Thinking About God

Julian Of Norwich Video

2009-03-02T11:31:00.003-05:00

Here's a link to a wondeful video about the life and message of 14th centruy English Christian mystic Julian of Norwhich.

Her great saying, "...All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well"

The moments of our Lives

2008-04-12T19:11:00.001-05:00

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.

Happy New Year ~ 2008

2007-12-31T18:52:00.001-05:00

A New Year’s Prayer

May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most,
and by making you anxious to be there to help.
God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year

A Young Martyr

2006-10-30T18:12:00.000-05:00

A horrifying story from Iraq. Please PRAY for the church in Iraq.

(AINA) — According to the Assyrian website ankawa.com, a 14 year old Christian Assyrian boy, Ayad Tariq, from Baqouba, Iraq was decapitated at his work place on October 21.
Ayad Tariq was working his 12 hour shift, maintaining an electric generator, when a group of disguised Muslim insurgents walked in at the beginning of his shift shortly after 6 a.m. and asked him for his ID.
According to another employee who witnessed the events, and who hid when he saw the insurgents approach, the insurgents questioned Ayad after seeing that his ID stated "Christian", asking if he was truly a "Christian sinner." Ayad replied "yes, I am Christian but I am not a sinner." The insurgents quickly said this is a "dirty Christian sinner!" Then they proceeded to each hold one limb, shouting "Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar!" while beheading the boy.

Christian Martyr
muslim violence against Christians
violence in Iraq

Iraqi Christians face Genocide

2006-10-13T10:41:00.000-05:00

ALERT: PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN IRAQ
They are facing a brutal persecution not seen against Christians in centuries. They need our prayers!!

This from Michelle Malkins blog:

-->
Report: Another victim of Pope Rage

By Michelle Malkin · October 13, 2006 08:50 AM

The Pope Rage death count rises. Reader Steve G. sends word of a priest murdered by jihadists--who once again prove their critics right:
Relatives of a beheaded Iraqi priest said his captors had demanded a church apology for recent papal comments about Islam.
They said the Orthodox priest was abducted Sunday by an unidentified group, which demanded a ransom. The kidnappers also wanted the priest's church to condemn controversial recent remarks by Pope Benedict. In a speech last month, the pope quoted a medieval text describing Islam as a religion spread by the sword.
The relatives said the priest's church had already posted signs condemning the pope's statement. A similar message was posted again after the abduction.
The priest's son had apparently been talking with the kidnappers by phone, and had agreed to pay a $40,000 ransom. But contact abruptly ceased Tuesday night. The priest's decapitated body was found Wednesday in the northern Iraq city of Mosul.
Since the start of the Muslim holy month, U.S. officials in Baghdad said the number of attacks there is up by 15 percent.
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said Ramadan "historically" brings more violence. And Caldwell warned that the military is assuming "it will still get worse before it gets better." He's anticipating a continued increase in violence over the next two weeks, until the holy month ends.

AINA has more details and a plea:
On Monday, October 9, a prominent Assyrian (also known as Chaldean and Syriac) priest, Fr. Paulos Iskander (Paul Alexander), was kidnapped by an unknown Islamic group. His ransom was posted at either $250,000 or $350,000. This group had demanded that signs be posted once again on his church apologizing for the Pope's remarks as a condition for negotiations to begin.
Father Alexander was beheaded on Wednesday.
An email from a priest in Sweden, Adris Hanna, describes the Muslim terror campaign against the Christians in Iraq:
The Syriac-Orhtodox priest Paulos Iskandar was kidnapped this Monday, October 9, and beheaded today Wednesday October 11.
The Bishop in Mosul wrote me an email tonight and told me that the funeral will be held in Mosul tomorrow.
Christians are living a terrified life in Mosul and Baghdad. Several priests have been kidnapped, girls are being raped and murdered and a couple of days ago a fourteen year old boy was crucified in the Christian neighborhood Albasra.
I have also spoken to a group of nuns that were robbed and treated brutally on their way between Baghdad to Amman in Jordan.
The murder of father Paulus is the final blow for Christians, and now only hell is expected for the Christians of Iraq.
We the oriental Christians in Sweden and the rest of the Western world must protest against the genocide. We must do what we can to stop the rape, threats, hatred, robberies, murders… We must do something.

muslim violence against Christians
persecution of Christians
iraq

13 year old Amish girl shows " greater love..." in action

2006-10-07T07:37:00.000-05:00

John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Two of the survivors of the shooting told their parents that 13-year-old Marian Fisher, one of the slain girls, asked to be shot first, apparently hoping the younger girls would be let go, according to Leroy Zook, an Amish dairy farmer.
"Shoot me and leave the other ones loose," Marian has been quoted as saying, Zook said. His daughter, Emma Mae Zook, was the teacher who ran from the schoolhouse to a farm to summon police.

from MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press Writer

Pray for the Amish Families

2006-10-05T07:44:00.000-05:00

By now most of you have heard about the tragedy in Lancaster County, PA. The Amish families have shown the light of Christ in the midst of a very dark, evil situation. Please take a look at a true religion of peace, Christianity, as practiced by these faithful Amish families. This is from AP writer Michael Rubinkam's coverage of the story....

