Still overwhelmed by my experience, I made the call to Peggy.
"WOW! It doesn`t usually happen that way.What doesn`t happen that way?
Getting saved. Usually you go forward at church during an altar call."
An altar call?,going forward at church?,getting saved?.What did all that mean?
God just said to me, He was never going to leave me, and I told Him I didn`t know how to get to Him.I needed to know how and I was ready to hear it.She was going to point me in the right direction.
"Billy, you have to find a church over by where you live that teaches from the Bible"
Little did I understand that He had been drawing me to Himself for a long time.
I can now look back and see all the plowing that had taken place in my life.I can see the faces of the people He used to not only plow and remove the stones and thorns;I can see the faces of the planters, and those that watered until that day when He finally gave the increase and I sprouted forth with new life.A new life that had to be nurtured.I needed nutrition like a new baby who needs it`s mothers milk.I needed to grow and become strong so I could one day eat meat.
God my father knows that, and He was going to put me in a place so He could start feeding me.
He was going to put me in a place where I would grow, and start to understand things about Him
and myself, and you, and where I live, and where you live.My understanding was to be theocentric.He was going to begin to give me a world view as seen through His eyes.He was going to teach me that mankind didn`t just pen words about him.He was going to teach me that the words are from Him, and He used His creatures to pen them,and that is why they have the power to change my life and nourish my soul.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Magnificat
Today a good friend asked me about my favorite type of music. Since I consider myself a musician, I took this question rather seriously and I gave a somewhat suprising answer: carefully crafted, primarily vocal or choral (multi-part) music, though not exclusively, with a tune that clearly honors the text. I also quite like intsrumental music that manages to speak without words. There has been some discussion on this blog about encountering the presence of God. That's the very thing on which I based my answer. My favorite music calls me out from where I'm hiding. Here's the words of a song that fills me with such hope and joy that I can only describe it as being pure worship.
The Magnificat is the title given to Mary's response to the angel Gabriel. Before I give those words, I want to remind you all of her immediate response, before she gave a voiced answer. "Greetings, highly favored one!" the angel said. Mary was terrified! This is her knee-jerk reaction, to question God's favor of her. Sound familiar? This is key for understanding my own sense of God's call to me. Then, the angel said, "Do not be afraid." Ha! It's my understanding that God wants to engage us. The shock often comes when God actually does! The crazy thing here is that Mary actually listened, and was able to accept her charge of bearing Jesus with these words (these are an abridged version from a more contemporary musical setting):
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit exalts in God my savior.
For he has looked with mercy on my lowliness,
and my name will be forever exalted.
For the Mighty God has done great things for me
and his mercy will reach from age to age.
And Holy,
Holy,
Holy is his name.
He has mercy in every generation.
He has revealed his power and his glory.
He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance
and has lifted up the meek and the lowly.
He has come to help his servant Israel,
and he remembers his promise to our fathers.
Holy,
Holy,
Holy is his name.
And Holy,
Holy,
Holy is his name.
I hope you all get to hear this version sometime, as the words alone do not fully encompass the power of its offering. I am so deeply thankful for the gift of song and the ability to express myself by singing because I feel the warmth and joy I experience is a taste of what it must be like to fall before the throne of God. Indeed, Mary was as close to that as she could be, there, in Gabriel's presence. How often, though, do I find myself quite low, afraid of the power of singing those words of truth, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord..."?
This is the importance of Mary's words to me. God regards the lowliness of all people with the coming of his Son, and I believe that, just like Mary, we are met with the same charge if we accept Jesus to be who he says he is. God calls us to bear Jesus Christ to each other and to the world. So, clearly, we are not conceiving and birthing Jesus literally, but when we accept him to be who he says he is, we conceive (believe) in our hearts the incarnation, the life, death, and the resurrection of Jesus so that the power of ALL of those things (let's not forget his life!) are born out of us, to each other. Yes, Mary was special in that she was the one chosen to physically birth Jesus. I feel, however, that we are all as special because we are offered quite the same privilege when Jesus says, "Follow me". Of course, the controversy which accompanied her pregnancy, naturally, follows all who accept this charge. How many folks who read this may say I'm crazy? For heaven's sake, it got Jesus (and many others after him) killed!
I'll take one more turn on this road before I close. I had a friend in college who liked to wear a shirt with a cartoon drawing of Bethlehem, with the star above a certain stable. Out of that spot came a text balloon with the words, "It's a girl!" Two responses to this: (1) I wish I had a shirt that reflected the requisite gender balance in response in the exchange with the angel Gabriel, that showed Joseph (instead of Mary) receiving the angel's greeting, and subsequent charge of physically bearing said daughter to the world; (2) I have absolutely no qualms singing this Magnificat, Mary's song, solo, as a man. I believe it's my song, too, one that I sing as I grow toward a more complete acceptance of its words, for me. I think it just might be that mothers have a deeper (or entirely different) understanding of the sacrifice of bearing new life to the world. Isn't it even more poignant to remember all those women who literally gave up their lives in the birthing of their children! Where would we be without you, mothers? Thanks to Mary and to all our mothers for showing us what it means to lay your lives down for us, in conceiving us, and bearing us to the world.
On that note, Merry Christmas!
The Magnificat is the title given to Mary's response to the angel Gabriel. Before I give those words, I want to remind you all of her immediate response, before she gave a voiced answer. "Greetings, highly favored one!" the angel said. Mary was terrified! This is her knee-jerk reaction, to question God's favor of her. Sound familiar? This is key for understanding my own sense of God's call to me. Then, the angel said, "Do not be afraid." Ha! It's my understanding that God wants to engage us. The shock often comes when God actually does! The crazy thing here is that Mary actually listened, and was able to accept her charge of bearing Jesus with these words (these are an abridged version from a more contemporary musical setting):
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
and my spirit exalts in God my savior.
For he has looked with mercy on my lowliness,
and my name will be forever exalted.
For the Mighty God has done great things for me
and his mercy will reach from age to age.
And Holy,
Holy,
Holy is his name.
He has mercy in every generation.
He has revealed his power and his glory.
He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance
and has lifted up the meek and the lowly.
He has come to help his servant Israel,
and he remembers his promise to our fathers.
Holy,
Holy,
Holy is his name.
And Holy,
Holy,
Holy is his name.
I hope you all get to hear this version sometime, as the words alone do not fully encompass the power of its offering. I am so deeply thankful for the gift of song and the ability to express myself by singing because I feel the warmth and joy I experience is a taste of what it must be like to fall before the throne of God. Indeed, Mary was as close to that as she could be, there, in Gabriel's presence. How often, though, do I find myself quite low, afraid of the power of singing those words of truth, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord..."?
