about the blue pill you take at bedtime, the black and orange capsule for your stomach and the yellow pill for your blood pressure. Those little white ones are a bit trickier, but we can usually figure it out. ;) I could "triage" patients -- get a good medication history (studies have shown we do it better than nurses or physicians) before the physician writes a prescription for some refills. I would do it for 16 hours a day for days on end.
However, I am in Canada. Miles and miles and miles away. And I have sick patients of my own to look after. Patients with strokes and seizures and back surgery and significant infections and pain and those with an uncertain diagnosis.
While my heart aches for those in New Orleans and area, and while I would love to help you or relieve some of those who have been helping you, I am here. Like every day before this and every day after, I will serve my patients.

The mission statement on my desk reads:

I will saturate my day in prayer. My success will not so much depend on the things I have done, the people I have impressed, the money I have made, or the honours I have obtained but on my ability to imitate Christ.

I will seek to love and serve beyond the call of duty. I will endeavour to become humble, patient, selfless, joyful, grateful, kind, honest, and merciful. I will practice with self-control, empathy, commitment and persistence.

The patient’s well-being and personal goals for health will be my utmost priority. Whenever possible, I will seek to assist and empower them in self-care. Together, we will be proactive in obtaining their optimal health.

I will seek to fulfill the most urgent needs of society for the distribution, education, consultation, selection, monitoring, and evaluation of pharmacotherapy. I will try to balance the individual’s health with the interests of society.

I will become a team player by building collaborative relationships with the patient and other health care providers. I will respect other health care professionals and honour their expertise; whenever necessary, I will seek their guidance or refer my patient to them.

I will be open to change; I will be an instrument for change. I will become an autonomous thinker, using critical and creative thinking skills. I will endeavour to stay current with advances in the practice of pharmacy.

I will take care of myself so that I can take care of others.

A post by McSweeney really does capture the whole problem ...

What seems to be the problem today? A question about one of your medications? No? A question about something you saw on TV. I see, a commercial. He recommended you ask your doctor about ...? The names are hard to remember. A man running through a field. OK, that narrows it down a little. read more

Blogs I have discovered today:

Minor Wisdom - a lawyer from New Orleans
JT Bug - a 24 year old financial analyst/grad student near Boston
Scribere Orare Est - Jared, a seminary student from Abilene
Greg some good posts and great photos
Poolside Theology - Jen in California
Writings for the journey - Kasey, another MDiv student
Scarier than Godzilla - Cheryl from Niagra Falls
Simon Fraser - somewhere in Alberta
Torch of thoughts from the sugar bowl

The Menno Melange quoted this excerpt from Bert Newton's article in The Mennonite:

Comedy Central's The Daily Show, one of the most popular shows on television, parodies daily news shows, has its own anchor, Jon Stewart, its reporters out in the field and its commentators. Each week it also has a religion segment called "This Week in God." Once Steven Colbert, the host of the segment, showed actual news footage of a televangelist expressing his support for the president's war on terrorism. The televangelist said, "We've got to kill the terrorists before the killing stops. I support the president. We need to chase them all over the world, for 10 years, if it takes that long. We need to blow them up in the name of the Lord." At that point, the camera switched back to Colbert, who said, "And in a related story, Jesus has quit." As an evangelical Christian, what I found interesting about that segment was the response of the secular studio audience. They laughed and clapped robustly. I thought, We evangelical, Anabaptist Christians struggle with much of the rest of the church over whether Jesus is about peace--we spend time working out a theology of peace--and for this secular studio audience there is no struggle at all. They don't have to work out anything. They just assume Jesus is about peace. They assume Jesus would not agree with the televangelist, would not support the president's war on terrorism or talk about blowing people up in the name of the Lord. They get it.

Leaving Münster writes about communion ...

The Eucharist is the place where the church practices postconsumerism. [read more]

A few new blogs to take a look at...

Aaron's Uncle

Leaving Münster

Resonate

Dwight wrote:

What if faith could never be stable in the way God intends it to be if it didn't have forward momentum and if that momentum weren't in the field of the gravity of God himself? And if you don't like that metaphor, think of a bird in flight or a bicycle or a ship on the sea. In each case, there's movement in relation to some larger forces and realities. Stability comes through an interplay of those factors. Stability is not always as simple as a static building sitting on a solid foundation. John Wesley understood this very well: he talked about the church deriving its stability from a dynamic interplay of four forces-what were they? Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.