As they struggle with the slayings, the Amish in this Lancaster County village are turning the other cheek, urging forgiveness of the killer and quietly accepting what comes their way as God's will.
"They know their children are going to heaven. They know their children are innocent ... and they know that they will join them in death," said Gertrude Huntington, a Michigan researcher and expert on children in Amish society.
"The hurt is very great," Huntington said. "But they don't balance the hurt with hate."

What an amazing example of faithfulness to the message of Jesus and the truth of the gospel. These Amish families are honoring God and have become a living example of the power of love and the triumph of good over evil. I thank God for their courage and example. May we all learn from it.

More from the same article by Michael Rubinkam....

The Amish have also been reaching out to the family of the gunman. Dwight Lefever, a Roberts family spokesman, said an Amish neighbor comforted the Roberts family hours after the shooting and extended forgiveness to them.
"I hope they stay around here and they'll have a lot of friends and a lot of support," Daniel Esh, a 57-year-old Amish artist and woodworker whose three grandnephews were inside the school during the attack, said of the Robertses.
Huntington, the authority on the Amish, predicted they will be very supportive of the killer and his wife, "because judgment is in God's hands: `Judge not, that ye be not judged."

and more....

Enos Miller, the grandfather of the two Miller sisters, was with both of the girls when they died. He was out walking near the schoolhouse before dawn Wednesday _ he said he couldn't sleep _ when he was asked by a reporter for WGAL-TV whether he had forgiven the gunman.
"In my heart, yes," he said, explaining it was "through God's help."

Please pray for the families who lost children the Ebersole family, the Fisher family, the Miller family, and the Stoltzfus family. Also the 5 families who have daughters that were critically injured and are still fighting for their lives in the hospital.

In a day and age where the slighest insult or preceived insult will incur rage, violence and murder from Islamic fundamentalists let us look to this shining example of the power of love and forgivness we find in the Amish community. Christians everywhere should be inspired and encouraged by their faithful example. Those who persist in mocking and discrediting Christianity should take another look, and then take a long hard look into their own souls.

christianity
amish

Sister Leonella Forgives Her Murderers as She Lay Dying

2006-09-18T10:27:00.000-05:00

This saintly nun, has surely received her crown of glory. In imitation of Jesus' words on the cross she forgives her murderers with her dying breath, while the muslim world continues it's violent and hate filled tirade. Read the story here.

Christianity
Muslim Violence

Sister Leonella Sgorbati

2006-09-17T12:45:00.000-05:00

Murdered by muslims, as she worked helping muslin women and children in a charitable hospital.

Somalia jihadist Sheik Abubukar Hassan Malin stoked Pope Rage by declaring:
"Whoever offends our Prophet Mohammed should be killed on the spot by the nearest Muslim."

Romans 12:9-21 (New International Version)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

James 3:17-18 (New International Version)

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Now I ask you....

Which is the religion of peace?

The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.

MORE violence against Christians.....

West Bank Churches Burned in Light of Muslim Anger Over Papal Comments

God help us and give us grace.

Pray for the church and for Western Civilization, it seems we are on the brink of another dark age. Have we learned any lessons form Charles Martel and the Battle of Tours ???