This is the importance of Mary's words to me. God regards the lowliness of all people with the coming of his Son, and I believe that, just like Mary, we are met with the same charge if we accept Jesus to be who he says he is. God calls us to bear Jesus Christ to each other and to the world. So, clearly, we are not conceiving and birthing Jesus literally, but when we accept him to be who he says he is, we conceive (believe) in our hearts the incarnation, the life, death, and the resurrection of Jesus so that the power of ALL of those things (let's not forget his life!) are born out of us, to each other. Yes, Mary was special in that she was the one chosen to physically birth Jesus. I feel, however, that we are all as special because we are offered quite the same privilege when Jesus says, "Follow me". Of course, the controversy which accompanied her pregnancy, naturally, follows all who accept this charge. How many folks who read this may say I'm crazy? For heaven's sake, it got Jesus (and many others after him) killed!
I'll take one more turn on this road before I close. I had a friend in college who liked to wear a shirt with a cartoon drawing of Bethlehem, with the star above a certain stable. Out of that spot came a text balloon with the words, "It's a girl!" Two responses to this: (1) I wish I had a shirt that reflected the requisite gender balance in response in the exchange with the angel Gabriel, that showed Joseph (instead of Mary) receiving the angel's greeting, and subsequent charge of physically bearing said daughter to the world; (2) I have absolutely no qualms singing this Magnificat, Mary's song, solo, as a man. I believe it's my song, too, one that I sing as I grow toward a more complete acceptance of its words, for me. I think it just might be that mothers have a deeper (or entirely different) understanding of the sacrifice of bearing new life to the world. Isn't it even more poignant to remember all those women who literally gave up their lives in the birthing of their children! Where would we be without you, mothers? Thanks to Mary and to all our mothers for showing us what it means to lay your lives down for us, in conceiving us, and bearing us to the world.
On that note, Merry Christmas!
Praise
This morning I stood with my family before my church family and read what I believe to be a Messianic prophecy found in Isaiah 35. As I read this passage outloud, I experienced, in a profound, moving way, a moment of joy in expectation of true untarnished love. Especially in these words found in Part of verse 9 and verse 10,
"But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
"But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
Friday, December 15, 2006
Clarity
In my blog "Truth - Part One - Consequences of Claiming Absolute Truth", I used a story from Kite Runner to illustrate how claiming absolute truth can lead to absolute tragedy. I failed to make clear, however, that the story portrayed in this book is a fictional tale. For me whether or not this tale is based on truth or reported truths is not relevant to the point I was making; however, I do want to make sure you don't go around saying "I heard that blah, blah, blah occurred in Afghanistan, using the Kite Runner as your source for that information". Hopefully that faux pau has not yet occurred.
One other point I would like to make as more and more people begin to contribute and show interest in this blog is to please do your best to maintain the spirit of this web log which is set forth in the first posted blog and in the guidelines. In my writing thus far, I have found it difficult to follow my own rules, to be honest, but I hope that my ability to write from a perspective of what I believe and not what I don't believe will evolve to a higher level. This is not to say no one will be offended or deeply struck by what others say or believe, but just to remind us all to be judicious in how we present our beliefs.
Of course, as we read, we all will have questions and provoking thoughts as we seek to understand ideas and thoughts posted by contributors. If you desire to ask questions or inquire further of a person who has posted a blog, I like the idea of posing questions in the comments section and allowing those questions to be addressed from an "I Believe" perspective in a blog by the original author. Having said that, no author should feel he/she is obligated to defend or clarify a post at the request of others.
If you feel someone is compromising the spirit of the blog (myself included) or has done something that raises eyebrows about integrity (like using a story to illustrate a point without stating whether or not it is a fiction or non-fiction source) please email me on the issue @ ppaulito@yahoo.com rather than posting it as a comment. I will email the author of the material in question myself. Thank you everyone for you input thus far. I am very excited about what is happening here thus far. Happy Holidays.
One other point I would like to make as more and more people begin to contribute and show interest in this blog is to please do your best to maintain the spirit of this web log which is set forth in the first posted blog and in the guidelines. In my writing thus far, I have found it difficult to follow my own rules, to be honest, but I hope that my ability to write from a perspective of what I believe and not what I don't believe will evolve to a higher level. This is not to say no one will be offended or deeply struck by what others say or believe, but just to remind us all to be judicious in how we present our beliefs.
Of course, as we read, we all will have questions and provoking thoughts as we seek to understand ideas and thoughts posted by contributors. If you desire to ask questions or inquire further of a person who has posted a blog, I like the idea of posing questions in the comments section and allowing those questions to be addressed from an "I Believe" perspective in a blog by the original author. Having said that, no author should feel he/she is obligated to defend or clarify a post at the request of others.
If you feel someone is compromising the spirit of the blog (myself included) or has done something that raises eyebrows about integrity (like using a story to illustrate a point without stating whether or not it is a fiction or non-fiction source) please email me on the issue @ ppaulito@yahoo.com rather than posting it as a comment. I will email the author of the material in question myself. Thank you everyone for you input thus far. I am very excited about what is happening here thus far. Happy Holidays.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Epistemology continued
But I don`t know how to get to You!!!
That day in the summer of 1986 when I screamed those words out the window of my car,is the day my epistemology began to change.
The scream was in response to a conversation initiated by God Himself.
It was 1430 hrs, I was driving to work along the Nasa Causeway,and all of a sudden there was this acute awareness of the presence of God that totally overwhelmed every fiber of my being.
It shook me to the core of my soul and I couldn`t stop weeping.
I heard Him say; I will never leave you.At the hearing of those few words, with my fist clenched in the air, and looking up into the clouds,I screamed;BUT I DON`T KNOW HOW TO GET TO YOU!!! He simply said,call Peggy.Peggy is the cousin of a friend of mine and a christian.
Evidently she was going to help me understand what just happened to me.
Two things I already understood.God is absolutely real and He absolutely speaks to us.
Websters definition of epistemology is "the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge with reference to it`s limits and validity.
A friend of mine simply stated it this way".It is what you believe and why you believe it".
The environment and culture we live in influences the way we think and live.
What happened to me is; God took me out of the environment He calls darkness that I was exhisting in, and brought me into an environment of light, which I now live in.
He breathed the breath of life into my nostrils and I became a living being.