The Anabaptist Network is a new site I found with most of its content from folks in the UK. The following is an excerpt from a recent post:

Anabaptists: An Introduction

The Anabaptist movement had its genesis as the radical wing of the Protestant Reformation. It began in Zurich in 1525 when a small group of men and women gathered to baptise one another. This group and those that followed them became known as Anabaptists because they believed that Christians must choose baptism as consenting adults rather than as infants.

The concept of believer's baptism was rejected by more moderate reformers who still believed in the Christendom model in which baptism of infants served as entry into both the church and the state. The Anabaptists were hunted down and persectued by both the Catholic and Protestant authorites for their baptism of adults as well as their rejection of the sword, swearing oaths and their focus on evangelism.

It was about 2 years ago when I came across Palmer's Journal. On it, Palmer would write about God and his church community and his young son and his wife who was dying from cancer. Observing their faith and perspective during that time was incredible.
Unfortunately I have not kept up with reading his blog, but popping over today I discovered that he was diagnosed with rectal cancer in January and recently had surgery. Unfortunately, none of his medical bills will be covered.
I'm sure your prayers would be appreciated.

RLP wrote this article ... it's a good read if you have a moment.

... This is the reality of intimacy. We have a personal space, and we choose carefully whom we let inside. And when people come into this space, it can be scary. Sometimes the shock of it brings the voice of a child out of you, revealing secrets and making you blush with shame. ...

jeremy wrote:

Why is it always Catholics that are "devout?" When's the last time you heard of a "devout Protestant?" Strange.

Real Live Preacher wrote a dramatization of the Christmas story last year. I linked to it then, and I'm linking to it again. An amazing read - I'd highly encourage you to check it out.

I've seen some miraculous healing's, divine interventions and things that defy logic and the rule's of life. But the most impressive miracles are not the ones where people walk on water but the ones where people walk on earth. Where people absorb and accept the miracle of the moment - the blue sky, brown trees, the solid ground, the shades of light, the feel of the shirt on their back and the soles of their shoes. Where people live open-handed with expectation, wonder, gratitude and awareness. Their lives are lived with a willingness to look between and beyond the things that most of us just glance at. They choose an intentional vision that takes a deeper and sideways and double look at what is right here, right now.

Then again, maybe that isn't so miraculous. Maybe that's faith?

Read more at Ponder this...

RLP pointed me to a new blog ... specifically to this post.

PS - If you haven't heard, RLP has a book.

superblessed: The Superblessed Christian Blog Awards 2004

Best Designed Blog.
BrownPau, BrownPau.com
Mikks Maducdoc, Mikkan
Ricky Manzano, RickyManzano.com
Silv3r-Lining, Silv3r-Lining.org
Keren Tan, KerenTan.com

Most Humorous Blog.
Ariel Atienza, In Between Panels
Drina, Sonafide.com
Mack, Pray Naked
Michael Main, Michael Main.com
Christopher Wright, What in Tarnation?

Most Educational Blog.
Mark Byron, Mark Byron
Andrew Careaga, Bloggedy Blog
David Heddle, He Lives
Martin Roth, Martin Roth Online
Craig Tanner, Avoiding Evil.com

Most Introspective Blog.
Ailene, Dalsol
Tanya Gartamaker, 7 Day Holy.
Irene Q, IreneQ.com.
Deb Sawyer, Constantly Abiding.
Susan, What a Beautiful Day!

Most Useful Christian Resource.
Bible Gateway.
Blogs4God.
Christian Answers.net.
GenRev.net
J-Zone.
Relevant Magazine.