Sister Leonella Sgorbati
Charles Martel
muslim violence against Christians

A Misconception of Heaven

2006-08-22T19:47:00.000-05:00

This evening I was watching The Book of the Dead on the History Channel. I'm a sort of history buff and I generally like the programs on History Channel. Tonight's show about the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead brought up an interesting misconception. The point is made in this show that Christianity owes its understanding of heaven...."a place where you'll be with your loved ones and be able to do whatever you like" to the Egyptians conception of the afterlife. That many of the early church Fathers were Egyptian,(Alexandria was a center of Christian learning and scholarship in the early centuries) is given as further "proof" of this idea. The only probelm here is that the idea of heaven being "a place where you'll be with loved ones and be able to do whatever you like" isn't the Christians idea of heaven, certainly not as presented in scripture. Indeed we may be with loved ones if they were "in Christ" when they died, but the notion that'll we'll be wandering around a paradise of sorts doing "whatever we like" is certainly not scriptural and really just plain silly! In the presence of God we will be worshipping, if you read Revelation chapter 4, you'll get the idea. Heavenly worship is also revealed in passages such as Isaiah 6:1-8. In heaven, Jesus himself who instituted the New Covenant with his shed blood serves as our High Priest and minister forever, and we are occupied with the opus dei, the work of God. Our Sunday morning worship services are meant to be a reflection of this everpresent and ongoing worship in heaven, that being more easily seen in churches of a liturgical nature, but also in the plainer worship forms of protestant denominations. For surely where ever two or three are gathered in His name, he is there with them, see Matt. 18:20. Also don't forget that "great cloud of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1) who are even now worshipping in heaven as we are worshipping on earth. It's all about Him and being with him throughout eternity. It's really amazing how many misconceptions people have about heaven, and actually those misconceptions have their roots in pre-Christian paganism and ancient religions as the Book of the Dead , and the History Channel expert so aptly demonstrate.

Christianity
heaven
Book of the Dead
ancient Egypt

Why Did Jesus Come?

2006-08-21T18:43:00.000-05:00

I'm reading a very good book right now, A Short History of Christian Thought by Linwood Urban. In the chapter on the atonement, a number of passages from scripture are cited to describe the mission of the Son. I thought these were very interesting because they provided a more comprehensive answer then the standard one most people will give, which is "to die for our sins". Here they are: " Luke 2:11 salvation or protection, Gal. 1:4 deliverance or rescue, Rom.3:24 redemption or freeing from enslavement, 2Cor.5:18 reconciliation or the reunion of the estranged, John 10:10 re-birth or the giving of new life.

The chapter continues on with a discussion of the types of evil enumerated in scripture, so that we are well aware of the need for savior. Then Urban begins an account of Christian thinking on the atonement through the ages. New Testament writers like Paul and the subsequent early church Fathers all understood three facets to the atonement. First, the incarnation as the atoning act. Paul writes "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself", with the culmination of the incarnation being Christ's death on the cross. John's emphasis on the "word made flesh", (Jn.1:14) and Jesus statement that "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (Jn. 12:46) all support this view. In 185 AD Irenaeus wrote,"Because of his measureless love, He became what we are in order to enable us to become what He is." By the Divine Logos becoming human the whole of human nature is restored. Similar views are found among other early Fathers , Athanasius for example.

The second facet of the atonement is the sacrificial death. The book of Hebrews is where you'll find this idea expounded upon. In Hebrews, a comparison is set up between the purification rites and animal scarifices in the Temple rituals recorded in the Old Testament and the death of Christ on the cross. The book of Hebrews states: "If the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God , purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." Paul also uses sacrificial language to describe the atoning work of Christ (1 Cor.5:7) "Christ, our Paschal lamb, has been sacrificed." The non-canonical Epistle Of Barnabas (c.130) explains that Christ died "so that we might be cleansed by the remission of our sins, which cleansing is through the blood of His sprinkling." Other early church fathers also echo this aspect of the atonement. Tertullian for example wrote; "It was necessary for Him to be made a sacrifice for all nations". Basil also writes of the sacrificial nature of Christ's death, "He offered Himself as a sacrifice and oblation to God on account of our sins". It's easy to see that the notion of Jesus' death as a sacrifice for our sins was a well entrenched idea in the very earliest centuries of the Church.

The final understanding of the atonement was the conquest of Satan. This aspect of the atonement was also a commonly held idea in the early church. The book of Collossians states... God..."has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son". Further on in the epistle we find this verse, " He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them [in the cross]" Col. 2:15. In Romans 8:38-39 Paul also attests to Christ's power over all spiritual powers. Justin Martyr declares the purpose of the incarnation to be the defeat of Satan and calls Christ "Lord of the powers". He writes further that this great vanquishing takes place through the crucifixion which has "shattered the might of the serpent, who instigated Adam's transgression." A final quote from Origen will further display the acceptance of this idea as intergral to the early churches understanding of the atonement. " Origen writes Christ's death "not only has been set forth as an example of dying for religion, but effected a beginning and an advance in the overthrow of the evil one , the Devil, who dominated the whole earth."

It is interesting to note that this final aspect of the atonement has fallen out of favor with modern theologians who can't seem to bring themselves to believe in Satan as an actual being, preferring to think of evil as a force, or simply looking upon "evil" as harsh or difficult circumstances such as hunger and war, or re-designating "evil"as simply all manner of suffering. Those ideas beg the question as to the source of such "evil" circumstances and suffering. If our conception of God is in alignment with scripture and the witness of the early church than the answere cannot possibly be God, another source must be found and Satan as presented in scripture certainly fills the bill. If you believe that scripture is inspired and that the early church Fathers were themselves men filled with the Holy Spirit than it seems implausible that for more than 1500 centuries the Spirit who is promised to "lead us in to all truth" would mislead so many Christians over so many ages. If you believe that God created humankind and all the living creature on the earth then it follows that God is also able to create other types of beings. That some of those other beings would revolt against their creator isn't at all hard to concieve given what has undeniably happened to the human race. Perhaps it is time once again to make this truth a well entrenched idea among the church.