A living being with a billion questions, and a thirst for the truth. The truth about who He is, and who we are in relation to Him and to each other.
I pray He helps us all find it.
That day in the summer of 1986 when I screamed those words out the window of my car,is the day my epistemology began to change.
The scream was in response to a conversation initiated by God Himself.
It was 1430 hrs, I was driving to work along the Nasa Causeway,and all of a sudden there was this acute awareness of the presence of God that totally overwhelmed every fiber of my being.
It shook me to the core of my soul and I couldn`t stop weeping.
I heard Him say; I will never leave you.At the hearing of those few words, with my fist clenched in the air, and looking up into the clouds,I screamed;BUT I DON`T KNOW HOW TO GET TO YOU!!! He simply said,call Peggy.Peggy is the cousin of a friend of mine and a christian.
Evidently she was going to help me understand what just happened to me.
Two things I already understood.God is absolutely real and He absolutely speaks to us.
Websters definition of epistemology is "the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge with reference to it`s limits and validity.
A friend of mine simply stated it this way".It is what you believe and why you believe it".
The environment and culture we live in influences the way we think and live.
What happened to me is; God took me out of the environment He calls darkness that I was exhisting in, and brought me into an environment of light, which I now live in.
He breathed the breath of life into my nostrils and I became a living being.
A living being with a billion questions, and a thirst for the truth. The truth about who He is, and who we are in relation to Him and to each other.
I pray He helps us all find it.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Truthfully...
Truth…
What is truth…or better yet, what is the truth…even better, what is the Truth. Well, I’ll tell you…I don’t know. It could mean that Truth could be good and the opposite of that, Deception, is evil. It could mean Truth is God and the Deception is Satan. Or maybe there’s no such thing as Truth and only truth exists. Perhaps the existence of Truth is simply a deception put forth by evil forces. To be honest, I really don’t care what it is; I’m just a passenger on this ship, and as long as we’re not hitting icebergs and sinking, I’m not going to worry too much about the captain or the destination.
That being said, I believe Truth is a mysterious, strange, elusive part of every human being’s life. (or at least the quest for Truth is.) I believe that no one can possibly know the entire Truth and anyone who is certain he knows the truth is foolish and even dangerous. (example: suicide bombers kill thousands because they believe they know the Truth) (better example: Hitler had thousands of Jews executed by people who believed he knew the Truth) (even better example: Christian crusaders killed thousands because they believed they knew the Truth). I believe they may have had morsels of the truth and twisted or stretched these morsels into the entire thing, which led to grave human error.
So how does one find Truth? I believe that we, as humans, can experience little bits of Truth in a myriad of ways. Usually, when we’re not even looking for it. I believe one way is through aesthetic experience. When I am singing a song or playing the piano, I have moments of clarity. It’s really kind of stupid if you think about it. If I say certain words with certain pitches I can reach something bigger than myself that I can’t quite explain. I guess the Truth really can’t be fully explained, it should be experienced. I believe the Truth can be experienced emotionally. For example, an intimate experience with someone you truly love or being separated from someone you care about deeply can lead to an experience of Truth. I am not going to go into every way one can experience Truth. As a matter of fact, I don’t know every way one can experience Truth and I don’t even really want to know. All I do know is I’ve had my little run-ins with Truth and I like them. I want more; but I’m not going to get greedy, I’ll be content with my little bits of Truth.
So what have I concluded from my little Truth morsels… not much. But here’s what it comes down to: The main reason we are on this earth is to end human suffering; or, at the very least, to not cause anymore suffering than already exists in this world. The Truth I have experienced causes me to ask that question daily, Is what I’m doing ending human suffering or causing more? Through asking this question, I believe we can avoid the aforementioned grave human errors that help make this world a place of suffering for so many. I know, it’s not much and it’s not very specific. Sorry. However, I believe asking that question will give us more and more of these Truth experiences. The ironic part is, the more little bits we get, the more we realize we don’t know much of the Truth. Personally, that’s why I think people who boastfully announce they know the Truth, probably haven’t experienced much of it. But in my mind, the little snapshots of Truth are all we should really expect from this mysterious, strange, elusive existence we have here on Earth. And that’s plenty for me.
What is truth…or better yet, what is the truth…even better, what is the Truth. Well, I’ll tell you…I don’t know. It could mean that Truth could be good and the opposite of that, Deception, is evil. It could mean Truth is God and the Deception is Satan. Or maybe there’s no such thing as Truth and only truth exists. Perhaps the existence of Truth is simply a deception put forth by evil forces. To be honest, I really don’t care what it is; I’m just a passenger on this ship, and as long as we’re not hitting icebergs and sinking, I’m not going to worry too much about the captain or the destination.
That being said, I believe Truth is a mysterious, strange, elusive part of every human being’s life. (or at least the quest for Truth is.) I believe that no one can possibly know the entire Truth and anyone who is certain he knows the truth is foolish and even dangerous. (example: suicide bombers kill thousands because they believe they know the Truth) (better example: Hitler had thousands of Jews executed by people who believed he knew the Truth) (even better example: Christian crusaders killed thousands because they believed they knew the Truth). I believe they may have had morsels of the truth and twisted or stretched these morsels into the entire thing, which led to grave human error.
So how does one find Truth? I believe that we, as humans, can experience little bits of Truth in a myriad of ways. Usually, when we’re not even looking for it. I believe one way is through aesthetic experience. When I am singing a song or playing the piano, I have moments of clarity. It’s really kind of stupid if you think about it. If I say certain words with certain pitches I can reach something bigger than myself that I can’t quite explain. I guess the Truth really can’t be fully explained, it should be experienced. I believe the Truth can be experienced emotionally. For example, an intimate experience with someone you truly love or being separated from someone you care about deeply can lead to an experience of Truth. I am not going to go into every way one can experience Truth. As a matter of fact, I don’t know every way one can experience Truth and I don’t even really want to know. All I do know is I’ve had my little run-ins with Truth and I like them. I want more; but I’m not going to get greedy, I’ll be content with my little bits of Truth.
So what have I concluded from my little Truth morsels… not much. But here’s what it comes down to: The main reason we are on this earth is to end human suffering; or, at the very least, to not cause anymore suffering than already exists in this world. The Truth I have experienced causes me to ask that question daily, Is what I’m doing ending human suffering or causing more? Through asking this question, I believe we can avoid the aforementioned grave human errors that help make this world a place of suffering for so many. I know, it’s not much and it’s not very specific. Sorry. However, I believe asking that question will give us more and more of these Truth experiences. The ironic part is, the more little bits we get, the more we realize we don’t know much of the Truth. Personally, that’s why I think people who boastfully announce they know the Truth, probably haven’t experienced much of it. But in my mind, the little snapshots of Truth are all we should really expect from this mysterious, strange, elusive existence we have here on Earth. And that’s plenty for me.
