God Will Provide.

A lot of times, we wished we knew we were called for something.

Being called by God for something is one of the most alluring things in the world for your average Christian. Ideally, I feel like we enjoy being simply told what to do.

It's how I got through so many classes in high school and College.

Steph will attest to my enduring academic strategy I always fall back on when I find myself in trouble in class: Find the smart kid. Join their group. Bam. Assignment completed. It's apart of how we first met and got talking with one another, actually. At Central Christian College, there is a terrible class everyone has to take called research and writing- where basically they are supposed to be teaching you how to write research papers properly... and it's the most tedious, obnoxious classes ever... and to top it all off, the old man who was the teacher was nothing short of vindictive. Anyways, I soon learned that in a class devoted to attention to detail- I was going to fail if i didn't do something quick- so I fell back on my 'find the smart kid' tactic, and wandered into a student help session in the college's library... and there was Steph... and I learned, if I just sat there long enough and let her talk -never mind what she really said- she would just give me the answers. And so I passed the class.

It's easy when we are just told what to do, usually. Just wait there and act dumb and a slightly helpless, and most people eventually take pity on you or do whatever it takes to get you out of their hair. Which is fine by me. But honestly- and my former tutor can maybe attest to this- I never really learned what Research and Writing was originally intended to teach. Not very well, anyways... Because I didn't sacrifice my time and energy to learn, there wasn't any real change.

This is the nature of true personal sacrifice. In order to bring about real, personal, lasting change, you have to actually sacrifice- give something up which means something. In order for this spell to take effect, you have to actually mean it.

Have you ever wondered why specific things in the Bible are even in there to begin with? Why MUST we use water, of all things, in a baptism- why is this even necessary to begin with? Why does God give us the ability to walk away from him to begin with? And why, why does God keep insisting- of all the things across all the expanse of all time, on the principle of Sacrifice? 



True sacrifice brings about change. It is it's nature.

Genesis 22 New International Version (NIV)

Abraham Tested

22 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.
² Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
³ Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
⁶ Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, ⁷ Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
⁸ Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
⁹ When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
¹² “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram^[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
¹⁵ The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time ¹⁶ and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, ¹⁸ and through your offspring^[b] all nations on earth will be blessed,^[c] because you have obeyed me.”

So, why does God insist on sacrifice? Because it is only through true sacrifice that real change can be brought about.

You see this again and again-

We must give up- to gain. It is a repeating theme- and if you ever catch something being repeated- repeated- in the Bible, it is like an EXCLAMATION POINT! being used.

Have you ever noticed things in your own life which you feel caught up in... ?

Ways of reacting or types of situations you are stuck in. Maybe there is a way to sacrifice, to lay down and let let go of, which, once relieved of- can set you free. Break the bind and lift the curse.

Before we moved back here, Steph and i were living in Albuquerque- I was working in Christian radio, which I was so sure was exactly what I had wanted to do as my vocation all my life... but I realized after I had been there awhile, what I had planned to be heaven- was really like living through hell. It's easy to say we'll change. We'll be different or take charge or treat so and so differently- but it's a whole 'nother can of worms to actually set about doing it. I realized, like Jonah, because I had been so sure of myself and just sailed off for the far reaches again after college- my whole world of a boat was pitching. Just throwing off things we think will count for sacrifices in hopes of lightening the load doesn't cut it here, in the deep water. We have to be willing to realize and take responsibility for our own choices and sacrifice ourselves- our own hopes and dreams- illusions of power and control- For God's own hand. We have to be ok with going overboard and being swallowed by what seems like sea monsters. We have to be really ok with dying to ourselves- so God will raise us up, having nothing- but being alive and whole. This is an act of Pistis- of faith.

Like Abraham, we have to be ok with setting out and jumping over the deep-ends. It is only when we cast off the last lifeline of our own assumed senses of control that God really has us. And what's more, we know it, too. We have to try not to just purposefully stand around, dumb and helpless. God want us to put our heart and back into this lesson of Life He's teaching us.

Find ways to put yourself in situations where you have to rely on God's direction in your life. Be willing to really sacrifice your own notions of comfort and safety- pride and even success. Because once you do- that's where you'll actually begin to find real change in your life.