Christianity
atonement
Early Church Fathers

Social Justice and Women's Rights

2006-07-08T09:52:00.000-05:00

To those who say that the Church is an institution that historically and even today oppresses the role of women, to those who say that the Church and religion in general needs be kept out of the arenea of public life and thought, to those who see religion as something promoting unenlightened and backward thinking , and to the Church itself that has long ago become drowned with secularism even while it raises it's hands in "contemporary" worship I would refer you to this http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/2006/002/5.43.html . May the Holy Spirit open our eyes and move our hands to action.

christianity
women's issues

Blessed are the Peacemakers

2006-07-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God" Matt. 5:9

"For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; the peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." James 3:14-18

It's hard for me to understand the violence and hatred between the Israelis and the Palestinians. So many have died on both sides. Young and old, innocent and guilty. I cannot understand the hatred that drives statements from Arab leaders who call for the annialiation of all Jews. There is more trouble brewing there today as the stand-off continues over the captured Israeli soldier. I'm deeply troubled and saddened over that part of the world. I pray for peace. But not a cheap peace, not a cowardly peace. The precursory years to World War II taught us that "peace at any price" is too high a price. The peace I pray for is a difficult peace. It is a peace that can only be achieved by the hand of God. It involves a different kind of warfare. Spiritual warefare. It involves the unfolding of God's plan for all nations and ultimately the unfolding and closing of all human history. I believe there will always be an ebb and flow of peace in the world, like the poor, conflict will always be with us, until Christ returns and brings with him perfect justice and peace.

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls, and security within your citadels. " Psalm 122:6-7

prayer
peace
isreal
palestine

Small Graces

2006-06-22T07:58:00.000-05:00

Most of us have needs in our lives. Spiritual, emotional, financial, physical, relational, practical, and on and on. We pray about these things, asking God for what we need. We don't always get an answer right away...sometimes not for a very long time. Don't let your faith be shaken, and don't let anyone tell you that that proves that God doesn't care or that He doesn't exist. Instead, be on the look out for small graces. Here is an examples from my own life that occured just recently. I was very upset about a family situation and needed time to think and pray, but the busy day had already begun. It was morning and time to take the dog on her walk. Now I adore my dog she is a blessing to me but...she's very excitable during her walks and pulls just enough to make me walk faster than I want to be walking (Gosh, I hope our obedience instructor doesn't read this, she'll be calling us in for remedial trainingLOL) . Anyway, I was thinking as I was getting ready to walk out the door "I wish Maggie walked nicer so I could take a longer walk and have time to think things through". Inexplicably (if your forget to see God's hand in everything) Maggie walked along beautifully, not pulling, no picking up a scent and getting excited, she just walked along by my side with the leash slack in the "J" shape trainers are always talking about. We took a nice peaceful, long walk and I had time to think and pray. I was amazed and thought if God could work through a donkey (see the story of Balaam) then he could work through a border collie!! It was a small grace. Not the answer to my BIG prayer about the family situation that so upset me, but a smaller need met through His mercy and grace that helped me deal with things on that particular day. I've learned to recognize these small graces and thank God for each one. I often tell God that small favors are appreciated and never go unnoticed by me. These small reprieves from our struggles, those little things that go right in the midst of everything else that's going wrong can literally be a lifeline for us. Sometimes they may seem trivial, or happening by mere coincidence or chance, but I've learned not to be decieved, they are in fact the hand of God at work caring for us and helping us moment by moment. When you can begin to recognize these small graces (write them down in a book) you begin to see the love of God in your daily life. Sure the BIG problems may still be there but now you know that God is at work in the small stuff and that means He's at work in the BIG stuff even if you can't percieve what He's doing yet. Look for small graces and give thanks.

christinity
grace
prayer

A Trick Question

2006-06-20T11:52:00.000-05:00

There is a story in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 2, about a man who is paralyzed. Four of his friends carry him on a stretcher or sorts to the house where Jesus is preaching. When they arrive they find the house full to overflowing and they are unable to get close to Jesus. So they climb up on the roof dismantel the roof covering and lower their friend down into the room to get their friend to Jesus. Jesus recognizes their faith and says to the paralyzed man "Son , your sins are forgiven you." Some scribes (teachers of the law) think to themselves in their hearts "Why does this man, speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus knows what they are thinking and asks "Which is easier to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven' or 'Arise , take up your bed and walk". Then Jesus heals the man, who gets up, picks up his stretcher and walks out. Everyone was left gawking and saying "We have never seen anything like this!"