Truth - Part One - Consequences of Claiming Absolute Truth
What is "truth"? What is "absolute truth"? What is the origin from which the concept or the idea of "absolute" truth stems? This is an important topic as many people who read the ideas on this blog are reading with the intent to be exposed to ideas but at the same time to gain some insight that is believed to be "truth".
I am going to start by looking at truth in two ways. The first way addresses simply the idea of "Absolute Truth" and why I believe that it exists but is not absolutely knowable. THe second way looks at truth as an object which is viewed from different frameworks or windows, if you will, each of which sheds light on some component of truth.
I recently read a book called the Kite Runner, below you will find a passage from this book in which a member from the Taliban expounds on an experience motivated from the perspective of having special knowledge of absolute truth. I include this passage because I believe it demonstrates in intangible ways the unanticpated dangers in claiming an absolute truth. I will comment more on this in an upcoming blog.
"We left them out for the dogs, you know." I saw what he was getting at. He stood up, paced around the sofa once, twice. Sat down again. He spoke rapidly. "door to door we went, calling for the men and the boys. We'd shoot them right there in front of their families. Let them see. Let them remember who they were, where they belonged. He was almost panting now. "Sometimes, we broke down their doors and went inside their homes. And...I'd...I'd sweep the barrel of my machine gun around th etroom and fire and fire until the smoke blinded me." He leaned toward me, like man asbout to share a great secret. "you don't know the meaning of the 'liberating' until you've done that, stood in a roomful of targets, let the bullets fly, free of guilt and remorse, know you are virtuous, good, and decent. Knowing you're doing God's work. It's breathtaking. " He hissed the prayer beads, tilted his head. "You remember that Javid?"
"Yes, Agha sahib," the yonger of the guards replied. "How could I forget?"
Door-to-door. We only rested for food and prayer, " the Talib said. He said it fondly, like a man telling of a great party he'd attended. "We left the bodies in the streets for days. We left them for the dogs. Dog meat for dogs."
I am going to start by looking at truth in two ways. The first way addresses simply the idea of "Absolute Truth" and why I believe that it exists but is not absolutely knowable. THe second way looks at truth as an object which is viewed from different frameworks or windows, if you will, each of which sheds light on some component of truth.
I recently read a book called the Kite Runner, below you will find a passage from this book in which a member from the Taliban expounds on an experience motivated from the perspective of having special knowledge of absolute truth. I include this passage because I believe it demonstrates in intangible ways the unanticpated dangers in claiming an absolute truth. I will comment more on this in an upcoming blog.
"We left them out for the dogs, you know." I saw what he was getting at. He stood up, paced around the sofa once, twice. Sat down again. He spoke rapidly. "door to door we went, calling for the men and the boys. We'd shoot them right there in front of their families. Let them see. Let them remember who they were, where they belonged. He was almost panting now. "Sometimes, we broke down their doors and went inside their homes. And...I'd...I'd sweep the barrel of my machine gun around th etroom and fire and fire until the smoke blinded me." He leaned toward me, like man asbout to share a great secret. "you don't know the meaning of the 'liberating' until you've done that, stood in a roomful of targets, let the bullets fly, free of guilt and remorse, know you are virtuous, good, and decent. Knowing you're doing God's work. It's breathtaking. " He hissed the prayer beads, tilted his head. "You remember that Javid?"
"Yes, Agha sahib," the yonger of the guards replied. "How could I forget?"
Door-to-door. We only rested for food and prayer, " the Talib said. He said it fondly, like a man telling of a great party he'd attended. "We left the bodies in the streets for days. We left them for the dogs. Dog meat for dogs."
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Approaching Truth
I am endeavoring to broach the subject of truth in the near future, and to introduce the idea I am going to offer some words by Frederick Buechner-an ordained minister and well-respected author-from his book, Telling Secrets. Please see quote at the top of the blog site as well.
"What deadens us most to God's presence within us, I think, is the inner dialogue that we are continuously engaged in with ourselves, the endless chatter of human thought. I suspect that there is nothing more curcial to true spiritual comfort, as the huge monk in gold put it, than being able from time to time to stop that chatter of spoken prayer. If we choose to seek the silence of the holy place, or to open ourselves to its seeking. I think there is no surer way than by keeping silent.
God knows I am no good at it, but keep I trying, and once or twice I have been lucky, graced. I have been conscious but not conscious of anything, not even of myself. I have been surrounded by the whiteness of snow. I have heard a stillness that encloses all sounds stilled the way whiteness encloses all colors stilled, the way wordlessness encloses all words stilled. I have sensed the presence of a presence. I have felt a promise promised.
I like to believe that once or twice, at times like those, I have bumbled my way into at least the outermost suburbs of the Truth that can never be told but only come upon, that can never be proved but only lived for and loved. It is the experience I think the author of the 131st Psalm is trying to describe, and I will let the final word be his."
Psalm 131
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a child quieted at its mother's breast,
like a child that is quieted is my soul.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and for evermore.
"What deadens us most to God's presence within us, I think, is the inner dialogue that we are continuously engaged in with ourselves, the endless chatter of human thought. I suspect that there is nothing more curcial to true spiritual comfort, as the huge monk in gold put it, than being able from time to time to stop that chatter of spoken prayer. If we choose to seek the silence of the holy place, or to open ourselves to its seeking. I think there is no surer way than by keeping silent.
God knows I am no good at it, but keep I trying, and once or twice I have been lucky, graced. I have been conscious but not conscious of anything, not even of myself. I have been surrounded by the whiteness of snow. I have heard a stillness that encloses all sounds stilled the way whiteness encloses all colors stilled, the way wordlessness encloses all words stilled. I have sensed the presence of a presence. I have felt a promise promised.
I like to believe that once or twice, at times like those, I have bumbled my way into at least the outermost suburbs of the Truth that can never be told but only come upon, that can never be proved but only lived for and loved. It is the experience I think the author of the 131st Psalm is trying to describe, and I will let the final word be his."
Psalm 131
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a child quieted at its mother's breast,
like a child that is quieted is my soul.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and for evermore.