Best Blog with Online Discussion.
Joshua Claybourn, Joshua Claybourn.com
Esteban Francisco, Crystal Clear
The Rowster, The Rowster
The men and women of Spare Change
Wifely, Wifely Steps

Most Inspirational/Encouraging Blog.
C. Bowles, Can You Hear Me Now?
Elijah Fan, Fanster.net
PM Pilgrim, Wanderings of a Post-Modern Pilgrim
Darren Rowse, Living Room

Most Enjoyable Male Filipino-Christian Blog.
Daxi Arellano, Daxi
Arnold Gamboa, Better Than Life
Mikks Maducdoc, Mikkan
Ricky Manzano, RickyManzano.com
JM Tuazon, God of Irony

Most Enjoyable Female Filipino-Christian Blog.
Jax, Jax Place
Kat, Sikat Online
Maan, My Silverchair
Phisch, In That Number
Tina Mats, RefineMe.org

Most Enjoyable Male Christian Blog (International, Non-Filipino).
Bob, Mister Standfast
Elijah Fan, Fanster.net
Darren Rowse, Living Room
Galvin, Galvin
San Antonio, San Antonio Blog

Most Enjoyable Female Christian Blog (International, Non-Filipino).
Tracy Apps, ThisRoad.org
Jan, Shalom's Web
Susan Prince, Sister's Weblog: It Bloggles the Mind!
The ladies of Under the Juniper
Valerie, Kyriosity

Favorite Christian Blog of 2004.
Bene Diction, Bene Diction Blogs On
Mikks Maducdoc, Mikkan
Susan Prince, Sister's Weblog: It Bloggles the Mind!
Darren Rowse, Living Room
Christopher Wright, What in Tarnation?

From a comment on Mark316.com: Time for an entry

I used to get all frustrated with life, and how it was the same thing over and over... and then... I thought to myself, you know, if I threw God into the whole equation, everyday, over and over, I'd have a chance to meet God. So everyday, it's like, in the morning, sup God? and he's like yo Kev, lets hang out today, like we did yesterday, and like were going to tommorow... and everyday is a party... even if it's the same, it's with God, so I totally can't go wrong. Everyday is a party with God... and it's awesome.

Space and Silence from the dimly lit room

... I soon realized that space for silence is a part of the Mass, just as the spoken liturgical words are a part....

to read more, follow the link above

I found this on a post over at the LivingRoom.
Just about as cool as the Lego Bible and the World Crokinole Tournament.

Found at urbanpeel.com

Comments from a recent post by Real Live Preacher, There���Something About the Way You Use the Bible

"What if the Bible is intended not merely to tell you what to think, but how to think? In that case, the questions the Bible raises in your mind may be more important than the answers you find in it. Ever notice, when Jesus was asked a question, how often he answered with another question? What if God's answers to us are often questions? And what if, by inspiring questions in us, the Bible actually read us, instead of us reading it?" -- Brian McLaren from Adventures in Missing the Point, page 81
.................... I own the Tanakh, an English translation of the Koran, various Buddhist sutras, the Bhagavad-Gita, and many other religous texts. However, I don't own a Christian Bible. Mainly for the reasons that you talk about... the bludgeoning, the piercing, the thudding catterwalling of those "one verse wonders".
.................... ...as Luther said:
"Sin bravely."

Remember a few years ago when there was all that hype about everyone being connected to everyone else in the world by a chain of 6 people? There was even a website that you could go to and sign up yourself and your friends and then see how many thousands of people you could be connected to.

Recalling those days, I was inspired to see who links to me from their blog/site.

Chances are you have already visited the majority of these blogs, but if not - I'd encourage you to have a glance. Feel free to check out some of those in my link section.

And of course, if you think there's a site I should visit -- please leave it for me in the comments.

You link to me...

ireneQ
The Heresy
SuperBlessed
Bald Man Blogging
The Living Room
to be a blessing...
Jer & Rie
Tam
Contact
The Menno Melange
Ryan Cordell
Jordon Cooper
Sweet Sweat

I went blog hopping today. I went to read up on Jeremy's recent happenings and then meandered over to catch a glimpse of April.

And, lo and behold, a post about Mister God, This is Anna ... one of my favorite books. Remarkable really, for not many people I run into have ever heard of this book. It is (C) 1974, and for that reason has probably faded out of existence in the memories of people once familiar with it (although, once read, it tends to stick with one's self). Fynn (a pseudonym, and despite efforts, I have not been able to uncover more about the author) has also written several other books. Anna, Mister God, and the Black Knight, which I have read, and Anna's Book, which I have not.