This is an exciting story! It's filled with lots of dramatic elements. First there's the buzz among the crowd the fills and spills out of the house. Some like the the scribes, are skeptics there with the intent of finding evidence that will discredit Jesus. Some, like the paraylitic and his friends are there because they have a need and hope for something from Jesus. Others I'm sure are just plain curious. A few perhaps are already believers. This assembly of people is like a little cross section of all humanity, most people will fall into one of these categories even today.

The four friends exhibit a great deal of determination. When they see the crowd which keeps them from Jesus they are not discouraged, they perservere by taking radical action. It's interesting to note that Jesus calls this determination, perserverance and radical action "faith". That's what he wants to see in us. I'm trying to imagine this scene taking place in my church. It's unlikely that someone could come through the roof, but the window is a possibility or even more likely someone could go down to the basement and come up through the baptismal pool. If that happened during a sermon I can tell you it would cause plenty of commotion and I'm pretty certain that's what happened in the house where Jesus was preaching! I can hear the tongues wagging LOL

Now comes the tricky part. Jesus tells the paralytic his sins are forgiven. I'm guessing that's not what the four friends or this poor man had in mind. They were looking for physical healing. But Jesus begins by forgiving his sins. The scribes, though they don't openly confront Jesus, never the less object in their hearts and minds. Then Jesus asks the trick question. Which is harder to forgive sins or to physically heal a paralytic??? Hmmmm...good question! If you believe in a good and righetous God (as the scribes did) and you recognize humanities sinfulness and the inevitability of standing in judgement before God (as the scribes did) then forgiving someones sins would be impossible for a mere human being, God alone could do that. On the other hand it's pretty easy to "say" your sins are forgiven, how could you prove that, who could verify it or disprove it?? Then there's this matter of healing. Healing would require command of, and authority over, the natural law of the universe something only God would possess. Further physical healing would be verifiable, the healed person and the eyewitnesses could give their testimony about what they experienced and saw. So which is easier? Neither! Both spiritual healing through the forgiveness of sins and physical healing can be accomplished by God alone. The physical healing being the outward sign of what has taken place in the soul.

Ah, but what about those who have come to Jesus for forgiveness but still retain their physical sufferings. Does that prove their sins weren't really forgiven. I should say not! Anyone who has experienced Jesus forgivness knows it's real, the Holy Spirit bears witness to that in the persons heart and soul. It might be hard to "prove" that forgiveness has taken place to another person, but you as the recipient of forgivenss would know it without any uncertainity. If physical maladies remain you can be certain the God has a plan and a purpose to use them for your ultimate good. Remember St. Paul had a "thorn in the flesh" which he asked God repeatedly to remove and God said, "No, my grace is sufficient for thee". That is a possibility for us. But we also have the example of the four friends and their determination, perserverance and radical action. Along with Jesus command to "ask, seek and knock" we can continue to petition Jesus in faith and hope knowing that he hears our prayers and loves us more than we can know and imagine. Remember Jesus viewed that kind of perserverance as "faith" and rewarded it with both forgivenss and healing. Don't give in to despair or despondancy...keep the flame of faith alive through prayer and meditation on God's word. Healing may come when you least expect it, and God's all sufficient grace is available always to see you through.

christianity
gospel
healing
Jesus

Jesus by Our Side

2006-06-19T20:12:00.000-05:00

Well, last post was many weeks ago and I apologize for the delay. But that doesn't mean that I haven't been "Thinking About God". I have indeed been thinking about this blog and about God himself. More specifically I've been thinking about how we are"in Christ" . St. paul says "...you are the body of Christ". What can that possibly mean? I think it is an ongoing incarnation. Certainly, Jesus became God"in the flesh"and lived among ordinary human beings some two thousand years ago. The first and totally unique incarnation. How often have I though how wonderful it would have been had I been alive back then and actually known Jesus as a real flesh and blood, alive human being. Oh, to have sat at his feet with Mary and listened to him teach. Oh, to have HIM right there, really there, in person during my grief as Mary and Martha did when they wept for their brother Lazarus. Oh, for a hug from Jesus! Jesus is still very much alive, and he still has a body, one that has been glorified. The same magnificant, glorious body he revealed to Peter, James and John during the transfiguration, and it was a "real" body. Remember he ate breakfast on the beach with his disciples after the resurrection in his glorified bod, a very "real body" thing to do. This of course is a clue that heaven will be a home fit for us in our glorified bodies, real bodies, not ghosts, or angels with wings. Anyway, eventhough Jesus has a real body, as we will, he is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and that is behind the veil, in the spiritual realm. We are spiritual beings, but we are also very earth bound. That often makes it hard for us to perceive, or "feel" that Jesus is near and so he infuses his children with some of his divine nature, that way we are like Jesus presence to others. It is like a continual incarnation through us. The body of Christ....he presents himself to people through us. Of course Jesus also can speak directly to the human heart, mind and soul. But when we really need his presence I believe he often sends one of his followers to be Christ to another.