True sacrifice brings about change, and God will provide.

Like what you read? Join in with your own insights, stories and art- send them to ryanpfreeman1@aol.com. Thanks and God bless -Ryan

Like a Boss

Last week I was engrossed in the arduous, bi-monthly talk of folding 300 newsletters for my job at Marion County Services when my boss shot me an excellent question via email.

See, my boss Cathy misses the open-door-style relationships she used to enjoy when our company was smaller- but now that it's near tripled its' size, and the demands for traveling out of office are higher than ever- she's missing the openness and casual ability for meaningful relationships with her employees. She wonders is there is a way, baring the obviously preferable face-to-face method of keeping up with everyone. Sound familiar?

Your thoughts?

...

Here's how I responded while you think it over...

"Actually, I think your motivation is an excellent one. What you wrote

yesterday has been weighing on my mind.

One of the things I remember and really appreciated from my old boss,

Dewey Moede, who was my station manager at the radio station I used to

work at, was how his door really was open- he was always calling me just

to talk or see how I was doing... and I don't know how he did it, but

eventually I wanted to talk with him too and see how he was doing.

I think one of the things which can so easily be lost in the work-place

environment is the natural, relational aspects which we normally have with

people on a regular basis. Because we feel our relational context has been

changed, we react and respond with people and situations very differently

while at work vs at home.

Right now, I honestly don’t have a one-shot, silver-bullet answer for you.

(I wish I did) But I hear you. What I can talk with you about are what

sorts of things I have seen work, though.

For starters- I really valued the genuine, relational honesty which Dewey

gave me. When my dog of 17 years passed away, even in the busy radio

office environment, he recognized how distraught I was and sent me home. He

really was always available for me- we are still friends and I

occasionally still write for his online outreach platform, For God's

Glory Alone.

Another awesome boss I had was Nate Stafford, who is the camp manager for

El Porvenir Christian Camp. I've interned twice up at camp and I really

valued how fair and caring Nate is. Nearly every morning, before the

campers were up, Nate and all the staff would have breakfast together.

We had space to talk if we wanted and just be ourselves. There, we would talk 

about what was going on that week- not so much as a

daily overview, but just naturally what was going on... this, I think is

where so many work-places fail, I guess, because honestly, when someone is

forced to respond to group events, the whole exercise in team-building is

lost. I realize the catch-22 nature of this; however, allowing regular

space for the people (just as People and not co-workers) is essential. All

the new staff actually comes up before the official camp season begins and

learns how to facilitate the high ropes course where we really REALLY have

to learn about how to actually trust each other. We, as a group, go on each

hike the camp offers, not only so we can lead campers throughout the

summer, but also so we simply spend time together as a team. I still love that

place so much Steph and I were married up there.

Another something I've noticed has been through the five years I've had

publishing a personal blog, www.archaen.blogspot.com. Through continuous,

steady writing, I've learned how insisting on personal honesty has

actually been my first serious journey into my own identity as a person. 

I have a sign up in my house which says, 'Be Honest'. I've been through

personal crisis over the past few years. It's a bit of a story, but if you

ever have the time and would like to hear, feel free to ask. Insisting on

personal honesty has shown me, through thick and thin, what personal

integrity really means for me

By continuing to write about what is on my heart and mind, I get to take what is

in my head and get it out, plain as day, so I can see it. I think by naming

what I'm working through, I not only help myself, but can generate, over

time, a genuine group of followers who really hear me- are with me- just

like I am with them because we are not alone. We are all working through

the same sorts of life-stuff together.

In addition to this, I've learned that you're actually never marketing a

business or a product... you may have those on the boards or the

commercials- but what you're really marketing is yourself. People help you

or work with you- fight you or love you- because of their relationship

with you. I've also learned you have to speak people's language. It's easy

to live in our heads. We are so used to talking and thinking the way we do

because we all kind of live in a bubble of our own little worlds. This is

why its so important to remember each person has their own bubble- their

own world- where the language can be quite different. This is where solid

listening and understanding comes in.

