Hmm.. I do agree, but I look forward to talking about what that looks like as we live out our lives. What I was raised with, as many of us were, is magical thinking. Folks that call themselves christians talking as if Jesus is telling them this or that, and it is silliness. It can justify bad decisions, or any decisions, and takes responsibility off of the individual. In a mature way, we can look to the scriptures as a guide for living. Boy, it sure is easier for those that live in a community that agree on what this is. Bruderhof community comes to mind. Of course, this begs the questions.... what do the scriptures say? It seems so much of the church is twisting them to control and take away the freedom that Jesus gave us. This fundamentalism is smoke-and-mirrors, turning folks away when they pull back the curtain to find human wizards. Oh, how nice it would be to live in a community that is accountable to a truth beyond selfish desire. Emptiness and chaos envelops.
I needed to read this today . . . and the message came to me from four different sources this morning as I read my Bible, specifically, Acts 19: 1-10, then a devotional, and then a couple favorite blogs, including this one. When that happens in my life, I take it as something coming from our Father . . . and so I receive it gratefully and seriously. I'm looking forward to reading this series you are beginning.
“Reciprocal generosity” is at the heart of joyous human experience. Funny thing is that this is also a main characteristic of God’s heart & true healthy relationship. Which, if both ideas are accepted as true, explains where our meaning & hope come from…the heart of God which is in us. Made in His image. To-do lists come from outside our hearts, being & meaning come from His heart in us. I don’t think we are a society that has lost meaning because the heart of God is in every human ever created. We search for meaning always just not in the place where our real meaning & purpose comes from yet we are all searching, another characteristic of God in us. To always seek the One we love & Who loves us. The next time we someone doing in some wildly destructively unhealthy way think “The too are searching for meaning”. I’m saddened when I see people “barking up the wrong tree” & “looking for love in all the wrong places” & I’m sure that if anyone in the Spirit watched my life minute by minute would become saddened by my deviations from Him. Either way we are all seeking & knocking, what we find & which doors open all depends on where we are looking & aiming.
Hmm.. I do agree, but I look forward to talking about what that looks like as we live out our lives. What I was raised with, as many of us were, is magical thinking. Folks that call themselves christians talking as if Jesus is telling them this or that, and it is silliness. It can justify bad decisions, or any decisions, and takes responsibility off of the individual. In a mature way, we can look to the scriptures as a guide for living. Boy, it sure is easier for those that live in a community that agree on what this is. Bruderhof community comes to mind. Of course, this begs the questions.... what do the scriptures say? It seems so much of the church is twisting them to control and take away the freedom that Jesus gave us. This fundamentalism is smoke-and-mirrors, turning folks away when they pull back the curtain to find human wizards. Oh, how nice it would be to live in a community that is accountable to a truth beyond selfish desire. Emptiness and chaos envelops.
I needed to read this today . . . and the message came to me from four different sources this morning as I read my Bible, specifically, Acts 19: 1-10, then a devotional, and then a couple favorite blogs, including this one. When that happens in my life, I take it as something coming from our Father . . . and so I receive it gratefully and seriously. I'm looking forward to reading this series you are beginning.
Good morning brother, the only writing I have for this morning is a comment to this blog. Hope you are well. It was nice to see your writing here.
“Reciprocal generosity” is at the heart of joyous human experience. Funny thing is that this is also a main characteristic of God’s heart & true healthy relationship. Which, if both ideas are accepted as true, explains where our meaning & hope come from…the heart of God which is in us. Made in His image. To-do lists come from outside our hearts, being & meaning come from His heart in us. I don’t think we are a society that has lost meaning because the heart of God is in every human ever created. We search for meaning always just not in the place where our real meaning & purpose comes from yet we are all searching, another characteristic of God in us. To always seek the One we love & Who loves us. The next time we someone doing in some wildly destructively unhealthy way think “The too are searching for meaning”. I’m saddened when I see people “barking up the wrong tree” & “looking for love in all the wrong places” & I’m sure that if anyone in the Spirit watched my life minute by minute would become saddened by my deviations from Him. Either way we are all seeking & knocking, what we find & which doors open all depends on where we are looking & aiming.