Emmanuel:God with Us

2006-05-09T20:32:00.000-05:00

When God seems unknowable it's time to look at Jesus. God with us, the exact representation, image, icon, of God the Father. Jesus said "I and the Father are one." It's amazingly perfect, God is spirit and doesn't have a body, that makes it hard for us to know him, so God comes to earth incarnate. That's how we can know God. What Jesus said and did...that's God.

More toughts tomorrow.....

Unknowable

2006-05-08T20:32:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking lately how sometimes God seems so unknowable. The great mysterium tremendum. His ways and thoughts so high above our ways, his plans and purposes often veiled from our eyes. We fall so far short of the glory of God how is it possible for us to now him at all? How does an earthen vessel commune with the potter? Sometimes I think I know nothing of any real importance at all when it comes to the realm of spiritual things. I don't even really know what the simplest of commandments "love thy neighbor" actually means in terms of practice, application and implication. There are even times when I don't think I understand what "Jesus loves me this I know" means. After all, we are in a deplorable spiritual state since the fall, damaged at the deepest inner level of our being, no longer reflecting the glory and image of God as we were designed to. This despondant feeling is of course only a passing one, and it does have remedy......a long steady look at Emmanuel, God with us.

More to come.

The Prayer That's Always Answered

2006-04-28T07:35:00.000-05:00

King Solomon the Wise

Maybe you've heard this saying...God answers every prayer. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no and sometimes wait. Someone will usually say that to you when you didn't get what you asked for in prayer. Although in a sense this cliche is true I dislike it because I don't think it even comes close to scratching the surface of explaining the complex interaction between God and his children where prayer is concerned.

Consider this passage of scripture: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverence. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all wihtout finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed about by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from hr Lord; he is a double minded man unstable in all he does. James:1:2-8

The first thing I notice about this passage is that it focuses on the trials we all face in life. In a bad situation even the aethist is likely to turn to prayer. Crisies drive us toward God. The second thing I learn is that God indeed allows difficulties in our lives to test our faith. Think of an athlete, a body builder. He can lift 200lbs. comfortably now after months of working at it. What's the next thing his trainer does? He adds some more weight to test the bodybuilders strength and further develop it. So it goes in our spiritual life. We're handling our lives in a Christlike way for the most part, loving our families, working diligently at our jobs, ministering in the church, keeping our temper under control, remembering to thank, praise and pray....and then! God adds a little more "weight" to develop our faith. This testing produces perserverence. What exactly is scripture driving at here. I think it means continuing to believe in God, and know and understand him as good and loving and and to draw comfort, strength and peace that passes human understanding during a crisis or ongoing severe situation. Job is a classic example of this. Every conceivable tragedy had befallen him and yet he stubbornly held onto God. Even his wife advised him to "curse God and die", but he clung to God in all his sorrow, pain and confusion. That's perserverence. Job, by the way is fully restored and blessed beyond what he formerly had. We often say "oh, so and so has the patience of Job", another spiritual cliche I dislike. Patience denotes passivity, just sitting there and allowing yourself to suffer through something without raising an objection. That's not what Job did!! He questioned and even challenged God, but always held on to his faith. That's perserverence... a lot more active than patience! To struggle, to wrestle, to question, to cry out, to vent...but never lose your faith...that's perserverence. Those intense times with God make you mature and complete. There's only one person I know of who was mature and complete in his humainty and that is Jesus. So ultimately God's goals for testing our faith have to do with raising us to the level of a mature and complete bearing of the his mage and likeness.