I don’t know if any of this helps, but I hope it does. I'm still thinking

over ideas which might be able to help. For starters, though, I would

think about what you're good at. Play to your communicative strengths. If

you have trouble coming up with more than three strengths, ask people you

know who you look up to and trust what they think. Once you have a feel

for them, then we can explore the social media realm together: this way we

can identify the best tool for the job.

Sorry this is sooo long! Again, I hope it helps- thank you for trusting

you could open up to me about this- I really value this."

-Ryan

How must we be under God, the boss?

It's easy to imagine ourselves running hither and thither through the courses of our own little lives like ants far below the ivory towers of Heaven. 

"Hey! Hey down there!" God rumbles, calls down to us.

"EARTHQUAKE!!" We all yell, ducking for cover until the rumbling ceases. 

The world's and humanity's conversation has exponentially nuanced into a billion broken pieces since the Fall. And we are somewhere in the middle- hurtling along on our little, tiny existences. 

I keep reading the end of Job lately, the part when God finally comes down and Job and all his monloguing friends squeak and hide like frightened mice.

Do we know where the winds come from?

Or where the springs of the deep gush forth?

Are you having difficulty having a meaningful relationship with your Boss?
If Jesus had an office and the door was open, would you feel comfortable to just walk in and sit down and say what's on your mind and heart? Is there some nagging feeling in the pit of your stomach that clenches whenever you know he's around?

I bring up Job because we're all used to griping. If it's not one thing, it's always going to be another. And sometimes we even complaints based in legitimate reality. I think, just like we ought to have a real respect for people over us (and no, not just because they sign the checks and can fire us) because, ideally they've where they are professionally for a reason. Similarly, I think we need to listen to God with respect simply for no other fancy, sophisticated reason than that he IS God.

God is GOD.

Take that in for a moment.

Jesus is GOD.

The next time your pulse keeps beating on its own, or you breathe some more complimentary air in- remember God is GOD. And he is Good. (All the time).

-Ryan

for more, please visit http://www.archaen.blogspot.com for more insightful posts
or http://www.facebook.com/rienspel to check out my first, forthcoming fantasy epic

Like what you read? Join in with your own insights, stories and art- send them to ryanpfreeman1@aol.com. Thanks and God bless -Ryan

The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven Recanted.

 Reposted via Patheos...

 

Christian Author of The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven Recants Story, Saying “I Thought It Would Get Me Attention”

January 15, 2015 by Hemant Mehta 213 Comments

***Update (6:00p)***: Tyndale House says it will stop selling the book:

This evening, Todd Starowitz, public relations director of Tyndale House, told The Washington Post: “Tyndale has decided to take the book and related ancillary products out of print.”

…
We’re used to hearing stories about children with Christian parents who, facing some tragedy, “go to Heaven” and then come back to tell us all about it. Colton Burpo, the subject of the late-2010 book Heaven is For Real, is perhaps the most famous example. (Dr. Eben Alexander wrote a similar sort of book, Proof of Heaven, in 2012.)
But before both of those books went viral, there was the story of Alex Malarkey, the subject of the mid-2010 book The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven:
Here’s the description of the book, published by Tyndale House:

In 2004, Kevin Malarkey and his six-year-old son, Alex, suffered an horrific car accident. The impact from the crash paralyzed Alex—and medically speaking, it was unlikely that he could survive. “I think Alex has gone to be with Jesus,” a friend told the stricken dad.
But two months later, Alex awoke from a coma with an incredible story to share. Of events at the accident scene and in the hospital while he was unconscious. Of the angels that took him through the gates of heaven itself. Of the unearthly music that sounded just terrible to a six-year-old. And, most amazing of all… Of meeting and talking to Jesus.

Last year, something weird happened. Alex’s mother Beth wrote on her blog that she basically disowned the book. It wasn’t just wrong on the theology; it was exaggerated:

When Alex first tried to tell a “pastor” how wrong the book was and how it needed stopped, ALex was told that the book was blessing people…
…
ALex’s name and identity are being used against his wishes(I have spoken before and posted about it that Alex has tried to publically speak out against the book), on something that he is opposed to and knows to be in error according to the Bible. How can this be going on???