The two books that I have read have challenged my view of God and the box into which I had entrapped Him. The whole childlike enthusiasm and excitement and wonder which Fynn portrays is utterly amazing.

An Excerpt from RLP - read the whole post here ... the comments on his post are interesting as well.

Recently I found out that I might be a false prophet.

I know! I was as surprised as anyone to hear it. I��� tell you all about it in a moment, but first promise me that you will resist the urge to leave a comment reassuring me that I���not a false prophet. I don���need reassurance. I���asking a serious question here.

...

I started wondering about this because I got an email from a guy who is absolutely convinced that I am indeed a false prophet.

That's weird, wild stuff, by the way, when someone accuses you of being a false prophet.
Many of you do not believe in prophets, true or otherwise, so I expect you would simply laugh this off and go about your business. But if you are a Christian and another Christian feels that you are a false prophet, you are honor-bound to hear him out and consider the possibility. At least you should do so if the person making the accusation is reasonable.

I'll say this for the guy. He was nice about it. Well, as nice as one can be when delivering that kind of news. I could tell he wasn't enjoying telling me I was a false prophet, and I appreciated that. Having been accused of being a false prophet a few times now, I can tell you that it's a lot easier to take when you can at least know that the person telling you isn't enjoying himself.

He said, "I cannot tell for certain whether you play the role of false prophet intentionally or not, but nonetheless, play the role you do."

This wasn't some dumb guy either. He was intelligent and sincere. He was very sad that I was a false prophet and worried about it. I could tell he was grieved, and that made me sad too, and a little scared. I think I would enjoy a conversation with this guy, but I don't know if he would be interested. Sometimes when Christians identify a bona fide false prophet they can be a little reluctant to socialize with him.

And who can blame them, really?

So anyway, after I had this whole email conversation with this guy, I got to thinking. How do I know I'm NOT a false prophet? And the truth is, I don't know.

The Menno Melange describes the World Crokinole Championships held in his hometown.
More details here

Love Lifts Us Up Where We Blog wrote a post a while back called "Matilda". A good read. Check it out.

The Politics of the Eucharist
.... an interesting collection of thoughts from Jeremy's blog

The Brick Testament

From the Old Testament

to the New Testament.

It's all a very interesting read ... click the picture

A call, or calling, in life can be seen as a suit of clothes (not a tux, but any set of clothes, enough to cover the whole body). Many of us find something on the rack that fits well enough, is fairly affordable and go with it. We take what's available and often do not know our own shape, our measurements or what might fit us best. We don't realize that we don't have to buy a ready-to-wear call; there is a designer who will measure and fit each one of us, and build clothing to fit our unique shapes. We do not know, or do not remember, the feeling of clothing made to drape and flow perfectly over our bodies, the sort of clothing that fits, flatters and almost disappears because it is so well suited to our form.

by April, read more

In a comment by Martha K onReal Live Preacher

"Being a member isn't just busying your hands doing things for the church; it's needing the church to reach out its arms and embrace you."

Believe and Be Satisfied

Everyone longs to give themself completely to someone, to have a deep soul relationship with another - to be loved thouroughly and exclusively. But God, to a Christian says:

'No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled, content with being loved by me alone, with giving yourself totally, and unreservedly to me, discovering that only in me is your satisfaction to be found, will you be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you.

'You will never be united with another until you are united with me - exclusive of anyone else, exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing and allow me to give you the most thrilling plan existing, one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow me to bring it to you.

'Just keep watching me, expecting the greatest things: keep experiencing the satisfaction that I AM. Keep listening to me and learning the things I tell you. You must wait. Don't be anxious, don't worry. Don't look around at the things others have gotten or I have given to them. You just keep looking off and away up to me or you will miss what I want to show you.

'And then, when you are ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than any of you could ever dream of. You see, until you are ready and the one I have for you is ready - I am working even at this moment to have both of you ready at the same time - until you are both satisfied exclusively with me and the life I have for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with me - perfect love.