Now, here comes the interesting part about the prayer that's always answered with a resounding YES! Wisdom. If anyone lacks wisdom he/she should ask God, and he will give it to you generously, guarenteed! In trials and tribulations and all difficult circumstances one of the most desperate needs we have is knowing what to do. From the immense life and death situations like "Do we take child our who's been irrepairably damaged in a car accident off life support or not?" to situations of lesser degree "Should I quit my job and start my own business?" to the much smaller stuff. If we just knew what to do we would experience much relief. But wisdom is an interesting gift. You really won't know if your had it and exercised it without hindsite. I believe that's why James emphasis the need to believe and not doubt that God has indeed given you wisdom. It's an exercise or test of your faith. If God had guaranteed to give wealth to anyone who asked that would be easy. A check from Publishers Clearing House Sweepsstakes would show up in your mailbox and you'd know that God delivered. But wisdom....that requires you to decide and act and trust and it might be a while before you know if you really did do the right thing. God's ultimate goal for us is not always release from our struggles but restoring our natures to their pre-fall glorious perfection. The trials are just a way to get you there. Problem is that on this earth our problems often eclipse the glory we should be striving for. Our needs are pressing and our human nature wants relief right now and would forego the future glory if we could have what we want right now. Rather like Esau selling his birthright for a pot of stew. Interestingly it was his brother Jacod who wrestled with "THE angel" to secure a blessing. God lovingly keeps his eye on the goal though and uses everthing to restore our nature that has been damaged and poisoned by sin. Receiving wisdom is itself an exercise of faith, but one with a guarantee making it easier to receive and believe.

So today if any of you lacks wisdom as I do this day, pray, ask God, believe, use all of your heart, soul and mind and act. Trust God and move forward, you'll be wise God guarantees it.

Make Me Brave for LIfe

2006-04-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

This is a prayer I've prayed often. It's one I cherish and have made my own. I share it here in hopes that someone else will make it their own.

God, make me brave for life;
Oh, braver than this.
Let me straighten after pain,
as a tree straightens after the rain,
shining and lovely again.

God, make me brave for life;
much braver than this.
As the blown grass lifts,
let me rise, from sorrow with quiet eyes
knowing Thy way is wise.

God, make me brave;
life brings such blinding things.

Help me to keep my sight;
Help me to see aright
That out of dark comes light.

author unknown

Prayer Without Words

2006-04-25T18:36:00.000-05:00

Is it possible to pray without using words?? I think so. I think any time we engage in an activity that reflects the image of God in us we pray. Creating, caring, singing, loving all those activities and many others are forms of prayer. Augustine said that "he who sings prays twice".

Today I prayed a long time. This morning on my walk I cried out to God and wrestled with some serious faith issues. I've been praying for 12 years for healing for my son. His disability is a heavy burden for him and our whole family. It difficult, it's exhausting and the future could hold some more very, very serious isssues. Does God hear? How can this possibly be something God would allow, even ordain. Will there ever be healing, relief in this life or must we wait for our bliss on the other side of the veil. Am I just whining, surley there are others who suffer worse. Do I have the faith to trust God? Will God only give me grace to carry on or will he graciously heal my son. How can this trial conform me to the image of Jesus Christ...it seems to only make me doubt, get angry, frustrated and exhausted. So many questions and wrestlings. If it weren't for the story of the widow and the unrighteous judge I would have given up praying for this long ago. But we are commanded to continue to pray. Ask, seek knock. I'm currently using a battering ram on the gates of heaven.

Those were my prayers with words. Then I spent the afternoon praying without words. I went out to the beach and painted. Yes, I'm an artist. Driving to the beach I was admiring the new spring growth on the trees, and for a moment the sun flickered over the tree tops and there was a flash of a feeling inside me as if everything in the whole universe were right. I know that was God feeding my soul and binding up my wounds. For the next four hours I prayed by painting, and I came home with hope.

Prayer in Your Own Words

2006-04-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

On one side of the coin we have formal prayer on the other extemperaneous prayer, prayers that you pray in your own words, off the top of your head and from the depths of your heart. This includes things like "converstional prayer" when a group of three or four people will pray aloud together someone beginning with a short prayer and another picking up on that particular thought and then adding something and on it goes back an forth among the participants until there's nothing left to say and someone says Amen. This kind of informal prayer is the heritage of many post-reformation, "low-church" denominations. Baptists, Quakers, Pentecostals, and most Evangelical denominations. It has it's own benefits. Revelance is one, you pray in your own words about the things on your heart, it's extremely personal. This type of prayer also helps to build an intimate relationship with God. It also allows you to direct your prayers specifically to the Father, to Jesus or to the Holy Spirit. There's less chance of prayer time becoming rote and stale. On the otherhand it can often feel directionless and rambling. Who among us hasn't been at a worship service or prayer meeting and struggled to pay attention as someone droned on with a well intentioned but disorganized and lengthy prayer.

My suggestion is that whatever method of prayer your used to, switch to the other for a while. Change is good. Also keep in mind that Jesus gave us the example of both types of prayer. He taught his disciples the formal Lord's Prayer, but we also have Jesus own personal conversational prayers recorded in John 17 for example. So both types of prayer are biblical and beneficial to your spiritual growth.