That’s… pretty bad. But it went under the radar for the most part. The book was still selling. The publishers weren’t going to remove the book from their catalogue. The whole genre had exploded since the book’s release. People wanted to believe it was real. And this would’ve destroyed the narrative, along with the hopes of many Christians.
But they can’t keep this hidden much longer. Alex, the quadriplegic who was the centerpiece of the story, has written an open letter on the website Pulpit & Pen saying that the story is fiction and he was exploited:

“An Open Letter to Lifeway and Other Sellers, Buyers, and Marketers of Heaven Tourism, by the Boy Who Did Not Come Back From Heaven.”
Please forgive the brevity, but because of my limitations I have to keep this short.
I did not die. I did not go to Heaven.
I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible.
It is only through repentance of your sins and a belief in Jesus as the Son of God, who died for your sins (even though he committed none of his own) so that you can be forgiven may you learn of Heaven outside of what is written in the Bible… not by reading a work of man. I want the whole world to know that the Bible is sufficient. Those who market these materials must be called to repent and hold the Bible as enough.
In Christ,
Alex Malarkey.

Wow. He’s still a Christian, no doubt, but this a damning statement. It pretty much calls out everyone in the Christian world who published this book (and continue to make money off of it) even though the story isn’t real, as it’s marketed.
The Pulpit & Pen blogger adds:

… we are publishing this story because Christian publishers and retailers should have known better. They should have had the spiritual discernment, wisdom, compassion, and intestinal fortitude to not sell a book which contains, along with all books like it, deep theological problems. It also doesn’t help that in what is purported to be a “TRUE STORY” that there are vivid descriptions like “The devil’s mouth is funny looking, with only a few moldy teeth. And I’ve never noticed any ears. His body has a human form, with two bony arms and two bony legs. He has no flesh on his body, only some moldy stuff. His robes are torn and dirty. I don’t know about the color of the skin or robes — it’s all just too scary to concentrate on these things!”

LifeWay, the Christian retailer, is still selling this book despite Alex’s letter, showing that they care more about money than being honest, even when it directly involves their faith. (Even if they removed this particular book, others involving “heavenly tourism” would still be selling.)




Like what you read? Join in with your own insights, stories and art- send them to ryanpfreeman1@aol.com. Thanks and God bless -Ryan

Sacrament

 

Denis Gartung, a pastor of another church in Payson where I preach shared this with me today, enjoy:

DEVOTIONAL

This devotional crossed my reading road recently.  It is written by Molly Baskette, pastor of the First Church UCC in Somerville, Massachusetts. 

"God has put a sense of past and future into our minds, yet we cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." - Ecclesiastes 3:11

Every year on New Year's Day, a farmer friend of mine invites friends and family to her house. Together they make little boats out of paper, string, bark and twigs and other found objects.

They try to make their boats as seaworthy as possible. And, when the boats are ready, everybody files down to the stream behind the farmhouse, both the toddlers with their whole lives before them and the old folks with maybe just a few more winters left.

They squat down at the edge of the water, ice crackling under their feet. They think of a big, hard thing that happened to them in the previous year. They light their boats on fire, and they let them go. Together they watch the boats and the hard things float away (lost job!), or burn up (second marriage…), or get lodged somewhere (grief, like an old war injury).

Sometimes there is laughter and antics, sometimes tears. Sometimes, someone falls in the stream, and has to get fished out. Then they all troop back up to the house for hot chocolate.

A sacrament is: an outward and visible sign of an inner and invisible event. Sometimes, our bodies do things we wish our spirits could do. Die with Christ in the baptismal waters. Eat God. Or, let go of a pain in our past. Sometimes, our body goes first, and our spirits follow, like a little boat on the current, surrendering.

Let’s pray, “God, you know our whole story: the hard thing that happened last year, and the invisible realities of this new one. You live outside of time and You aren't telling us more than we need to know. Help us be OK with that, and float. Amen.”

Like what you read? Join in with your own insights, stories and art- send them to ryanpfreeman1@aol.com. Thanks and God bless -Ryan

What If...?