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Bumper Sticker
I saw an interesting bumper sticker today. It said "My God is too big to be placed inside one religion". I really can't remember if it used the word 'my' or not. I liked the sticker, although my first reaction after thinking I liked it was, "is it wrong for me to like that sticker?" Why did I have that reaction? Am I conditioned? Is that a good/bad cautionary way to think? That's my food for thought today.
Epistemology
"Billy, you were born a catholic and you will die a catholic" Mom,no I won`t."I`m going to go get your father".
I knew I was in trouble.Not really wanting to,I had just crossed the plain and picked a fight.William Wallace had a sword and was riding a horse.I had nothing.No sword, and no armour.
I was a brand new protestant and didn`t even know what I was protesting about.I did know that the whole Vatican was about to come crashing down on me and I wasn`t going to run.I was going to stand there and be burned at the stake.
My father was a warrior in every sense of the word.With the same zeal he went after the Japanese in world war two,the North Koreans in the Korean war,and viet cong in the Vietnam war,He pursued an understanding of his Roman Catholic faith. I deeply respected him for what he held to.
That was the faith and the environment my parents brought us up in and I just challenged it.
What in the world made me cross the plain and challenge hundreds and hundreds of years of my fathers religion?
It`s simple.My epistemology changed. Explaining it won`t be so simple.I only had a twelth grade education. I`m going to have to rely on Webster and twenty years at the University Of Life, and what I`ve managed to glean there since the day I emerged from Rome.
I pray I can do it with great respect for my fathers faith, and for the beliefs of any who contribute to this Blog.
I knew I was in trouble.Not really wanting to,I had just crossed the plain and picked a fight.William Wallace had a sword and was riding a horse.I had nothing.No sword, and no armour.
I was a brand new protestant and didn`t even know what I was protesting about.I did know that the whole Vatican was about to come crashing down on me and I wasn`t going to run.I was going to stand there and be burned at the stake.
My father was a warrior in every sense of the word.With the same zeal he went after the Japanese in world war two,the North Koreans in the Korean war,and viet cong in the Vietnam war,He pursued an understanding of his Roman Catholic faith. I deeply respected him for what he held to.
That was the faith and the environment my parents brought us up in and I just challenged it.
What in the world made me cross the plain and challenge hundreds and hundreds of years of my fathers religion?
It`s simple.My epistemology changed. Explaining it won`t be so simple.I only had a twelth grade education. I`m going to have to rely on Webster and twenty years at the University Of Life, and what I`ve managed to glean there since the day I emerged from Rome.
I pray I can do it with great respect for my fathers faith, and for the beliefs of any who contribute to this Blog.
Sunday, December 3, 2006
Citizenship
To whom or what do I belong? How much of the answer to that question is actually up to me? And, of those that are out of my control, does it make a difference whether I invest or divest my time and energy in participation? There are probably uncountable choices that we encounter in our lives. The notion that the kingdom of God is not a dictatorship opens up a whole new paradigm in which to engage ourselves in (or disengage from) that kingdom. This presupposes that one believes he/she is a citizen, a role-player in the kingdom. There are entities that claim our citizenship without our "permission", but even within mandatory citizenship, there are choices that can be made. An effective response to citizenship is ownership, or investment, and with that comes analysis and action, which subsequently results in sharing the consequences of those actions. But, there is quite a spectrum of citizenship, many different levels of participation, because of the unique gift to our species that gives us choice.
So, then, I believe it's fair to take another step and say that we are all citizens. But, of what, and for what, am I a citizen? Like I mentioned earlier, there are some in which I have no choice, and then there are the questions about the scale of priorities for my citizenships. I'll mention some that I believe are absolute, as far as our general understanding of consciousness and reality is concerned, but I have not reflected fully on the order in which I have placed them. I still have choices to make about that! Here they are:
1. The Physical Realm. I am an organism, a human being; therefore, my organic, physical composition is a member of the community of matter and space, the physical community of the universe, solar system, and this planet. I stop at level of planet (rather than continent, country, state, on down), because over the years of my study and teaching, I have come to realize that in a certain period of time (long or short), my physical body may use objects, or encounter elements, and people that have been or will be in literally any other location on the globe. I am a global citizen, like it or not. The molecules of which I am made, as far as science has discovered, obey countless rules and laws of physics, chemistry and biology, and, because I am a living thing, and by (presently accepted) definitions, I cannot be so unless I interact with my environment, then those molecules I call my own also, collectively, participate in ecology (micro and macro). And, as a human being, I have possessions which are also made up of matter, and they, too, are citizens of the physical world from atomic to ecological scales. Anything that contains matter is a "citizen", or member, if that feels like a better word, of the physical world.
2. Social Organizations. As mentioned above, I am an organism, a living thing, and as such I must interact with the world around me in order to survive. I cannot live in isolation on a number of levels. And, as humans, we are unique in that our social connections (our associations) have many dimensions: intellectual, emotional, psychological, economic, and geographic, to name a few. Clubs, institutions, countries, corporations, tribes, religious groups, families, and friends all vie for portions of our citizenship, they long to have us claim them as their own. Why? Citizenship is powerful. By declaring loyalty to any of these social groups, we accept the terms of membership laid out by its members, and whatever demands they make of our time, money, and energy. And it's also clear that the more diverse an organism's (or species) connection to its community, the more food sources it can utilize, the more places to hide, the wider the territory it covers, etc., the greater chance it has for survival, growth, and success. It's a research-based truth that there is strength in diversity. We want to be connected.
3. The Spiritual Dimension. The inorganic, or more like the unorganic, I suppose. I have the impression that all people in some way shape or form feel connected to something outside of themselves. That impression is fed by the declaration of nearly half of the world's citizens claiming to be either Christian or Muslim. There are also huge portions of Buddhist and Hindu, and many smaller, less known groups which have unique patterns of belief and worship of something outside of this world, the physical, tangible, visible dimensions at least. So, even though there may be some who claim they are aspiritual, beyond atheistic, most of the world claims otherwise. And, I can imagine, a good many of those who are "spiritual" people could say they have or have had experiences they say are/were connected with the spiritual realm. I am certainly one of those. I choose to believe that there are spiritual entities vying for our attention, because it makes sense to me. And it's from this perspective that I choose to define the kingdom of God, as Jesus describes. I don't think that this is necessarily an exclusive idea. I think that most other religions would claim a spiritual connectedness with like believers, the ruler of such a "kingdom" being God, gods, or certain truths that are sacred, followed. Therefore, citizenship in the kingdom of believers seems to me a requisite part of the understanding of membership in a congregation (church, synagogue, mosque, monastery, etc.) as chosen by individual human beings. At some point I plan to flesh out my beliefs about God's kingdom as Jesus proclaimed it: here, now. These are the characteristics I feel the Christian church, in large part, has failed and fails to embrace, which brings me to the next question about choices within citizenship.