Books of Prayers

2006-04-24T07:45:00.000-05:00

It seems like such a simple thing to pray, but somehow it gets pushed side, forgotten, squeezed out by life's demands. Yet, it is the one thing that will feed, strengthen and nurture your inner person making you better equipped to face what life throws at you. Prayer is also the way we gain God's perspective on the situations at hand, helping to make sense out of what often seem like senseless troubles and trials. It is also the time when we can just love HIM, thank him, praise him. It is then we focus on THE GOOD, for he alone is good, and that time in his presence no matter how brief can be enough to counter-act the evil and the ugly we see all around us.

To help you get praying I have a few prayer books to suggest. First there's the Book of Common Prayer that Anglicans have been using for ages. There's the old 1662 version if you love that King James style English. There are newer versions, and a host of books about the Book of Common Prayer to guide you and help you in its use. You don't have to actually be Anglican to use this book. It's a classic book of prayer, with the majority of the prayers acceptable to most Christians.

Next, is a wonderful anthology that I use quite often, 2000 Years of Classic Christian Prayers. This is a well organized book, that draws from many sources. You'll be able to find many favorites in this collection.

Memorizing some of these classic prayers will also be very helpful. In the same way that memorizing Scripture is. The words will be at your disposal whenever and where ever you need them. That will help you carry out Paul's instruction to "pray without ceasing".

How Do You Pray?

2006-04-23T16:43:00.000-05:00

Prayer is at the core of our relationship with God. It's how we communicate and commune with him. More simply stated it's how we talk to God and visit with him. On a grander note it's how we come into the presence of the Almighty Creator of the universe. Do we fall on our knees and tremble, do we stride in boldly, do we chit-chat about our day, vent our frustrations, pour out our heart, sing for joy?? Yes, we do all of these things. But how, in what form or manner, should our prayers be adressed to God?? Some of you come from backgrounds and traditions that emphasize formal prayer. That is "official" prayers written by others that you would pray alone or corporately in public worship. There are many benefits to this type of prayer. First off it gives you an example to follow. This is what the disciples wanted when they asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.That prayer,The Lord's Prayer,Matthew 6:9-13, is probably one of the first prayers you learned,perhaps just after Now I lay me down to sleep . It may be the only formal prayer you know. Secondly, there are times when words fail us due to grief,illness or we just plain don't feel like praying though we know we should. This is an excellent time to use formal prayers, they give you an anchor and help you maintain the discipline of daily prayer. Third, the prayers of others bring to our hearts and minds new ways of looking at things and new ideas. They also help us to realize how very much alike we all are in our need for God. Praying these prayers affirms the communion of the saints. One caution though, it's easy to tune out when saying formal prayers. To mumble through the words, a rote repetition of so many high sounding but meaningless words. You must make these prayers your own. Substitute "I", "me" and "my", for "we", "us" and "our" when praying alone. If a phrase of the prayer strikes a chord within you don't rush on to finish but take a moment to linger over that word or phrase, ponder, wonder, add a few of your own thoughts and words. Just as the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath, so formal prayer is made to help us enter into the presence of God, not carry out a vain repetition of antiquated words and ideas. Finally, many of these prayers are astoundingly beautiful and will lift your soul and spirit to the sublime.

Some Core Beliefs

2006-04-23T11:47:00.000-05:00

I've chosen the Nicene Creed to represent the core beliefs you'll encounter here. The Nicene Creed of 325 AD is a concise summary of universally held orthodox Chrisitan beliefs. Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, and Protestants should all find common ground in this creed. If you subscribe to the authentic and ancient Christian faith you'll find you agree with with this statement of faith. From this starting point the dialog and sharing can begin! What if you're a seeker, a doubter, or just plain confused? Hang in there, in the coming weeks and months many ideas and issues will be presented to help you seek and find, overcome doubts, and bring into focus your own beliefs.

Recently, The Da Vinci Code has brought the Nicene Creed to the forefront of popular culture. It's been taken off the seminary bookshelves dusted off and brought out into the light once again. That's a good thing. On the other hand, Dan Brown in his book and subsequent movie, makes the unfounded claim that for the first three centuries of the church Jesus was understood to be a mortal, merely a good man and a prophet. In a letter written by Pliny the Younger or Caius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (62-c.115), a Roman senator,to the Emperor Trajan, he complains about the Christians and asks advice on what to do about them.
He states: "they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god. So as you can see we have eye witness testimony from a Roman senator who lived in the latter half of the 1st century that right from the beginning Christians believed Jesus to be God. For more on this topic the article Was Jesus Declared Divine Nearly 300 Years After He Died? will be helpful.

The next intelligent question would seem to be "Did Jesus declare himself to be divine? " Here are Jesus' own words "I and the Father are one" John 10:30, "Don't you know me, Philip, even after such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." John 14:9. Read more...