Reposted from Donald Miller:

Friends,

I’m continuing my Start Life Over series today. The series is about the underpinning beliefs we all need to have to really change. If you want to download the entire series as a PDF, just click here. Otherwise, here we go!

The third principle of the series is this: Sometimes it’s okay to quit.

If you don’t have today off, you’re likely bored at work. Certainly not all of you, but studies show more than 50% of Americans are not inspired by their jobs. This really stinks. All that college tuition, all those hours searching and hoping for a job that fulfills us have come to this. Boredom.

I’ve been there.

I used to work at a company where I’d take an extra lap around the parking lot even though there were plenty of empty spaces, just because I didn’t want to go inside. And once inside, I’d waste time. But the horrible part wasn’t the wasting time, it was the guilt I felt because I was wasting time.

So what can be done? What do we do if we don’t like our jobs? Or for that matter, what do we do if we don’t like our lives?

My friend Bob Goff tries to quit something every Thursday. Most of the time it’s small stuff, like biting his nails and stuff. But sometimes it’s big stuff. He’s actually resigned from Boards because it was a Thursday.

The idea is twofold: 1. Get rid of anything that doesn’t need to be in your life and 2. Realize you don’t have to be stuck in a rut.

You can quit things.

If you’re in a dating relationship that’s been killing you, quit. If you aren’t happy with that small group you’ve been meeting with, quit. It’s not like you’re quitting your spouse or God, you’re just living out the God-given reality you’ve got choices and are completely allowed to make them.

And if you’re really bold, you can even quit your job. I know it sounds crazy and there are all sorts of reasons we should stay. We have to feed our children. We have to make our mortgage payments. But wouldn’t you just love to quit? Wouldn’t you love to wake up, perhaps a month from n
ow, and love your work instead of being so bored?

Warren Buffet says the secret to successful people is they have learned to say no to almost everything. They aren’t people who go around seeking security. They seek the big life.

And because they seek it, they get it.

I had a friend years ago who hated his job. He complained all the time about his associates and his boss. That didn’t bother me too much, but one day when he was talking about his son, who also hated his job, he said “you know what my boy needs to learn? He needs to learn that everybody hates their job. They’re supposed to hate their job. Working isn’t supposed to be fun; that’s in the Bible.”

I stood there taken aback. I completely disagreed with him. I loved my job. And the Bible said work would be hard, not that it was supposed to be miserable.

Here’s something I’ve learned over the years. People who are willing to wait for what they want have a much higher percentage chance of enjoying life in the long run. And those who choose security over passion have a much higher chance of not enjoying life.

Now I’ve likely offended most of the people reading this. And I apologize for that. God knows I’m not asking all of you to quit your jobs. That’s a big step.

But do we really have to settle?

I mean were you really created to be born, be bored, then be buried? Is that what God had in mind?

Ask yourself this: how many decisions are you making because you want security? And how’s that going for you? What’s one thing you can do to make your life more passionate and enjoyable? If you did that thing, what would be the next thing that would make life more passionate and enjoyable? And then what’s the thing after that?

What if, by the end of 2015, you were doing something in your life you didn’t hate? Something that didn’t make you bored? What if?

Don

Like what you read? Join in with your own insights, stories and art- send them to ryanpfreeman1@aol.com. Thanks and God bless -Ryan

"Catharsis"

 

The Cathars- Susan's Bauer's History of the World...

 

"It is not by the display of power and pomp, calvacades of retainers, and... gorgeous apparel, that these heretics win proselytes. It is by zealous preaching, by apostolic humility, by austerity... Zeal must be met by zeal; false sanctity by real sanctity; preaching falsehood by preaching truth."

- Dominic de Guzman, Priest

He himself traveled through Languedoc barefoot, arguing with the Cathars one on one.

 

When all this happens- we gotta do something!

The 'Doing' is...

Catharsis (Pure) The painting of Jesus

[kuh-thahr-sis]

noun, plural catharses

[kuh-thahr-seez] (Show IPA)

1.

the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, especially through certain kinds of art, as tragedy or music.