We are citizens within all of these realms, by choice and without our choosing. We belong, wouldn't you say, to the varying types of communities I have outlined here? So, great! I'm a member of the HBA, say (the Home Builders Association). I carry the card, tell people about it, and enjoy all the perks. Is that the hope? Citizenship/membership will work FOR me? Or, is John F. Kennedy more on track when he called people of the U.S. to engage in their citizenship in his famous "Ask not..." statement?
Now the question is, what do I do with my citizenship? This counts for citizenship in things of my choosing and in things that are not of my choosing. I have choices, no matter what. (But, yoderdude, the United States gives us that freedom, it's not just there. Think of those poor people in China, North Korea, Iran, or, wait a second, the United States, that can't speak their mind!! I think the ability and freedom to choose is an innate gift to humans regardless of their citizenship. You know the examples of people who have fully embraced higher priority citizenship when a country, church, or ethnic group demanded otherwise. And I hope it's clear that they were not all U.S. citizens). Sometimes I think I am doing myself a favor by checking out of the game of citizenship, waiting and waiting for something to draw me in, rather than getting into it, learning, growing, failing and succeeding. I have that choice. I have the choice of believing that God's kingdom has not yet come (that's what the Second Coming is for, right?), that I can still bitch and moan about the fallenness of this world, and won't it just be great when the kingdom DOES come so all of these good things will happen TO us. I think that's an epidemic in the Christian church (I'll speak about that since I am a member). We want the kingdom to come TO us rather than through us. I believe Jesus called us to the latter. Jesus is the firstborn of creation, the Son of God, I believe, and he has called all those who have ears to listen, come and follow him as he builds the kingdom, here, now. Again, we have the choice. Are we satisfied being on the list of members or would we rather do the hard work of pursuing the call of citizenship in each of the three realms of community with the gifts and strengths that we have and those we don't yet know we have?
How do we tune our ears to hear the call of the physical world to participate (like ALL other species) in ways that promote growth and health on an ecological scale? How do we tune our ears to the cries of our neighbors that ask us to build connections that support the growth and health of all of our bodies and relationships? How do we tune our ears to the message that through Jesus Christ all people are our brothers and sisters, all are members of the kingdom who have choices, and it is his hope that we will share with him in the passionate pursuit of even the fringe folks therein? We have the choice to move at the Spirit's nudgings and listen to what each other is hearing, or to check out and sit down with the bitter hope that this whole thing will come to an end sooner or later.
But, this brings up one last question. We are creatures with the power of choice. So having experienced that power, we sometimes feel that we or someone else can just choose their way through changes. I believe that we have to remember to go back and embrace the fact that we cannot function sustainably in isolation, we are not in the fullest sense of the word, independent. It's impossible. If we are to live, we must do so in community. And, to make another parallel, if we are to have life (I think you know what I mean, here), it cannot be expressed and nourished outside of community. This is where it gets hard to be born and raised American. Not that other countries don't encourage independence on an individual level, I just think we overdo it. What if we would foster a whole new movement (?) or paradigm of interdependence? Our life (physical, social and spiritual), collectively, depends on it.
I think this very blog is a move in that direction. Let's begin to make that shift here!
So, then, I believe it's fair to take another step and say that we are all citizens. But, of what, and for what, am I a citizen? Like I mentioned earlier, there are some in which I have no choice, and then there are the questions about the scale of priorities for my citizenships. I'll mention some that I believe are absolute, as far as our general understanding of consciousness and reality is concerned, but I have not reflected fully on the order in which I have placed them. I still have choices to make about that! Here they are:
1. The Physical Realm. I am an organism, a human being; therefore, my organic, physical composition is a member of the community of matter and space, the physical community of the universe, solar system, and this planet. I stop at level of planet (rather than continent, country, state, on down), because over the years of my study and teaching, I have come to realize that in a certain period of time (long or short), my physical body may use objects, or encounter elements, and people that have been or will be in literally any other location on the globe. I am a global citizen, like it or not. The molecules of which I am made, as far as science has discovered, obey countless rules and laws of physics, chemistry and biology, and, because I am a living thing, and by (presently accepted) definitions, I cannot be so unless I interact with my environment, then those molecules I call my own also, collectively, participate in ecology (micro and macro). And, as a human being, I have possessions which are also made up of matter, and they, too, are citizens of the physical world from atomic to ecological scales. Anything that contains matter is a "citizen", or member, if that feels like a better word, of the physical world.
2. Social Organizations. As mentioned above, I am an organism, a living thing, and as such I must interact with the world around me in order to survive. I cannot live in isolation on a number of levels. And, as humans, we are unique in that our social connections (our associations) have many dimensions: intellectual, emotional, psychological, economic, and geographic, to name a few. Clubs, institutions, countries, corporations, tribes, religious groups, families, and friends all vie for portions of our citizenship, they long to have us claim them as their own. Why? Citizenship is powerful. By declaring loyalty to any of these social groups, we accept the terms of membership laid out by its members, and whatever demands they make of our time, money, and energy. And it's also clear that the more diverse an organism's (or species) connection to its community, the more food sources it can utilize, the more places to hide, the wider the territory it covers, etc., the greater chance it has for survival, growth, and success. It's a research-based truth that there is strength in diversity. We want to be connected.
3. The Spiritual Dimension. The inorganic, or more like the unorganic, I suppose. I have the impression that all people in some way shape or form feel connected to something outside of themselves. That impression is fed by the declaration of nearly half of the world's citizens claiming to be either Christian or Muslim. There are also huge portions of Buddhist and Hindu, and many smaller, less known groups which have unique patterns of belief and worship of something outside of this world, the physical, tangible, visible dimensions at least. So, even though there may be some who claim they are aspiritual, beyond atheistic, most of the world claims otherwise. And, I can imagine, a good many of those who are "spiritual" people could say they have or have had experiences they say are/were connected with the spiritual realm. I am certainly one of those. I choose to believe that there are spiritual entities vying for our attention, because it makes sense to me. And it's from this perspective that I choose to define the kingdom of God, as Jesus describes. I don't think that this is necessarily an exclusive idea. I think that most other religions would claim a spiritual connectedness with like believers, the ruler of such a "kingdom" being God, gods, or certain truths that are sacred, followed. Therefore, citizenship in the kingdom of believers seems to me a requisite part of the understanding of membership in a congregation (church, synagogue, mosque, monastery, etc.) as chosen by individual human beings. At some point I plan to flesh out my beliefs about God's kingdom as Jesus proclaimed it: here, now. These are the characteristics I feel the Christian church, in large part, has failed and fails to embrace, which brings me to the next question about choices within citizenship.