"And dear one, I want you to have this love. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with me and enjoy concretely the everlasting union of beauty, perfection and love. Know that I love you utterly. I am God Almighty, believe and be satisfied."

from the dimly lit room
Thomas Merton on the City

Everything in modern city life is calculated to keep man from entering into himself and thinking about spiritual things. Even with the best of intentions a spiritual man finds himself exhausted and deadened and debased by the constant noise of machines and loudspeakers, the dead air and the glaring lights of offices and shops, the everlasting suggestions of advertising and propaganda.

I really haven't been keeping up in my blog reading. I've found some good new ones, and am distracted from the old good ones too.
A quote from a comment on Palmer's journal:

We have to learn our lesson in the depths of the valley before we can announce it on the heights.
Watchman Nee, The Ministry of God's Word

I also came across a link to Heather Camp's fotoblog on Jordon's blog.

Here is one of her photos

And you can't forget the Biblical curse generator that I found on blog one another

Real Live Preacher is writing the Christmas story in eight parts.

Introduction

...It seems the real Christmas story is lacking many of our favorite elements. Perhaps you are wondering what kind of story might be left without the donkey and the animals in the barn, without the busy but kindly innkeeper, without the rickety manger, and without the stunning gifts lying in the straw.

All eight parts in their entirety can be found here.

Real Live Preacher writes an introduction to his Christmas Story narrative in 8 parts, beginning December 1.

Luke 2:1-7
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. This taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (KJV)

The facts are few and the account minimal to the point of absurdity. In a few short verses, Luke tells us everything we know about the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, he who would come to be known as the Christ.

There is wonder and mystery in this story, much of it hiding between the verses and in the silences that cry out to pilgrim readers. Luke's soft words give us the gentle and polite details, but the real story was one of pain and surprise, of grace, beauty and brutality.

I'm fascinated by how we have filled in the gaps over the years. In building our own Christmas story, we have padded this bare account with cultural details, many of which are anachronistic or simply unlikely.

Read more...

From palmer's journal: a quote from Nicholas Wolterstorff

Who then are the mourners? The mourners are those who have caught a glimpse of Gods new day, who ache with all their being for that days coming, and who break out into tears when confronted with its absence. They are the ones who realize that in God's realm of peace there is no one blind and who ache whenever they see someone unseeing. They are the ones who realize that in God's realm there is no one hungry and who ache whenever they see someone starving. They are the ones who realize that in God's realm there is no one falsely accused and who ache when they see someone imprisoned unjustly. They are the ones who realize that in God's realm there is no one who fails to see God and who ache whenever they see someone unbelieving. They are the ones who realize that in God's realm there is no one who suffers oppression and who ache whenever they see someone who is beat down. They are the ones who realize that in God's realm there is no one without dignity and who ache whenever they see someone treated with indignity. They are the ones who realize that in God's realm of peace there is neither death nor tears and who ache whenever they see someone crying tears over death. The mourners are aching visionaries.

From Jared's blog...
Touch is truth. Think about it. Every time you touch someone, you are communicating something to them. You are creating an experience--affecting their reality. And we believe that Christ, being himself Truth, is not merely an icon of a belief system, or a figure of history; we believe that he is in fact touchable, that his essence is touch. Immanuel, God with us--God among us.

Greg began to retell the story of touch from Luke 8: the woman who dared to touch him. The woman who'd spent her last 12 years hiding her condition, protecting her anonymity, attempting to remain unnoticed so that she could live a semi-normal life. This woman had been hemorrhaging blood for 12 years, and none of the doctor's could help her. As Christ is walking toward a certain man's house, the crowd is fully pressing him, to the point that the writer of the story says that they are almost crushing him. And this one woman's desperation leads her to tear through the crowd without regard to her condition, pushing past people, fighting to get to the center. And she does--just briefly, but she does. She gets just close enough to reach her arm through the mass of bodies, just close enough that her outstretched fingers are able to brush the thread of his clothes.