2.

Medicine/Medical, purgation.

1. discharge of pent-up emotions so as to result in the alleviation of symptoms or the permanent relief of the condition.

catharsis

/kəˈθɑːsɪs/

noun (pl) -ses

(in Aristotelian literary criticism) the purging or purification of the emotions through the evocation of pity and fear, as in tragedy

 
Genesis 2

Genesis 2 English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK) The Seventh Day, God Rests 2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. The Creation of Man and Woman 4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. 5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for[e] him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones     and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman,     because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Adam practices Catharsis naming all the animals ( Fly? REALLY? ) so he asks the right question- 'but where's my partner? And then he meets Eve for the first time.   -Catharsis- the purging of the emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, especially through certain kinds of art, as tragedy or music. When God wants to tell a really good story- he doesn't just give us drama or solve our problems- he gives us Shakespeare. - George MacDonald   The other day after work, I followed a Whim to River View park and watched the Sunset over the Mississippi. This happens every day? Every day. How much do I live in my own head... with so much story- when God has Shakespeare on parade 24/7? I think he knows this- and he primes us for Catharsis on purpose because he wants us to ask the better questions- want, need the better answers- our 'Eves' stand just behind the curtain, waiting to be unveiled...  Jeremy invited me to his church's Christmas eve service... It was really nice not to have to organize anything- or make sure people were anywhere or unlock anything... not that I mind or anything... but especially near the end, as I was singing with the crowd, I heard hundreds of us sing on this single low key in unison over and over... and I realized It's not just me living in my head all the time... it's all of us. And over and over, God is there with each of us, all together, toe-to-toe with us sending us Shakespeare- purposefully initiating us in Catharsis. "It is not by the display of power and pomp, calvacades of retainers, and... gorgeous apparel, that these heretics win proselytes. It is by zealous preaching, by apostolic humility, by austerity... Zeal must be met by zeal; false sanctity by real sanctity; preaching falsehood by preaching truth." - Dominic de Guzman, Priest He himself traveled through Languedoc barefoot, arguing with the Cathars one on one.    Perhaps God is that Priest- He himself travels to our region- Earth- our lives right here in Quincy- Payson- Hannibal barefoot before us, arguing- displaying for us, one on one just What and Who HE really is.  Catharsis.

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Quaker Oats

 

 "Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you. Before you tell your life what truths and values you have decided to live up to, let your life tell you what truths you embody, what values you represent. "

-Old Quaker Proverb

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Why I Hate Church Christmas

Why I hate church Christmas-

I remember going to a little church in Lake Oswego, Oregon when I was a little kid. I don't know how many times I was forced to be in the church Christmas plays... they would wrangle us kids up like stray cattle and herd us into this upstairs closet where they kept all the costumes. The fading cloth smelled like moth and dust- and I'm pretty sure it hadn't been touched since the last year's performance. I felt like they just wanted to see cute kids on stage... it was embarrassing. I remember showing up in the evening- and they'd parade us around- from one entrance to another. Why were we doing this? It felt like slavery. I've been a king- an angel- and Joseph... (which I've since learned is the best male role- because they never have him actually say anything.)

While I remain spiteful and dubious of Church Christmas programs to this day, I think I can now understand and name just what exactly it was which irked me- and is calling me on wards now. I don't want to be apart of something because it's cute- I want to belong because it's meaningful. I don't want to have a performance about beauty- I want to be lost in beauty itself. I don't want to learn about God, I want to feel my heart burn after hearing his voice rattle my bones and reverberate in my soul.
I don't want to hear about- I want to experience with.

I think the reason Christmas taking place during winter is because the still, quiet tempering the cold, dusk beckons us to listen. To stillness and contemplation- so we can really get- really hear, know, feel, experience just what exactly the angels sung. What the shepherds saw. What Mary sung, and why Joseph was remained so quiet.

We need time- purposeful, interval-less, time to be silent. Sometimes eternal celebrations have nothing to do with the noise of the party or the grandiose of the gifts. The streamers and the balloons are speaking now. The colors Red and Green are singing. Hush. Hark the Herald Angels sing...
Glory to the newborn King...  