We are citizens within all of these realms, by choice and without our choosing. We belong, wouldn't you say, to the varying types of communities I have outlined here? So, great! I'm a member of the HBA, say (the Home Builders Association). I carry the card, tell people about it, and enjoy all the perks. Is that the hope? Citizenship/membership will work FOR me? Or, is John F. Kennedy more on track when he called people of the U.S. to engage in their citizenship in his famous "Ask not..." statement?
Now the question is, what do I do with my citizenship? This counts for citizenship in things of my choosing and in things that are not of my choosing. I have choices, no matter what. (But, yoderdude, the United States gives us that freedom, it's not just there. Think of those poor people in China, North Korea, Iran, or, wait a second, the United States, that can't speak their mind!! I think the ability and freedom to choose is an innate gift to humans regardless of their citizenship. You know the examples of people who have fully embraced higher priority citizenship when a country, church, or ethnic group demanded otherwise. And I hope it's clear that they were not all U.S. citizens). Sometimes I think I am doing myself a favor by checking out of the game of citizenship, waiting and waiting for something to draw me in, rather than getting into it, learning, growing, failing and succeeding. I have that choice. I have the choice of believing that God's kingdom has not yet come (that's what the Second Coming is for, right?), that I can still bitch and moan about the fallenness of this world, and won't it just be great when the kingdom DOES come so all of these good things will happen TO us. I think that's an epidemic in the Christian church (I'll speak about that since I am a member). We want the kingdom to come TO us rather than through us. I believe Jesus called us to the latter. Jesus is the firstborn of creation, the Son of God, I believe, and he has called all those who have ears to listen, come and follow him as he builds the kingdom, here, now. Again, we have the choice. Are we satisfied being on the list of members or would we rather do the hard work of pursuing the call of citizenship in each of the three realms of community with the gifts and strengths that we have and those we don't yet know we have?
How do we tune our ears to hear the call of the physical world to participate (like ALL other species) in ways that promote growth and health on an ecological scale? How do we tune our ears to the cries of our neighbors that ask us to build connections that support the growth and health of all of our bodies and relationships? How do we tune our ears to the message that through Jesus Christ all people are our brothers and sisters, all are members of the kingdom who have choices, and it is his hope that we will share with him in the passionate pursuit of even the fringe folks therein? We have the choice to move at the Spirit's nudgings and listen to what each other is hearing, or to check out and sit down with the bitter hope that this whole thing will come to an end sooner or later.
But, this brings up one last question. We are creatures with the power of choice. So having experienced that power, we sometimes feel that we or someone else can just choose their way through changes. I believe that we have to remember to go back and embrace the fact that we cannot function sustainably in isolation, we are not in the fullest sense of the word, independent. It's impossible. If we are to live, we must do so in community. And, to make another parallel, if we are to have life (I think you know what I mean, here), it cannot be expressed and nourished outside of community. This is where it gets hard to be born and raised American. Not that other countries don't encourage independence on an individual level, I just think we overdo it. What if we would foster a whole new movement (?) or paradigm of interdependence? Our life (physical, social and spiritual), collectively, depends on it.
I think this very blog is a move in that direction. Let's begin to make that shift here!
Friday, December 1, 2006
Not Holding Back: Conversion, What is it Good For?
I do not know the exact day or time I became a believer. I remember a day that I asked my dad if I could be baptized, but I know that my desire was based on the fact that my friend was just baptized.
I know that I have followed Christ for some time now but I am unwilling to concede that I know the exact moment at which I decided to "follow" Christ. I believe that I should not create theology or doctrine about salvation or the reality of another person's salvation based simply on my own experience. Having said that I also wonder and am concerned about this world where people I have encountered in the mainline protestant church are so concerned with the concrete evidence of one person's salvation, in essence placing the judgement themselves. Do we think we really understand the width of God's grace as we carry out these types of inquisitions.
I believe that the belief and following of Christ, conversion, if you will, represents a starting place rather than a place of arrival. I refuse to spend the entirety of my intellectual endeavors on the introduction of story meanwhile missing the rest of the story. An author does not spend 399 pages of a 400 page book simply to set up a story that is one page in length. Why live then? This model leads to a people too wrapped up in the self-benefit or gain obtained from salvation, eternal life with God. We miss out on participating in restoration of creation that God can make real by the restoration of our soul. We then miss out on the boon of conversion for life between now and death.
I believe that God has chosen a group of people to spread his message of salvation to the world just as the people of Israel. I believe this galvinic process of election in no way is a guarantor of salvation. I also believe that many people who adhere to the election miss the entire idea of a call to share the love of Christ in ways that he commanded and rest instead on Laurels of their election. I don't believe this is the fault of the believer but rather the logic of the belief.
I know that I have followed Christ for some time now but I am unwilling to concede that I know the exact moment at which I decided to "follow" Christ. I believe that I should not create theology or doctrine about salvation or the reality of another person's salvation based simply on my own experience. Having said that I also wonder and am concerned about this world where people I have encountered in the mainline protestant church are so concerned with the concrete evidence of one person's salvation, in essence placing the judgement themselves. Do we think we really understand the width of God's grace as we carry out these types of inquisitions.
I believe that the belief and following of Christ, conversion, if you will, represents a starting place rather than a place of arrival. I refuse to spend the entirety of my intellectual endeavors on the introduction of story meanwhile missing the rest of the story. An author does not spend 399 pages of a 400 page book simply to set up a story that is one page in length. Why live then? This model leads to a people too wrapped up in the self-benefit or gain obtained from salvation, eternal life with God. We miss out on participating in restoration of creation that God can make real by the restoration of our soul. We then miss out on the boon of conversion for life between now and death.
I believe that God has chosen a group of people to spread his message of salvation to the world just as the people of Israel. I believe this galvinic process of election in no way is a guarantor of salvation. I also believe that many people who adhere to the election miss the entire idea of a call to share the love of Christ in ways that he commanded and rest instead on Laurels of their election. I don't believe this is the fault of the believer but rather the logic of the belief.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
This, I Believe
"This I Believe is a national media project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values and beliefs that guide their daily lives. NPR has airs these three-minute essays on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow." (Source: thisibelieve.org)
To the right of this blog column, I will try to flesh out or delineate some of my beliefs in systematic way. The guidelines used in this blog are based on thisibelieve.org, hence the title. Why do this? I think this is an opportunity for me to share with my family and friends my beliefs without the heavy philosophical baggage that you will most likely find in my talk and writing where I address my thoughts and questioins and entertain my musings. In order to retain these statements I will transfer them to a blog post as I add new parts to my this, I Believe statements.