And the bleeding stopped. Immediately, her condition of 12 years vanished. Christ of course, turns and asks the inane question, 'Who touched me?' 'Who interrupted my humanity without initiation or invitation, and received from my divinity?' Of course the crowd was pressing him on all sides, and was probably as shocked by his question as his disciples were, but the question was not without warrant. 'His question became the confirmation of her touch--the confirmation of her healing.' Her healing was not found in her question "why", but his question "who". And it was in that question that Christ offers the confirmation to her, for in that moment she realized that "she could no longer go unnoticed." He had noticed her, and brought her into view to confirm her. No longer would her condition keep her in hiding. From this moment forward, she would know that her life is to be noticed, not only by God but by people as she displays in her body the visibility of his tangibility, the confirmation of her desperation.

what jeremy (in calgary) wrote in his blog really resonated. i'd suggest having a read. he's also written a lot of other great stuff lately ... i haven't been on my computer for anything other than work lately. otherwise i would have read it earlier.
but the truth is, i didn't need to read it earlier. i needed to read it now. again, there are no coincidences. i am overwhelmed by order and purpose.

I was reading Rie's blog today, and what she posted just made sense ...

People keep asking me what I plan to do once I'm done and I wish that I had a good answer for that. ... The more I think about it, the more I lack a vision for the future. That's good I guess. Then I'll be willing to go anywhere God needs me, but still the human part of me really wants to know something. I'm having to give up a lot of things to God but I think that giving up my future is the toughest part. I trust Him. I know that He'll bring me where I need to be, so I suppose that's all I need to know.

"My son--when I led your ship to its demise, you became afraid, angry, and embittered toward those that help your build it. It was, in its season, a tool for your growth--it fed you from the sea, taught you of the sea, and carried you on a course through its many waters. But in time, you became more dependent on the ship than on the sea it was designed for. In that, your ship had become your prison. It held you captive from exploring the depths of the unknown. The very thing that carried you across the surface of the sea prevented you from truly experiencing it. You were protected from the deep by boundaries, parameters, and understanding of your own mind. My son, I Am the Sea. I gave you the ship, because it would create an ongoing relationship for us. You would exist on the ship, and it would exist on me. But now I want more--you want more--and that ship was standing in our way. I want to carry you through my depths. Remove from your mind the agendas of destinations. My mystery is dark, unpredictable, and daunting for those who fear losing control. But that is to be your future. Let go of the monument you've created to your own understanding of my mystery, and allow me to envelope you in it."
jared

As I lay there in the water, clutching the last remaining pieces of debris to keep me afloat, I understood that my future is to lose myself in that mystery, without thought to "emerging" from it to again. I must relinquish my grip on those pieces, if I am to truly experience the deep. As I slip beneath the surface now without agenda or breath, I have this picture. I am sinking slowly, looking up toward the surface, bathing in the glittering rays of the sun as I watch my past move further and further away. I am submerging--being permeated with, immersed in, and even suffocated by the most beautiful, indescribable, immeasurable mystery. The darkness of the deep surrounds me, and I have this intoxicating sense of complete safety, as I embrace the future of my life in the deep. Maybe finally, lost in the mystery of God, I am found.

I came across a blog today by Mark, whose 26 year old wife has stomach cancer. His constant writing about their life, their day-to-day moments, their son Micah, the support of people around them ... I am struck by his honesty, transparency and faith.

Update: Aug 12 - Mark's wife, Jennifer, died this morning. Please pray for Mark and his son Micah.

The Sacrament of Friendship
Written by Rev. Mark Connolly (theOoze)

Many years ago the famous French philosopher, Albert Camus, said there is no life worth while unless it is lived in relationship to another. With that line as a background, I would like to share a few thoughts with you on one subject that has to be meaningful to your life if your life is to have any contentment, serenity and happiness. It is the subject of friendship.

If you study the life of Jesus Christ he made it very clear about the importance of friendships in his life. When he told his apostles greater love than this no one has than he who lays down his life for a friend, he was reminding them that a person who has a solid friendship on earth, has a touch of heaven on earth. Every one of us, like Christ, has been betrayed during the course of our life and it hurts, especially if you have a degree of closeness with the one who has hurt you. Christ experienced this same situation in his own life. Here he was kind and generous and compassionate to his apostle Judas and when Judas led a crowd of men into the garden of olives after betraying him, Christ looked at Judas and simply said, "friend, for what purpose have you come?"