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Thanksgiving

The Secret of Joy is Thanksgiving (revisited)

Pastor Ryan Freeman

Payson Christian Church

11/11/12

What’s the hardest thing to do in the New Testament?

In Philippians 4:4-9, Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (in Greek, when you repeat yourself repeat yourself, it’s the same as using an exclamation point. REJOICE!) Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (think about that one. The Lord is near.) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition (they are two separate things?), with THANKSGIVING (this is the lynch-pin of the whole process), present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

The Message puts it this way:

Philippians 4:4-9

4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

(SonRise Christian Fellowship and Sandra –praise the Lord)

It’s this same honest, jubilant thanksgiving which naturally comes out of us as Joy. And Joy is the secret to LIFE and living. REALLY living well. Without Joy, life is hollow and monotonous. Joy is never caught, but chased- that’s what CS Lewis learned as you read his spiritual autobiography, Surprised by Joy. It’s something living and active- apart of you and yet also ever before you- beckoning you on to the truly best way, even if you don’t know it yet.

The key to true, deep joy is thanksgiving, or thankfulness. Real, raw, genuine thankfulness. When you can come to a place inside where you are honestly thankful, that is where you’ll more often than not find that ever elusive creature, Joy, lurking, too. When you get a moment, read all of Philippians and you’ll see Paul’s thankfulness leading to joy shot through all the pages, words and ideas- Just like there are real people behind and within the Bible, real thankfulness and joy are what actually drive us and move us, too. This is because they are eternal themes- truths that are written into the High Magic of everyday living.

Being joyful and being thankful are synonymous. They mean the same thing- so as I go on saying one or the other- remember this. Being thankful and being joyful mean the same thing.

Anxiety is transformed into excitement when God is near us; we are joyful and thankful all at once- like Christmas morning as it ought to be. And because of this, because of joy anxiety cannot exist at the same time. They simply don’t go together- like lawyers and honesty, like pumpkin pie and algae. To have one is to, as a rule, not to have the other. And because we are thankful- it’s going to naturally spill out of us- it’s infectious and can’t be helped. When you pray about anything and everything- whether it’s that the Cardinals win next season or the price of gas goes down or deep personal troubles- pray with thanksgiving. By doing so, your own position regarding yourself and the situation is radically altered- and your joy is pure and lively. When we are thankful we are naturally humble and gentle with ourselves and others because we see ourselves without any exceptions or self-defenses.

Do we even leave room for God’s peace he wants to give us when we insist on living our own way- seeing situations our own way, demanding our existence on our own grounds? When we forget about all of our own silliness, and are simply content, thankful- that is when we are being molded.

Living with this on-going thankfulness and joy leads to contentedness.

Paul went through a lot, like we are all going through right now. From family issues, to home buying to shipwrecks and assassination attempts there is a great secret to living well tucked right in this letter to the Philippians- Paul says starting in verse 11:

“… I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

There is a new and better way to live- really live. To live now is to live fully and richly- to breathe without worry- to walk without anxiety- to be excited, interact honestly and to smile and mean it. There are no more masks, for they are not needed.  Because Love drives out all fear- as we live in thankfulness we can find ourselves not just truly happy- but truly joyful. It is all indicative of the new way, the best way- it is Jesus himself- not merely more verses about, but light which, if we but tend it, will soon radiate out of us, transforming us as his own brothers and sisters.

Sandra battled with cancer three separate times before finally passing. She lost her lovely black hair, her left breast and her life here- but she never, never lost her joy or her thankfulness. Some lessons are more than mere verses on a page- but living and active- far sharper than any two-edged sword.

What will the pages of your own life’s story say?

If you want to find contentedness and peace in your life right now- practice being thankful and new, creative ways to show you care- live with a lifestyle of Thanksgiving and you’ll soon find joy- and before too long this new way of living will begin to change you from the inside out. You’ll be a new person, the old gone, the new arriving more and more each day.

Rejoice in the Lord always- he is bringing all things together for the good of those who love him.

And it goes without saying that this is, in fact, a very good thing.

(prayer)

 



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