To the right of this blog column, I will try to flesh out or delineate some of my beliefs in systematic way. The guidelines used in this blog are based on thisibelieve.org, hence the title. Why do this? I think this is an opportunity for me to share with my family and friends my beliefs without the heavy philosophical baggage that you will most likely find in my talk and writing where I address my thoughts and questioins and entertain my musings. In order to retain these statements I will transfer them to a blog post as I add new parts to my this, I Believe statements.
Does Culture Affect How we Read the Bible
I believe that I need to be aware of how the culture and age in which I live creates a lens through which I read the Bible. I believe that I must strive to make sure that the lens through I am reading does not pervert content or become of greater value than the conent which I am viewing.
I believe that in the past I have been reading the Bible as a product of the industrial revolution. a model if input - output. I read the Bible and expect some sort of output from that time of reading. "How does this relate to me?". "Why did so and so do this in such and such story". I often times try too hard to force output out of every experience I have with scripture. Can the simple act of reading have an impact? Do I read scripture with myself too much in mind? How do I apporach my faith and beliefe from a more catholic stype of view and even on a larger scale including all of God's creation.
I believe that in the past I have been reading the Bible as a product of the industrial revolution. a model if input - output. I read the Bible and expect some sort of output from that time of reading. "How does this relate to me?". "Why did so and so do this in such and such story". I often times try too hard to force output out of every experience I have with scripture. Can the simple act of reading have an impact? Do I read scripture with myself too much in mind? How do I apporach my faith and beliefe from a more catholic stype of view and even on a larger scale including all of God's creation.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
"Write" on!
Paul,
Deep thanks for this invitation into an important conversation. I'm reading a Brian McClaren book called The Secret Message of Christ. It is helping me solidify the more liquid nature, if that's possible :-), of Jesus' message about his kingdom, here, now. This is good timing for me! Since you have included a goal or mission statement with which this blog shall operate, I'll make a bit of a reflection on it that includes what I hope about this now documented conversation.
To all members, my declaration of ownership in My Process:
Participation in this blog is a good step to take in that we will see the words and ideas we are thinking, that we are vulnerable and hopeful in our offering them to this community, and that it presupposes that we understand this citizenship in God's kingdom, here and now, is dynamic, alive, growing and changing. And, beware, I'm sure that means we are asked to be and do the same! As Paul said, it cans the idea that we have arrived, or ever can arrive, at some point after which we are comfortable, certain, and closed for discussion. By contributing here, I own that I am not waiting until I am "ready" to engage questions but, rather, nervous and excited about what I might learn about myself, and myself as a kingdom citizen, and what that means to my relationship with all of you, my family, and others, who may not acknowledge Christ or the kingdom he proclaims. May we all discover more of the mystery of Christ's call to us as his creation redeemed, here, now. I'm truly looking forward to it!
Deep thanks for this invitation into an important conversation. I'm reading a Brian McClaren book called The Secret Message of Christ. It is helping me solidify the more liquid nature, if that's possible :-), of Jesus' message about his kingdom, here, now. This is good timing for me! Since you have included a goal or mission statement with which this blog shall operate, I'll make a bit of a reflection on it that includes what I hope about this now documented conversation.
To all members, my declaration of ownership in My Process:
Participation in this blog is a good step to take in that we will see the words and ideas we are thinking, that we are vulnerable and hopeful in our offering them to this community, and that it presupposes that we understand this citizenship in God's kingdom, here and now, is dynamic, alive, growing and changing. And, beware, I'm sure that means we are asked to be and do the same! As Paul said, it cans the idea that we have arrived, or ever can arrive, at some point after which we are comfortable, certain, and closed for discussion. By contributing here, I own that I am not waiting until I am "ready" to engage questions but, rather, nervous and excited about what I might learn about myself, and myself as a kingdom citizen, and what that means to my relationship with all of you, my family, and others, who may not acknowledge Christ or the kingdom he proclaims. May we all discover more of the mystery of Christ's call to us as his creation redeemed, here, now. I'm truly looking forward to it!
Let's Get it Started
Today is the first day I will blog on this site.
I am excited to have a place to dump my mind's thoughts with the hopes that maybe someone can shed light upon, extrapolate from, or agree upon those thoughts. This is not intended to be place of argument but more a place of sharing what we believe or are thinking. This page is set up on the presuppostion that those who contribute realize that they have not arrived. By this I mean they concur that knowledge has not reached its culminating point in the now past 20th century. They concur that knowledge and understanding of the physical and spiritual world around us is fluid and never reaches that point where it is absolute in its shape.
Having said this, my goal is to make comments that never start with "so and so" is wack or out of touch or is way off base. In other words, I don't want to denigrate others and their ideas. This does not mean I agree with their ideas; rather, I will share how I see things without stating that I agree or disagree. The people who read what I say can make their own judegments on what I have written without me setting them up as a failure if they disagree with me. You won't hear me say actually, "I disagree".
This all may or may not make any sense but if you keep in touch I think you will find the principle of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you at play in a very strong way.
Feel free to recommend books and why you found them worthy of recommendation.
I am excited to have a place to dump my mind's thoughts with the hopes that maybe someone can shed light upon, extrapolate from, or agree upon those thoughts. This is not intended to be place of argument but more a place of sharing what we believe or are thinking. This page is set up on the presuppostion that those who contribute realize that they have not arrived. By this I mean they concur that knowledge has not reached its culminating point in the now past 20th century. They concur that knowledge and understanding of the physical and spiritual world around us is fluid and never reaches that point where it is absolute in its shape.
Having said this, my goal is to make comments that never start with "so and so" is wack or out of touch or is way off base. In other words, I don't want to denigrate others and their ideas. This does not mean I agree with their ideas; rather, I will share how I see things without stating that I agree or disagree. The people who read what I say can make their own judegments on what I have written without me setting them up as a failure if they disagree with me. You won't hear me say actually, "I disagree".
This all may or may not make any sense but if you keep in touch I think you will find the principle of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you at play in a very strong way.
Feel free to recommend books and why you found them worthy of recommendation.
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