So as not to disturb their way of living...

Some Christians think they are able to do without constant spiritual effort because they do not heed the urgency of confronting themselves with the truth of the gospel. So as not to disturb their way of living, they attempt to empty, and make innocuous, words such as: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). For these persons such words are difficult to accept and translate into a coherent conduct of life. In fact, they are words that, if taken seriously, demand a radical conversion.

                                                                                               Pope John Paul II

Preterism - the view that biblical prophecies have already been fulfilled

You will be both smarter and better-looking if you read this:

Rethinking Heaven and Hell: On Preterism, N.T. Wright and the Churches of Christ


That's right - we are on the cutting edge of contemporary eschatological thinking. 

[No jokes about blind squirrels or broken clocks, please.]

In all seriousness, this is one of the characteristic traits of Churches of Christ in which I take great joy. 

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam M. Grant

Selfless giving, in the absence of self-preservation instincts, easily becomes overwhelming.  Being otherish means being willing to give more than you receive, but still keeping your own interests in sight, using them as a guide for choosing when, where, how, and to whom you give.

This was a very interesting and thought-provoking read.  I had always thought of concern for self and others as opposite poles of a single continuum.  As the table above illustrates, concern for self and others can be conceived as two interrelated axes.  The provocation of the book is the assertion that a strong dose of self interest is healthy.  It was very helpful to me in understanding why so often the best of intentions lead to burn-out.  And, more importantly, how to minimize burn-out in the future.

Walking Between the Times by J. Paul Sampley

Two times frame Paul's thought world or symbolic universe.  One is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which marks the origin of the new life of faith.  The other is Christ's return, or Parousia, which will signal the culmination of God's purposes with the world.  Paul is concerned with how believers behave, or walk, between these two times.

Paul is convinced that the new aeon has begun to break into the middle of the old aeon in a decisive way in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection.  The new creation has begun (2 Cor. 5:17).  The present form of this world is already passing away (1 Cor. 7:31).

My attempt to visually depict how the two times relate to one another

What if education, including higher education, is not primarily about the absorption of ideas and information, but about the formation of hearts and desires?

What if the primary work of education was the transforming of our imagination rather than the saturation of our intellect?

What if education wasn't first and foremost about what we know, but what we love?

...how we think about distinctly Christian education would not be primarily a matter of sorting out which Christian ideas to drop into eager and willing mind-receptacles; rather, it would become a matter of thinking about how a Christian education shapes us, forms us, molds us to be a certain kind of people whose hearts and passions and desires are aimed at the kingdom of God.

--above quoted from James K. A. Smith, Desiring the Kingdom

Forgiveness is forgiveness

Jesus says, “Forgive, and you will also be forgiven” (Mt. 6:14). That is to say, forgiveness is forgiveness. Your forgiveness of another is your own forgiveness; the forgiveness you give is the forgiveness you receive. If you wholeheartedly forgive your enemy, you may dare hope for your own forgiveness, for it is one and the same.

Soren Kierkegaard

Ages and Ages - Divisionary (Do the Right Thing)

Prayer for enemies

As long as we do not pray for our enemies, we continue to see only our own point of view – our own righteousness – and to ignore their perspective. Prayer breaks down the distinctions between us and them. To do violence to others, you must make them enemies. Prayer, on the other hand, makes enemies into friends.

When we have brought our enemies into our hearts in prayer, it becomes difficult to maintain the hostility necessary for violence. In bringing them close to us, prayer even serves to protect our enemies. Thus prayer undermines the propaganda and policies designed to make us hate and fear our enemies. By softening our hearts towards our adversaries, prayer can even become treasonous. Fervent prayer for our enemies is a great obstacle to war and the feelings that lead to war.



Jim Wallis

Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Here is the true meaning and value of compassion and nonviolence, when it helps us to see the enemy's point of view, to hear his questions, to know his assessment of ourselves. For from his view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.”    

Sadness

You have no insight if you do not grasp that sadness is the most wicked of all the other spirits combined. Sadness ruins a person. It drives the Holy Spirit from one. A gloomy person always does evil. The prayer of a dejected person never has the strength to ascend to God’s alter. So cleanse yourself of all this wicked gloom, and you will live for God. Hermes

What does a man need

What does a man need – really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in – and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That’s all – in the material sense. And we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention from the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life Sterling Hayden

Book Review

John Mark Hicks has written an article for Wineskins.org that summarizes his extensive review of Michael Shank's book, Muscle and a Shovel.  More than a simple book review, this article defines some key differences in perspective that determine our understanding of the Bible.

You can access it here.

Here's an excerpt:

This perspective is important because it shapes how we read Scripture. In particular, it shapes how we read “commands” in Scripture. Are “commands” fundamentally legal tests of loyalty or are they modes of transformation? When we read biblical “commands” as legal tests of loyalty, then we reduce obedience in God’s redemptive story to “crossing lines in the sand.” Obedience viewed in this way becomes a mechanical technicality by which we comply with the command’s legalities. Obedience becomes a “check list” of requirements. But when we read “commands” as modes of transformation, obedience is how God transforms character by the mediation of divine presence. Obedience, then, becomes identification with God’s values and community. In this understanding, obedience has relational meaning. It is about shared life with God. The former approach understands “command” as a legal technicality, but the latter understands it as a mode of relational transformation.

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness

The Declaration of Independence lists Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness as the unalienable Rights given to all men by God and argues that proper government exists to protect such rights.  Two hundred thirty plus years later, this doctrine continues to be the cornerstone of our government and culture.

Of the three rights, it is the "pursuit of Happiness" that intrigues me most.  Affirming the right to pursue happiness is the most original of the three.  John Locke had previously and famously noted God-given rights to life, liberty, and property.  However, Jefferson and other key editors, in the process of revising the Declaration, arrived at "pursuit of Happiness."  I'm not claiming to know precisely what Jefferson et al meant by Happiness but I conceive it to be fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment, and peace in one's life.  It seems to be taken for granted that the individual knows the way to Happiness.  It's as though Happiness is some location known to all if only there were no barriers preventing our movement toward it.

I think therein lies a critical component of our cultural malaise.  Though all retain the right to pursue happiness it may be that we have only a vague idea of what it really is or where it might be found.  More than that, it is very rare for there to be any critical analysis of various roadways to Happiness.  The cultural roadways we travel are populated with signs touting "Happiness Ahead" and very few are questioning whether the signs are reliable.  Adding a pinch of cynicism, I could push the cultural analogy further by imagining  the well-traveled roadways as toll roads and suspecting that the signs have been posted by those whom are profiting from the venture.

When he saw the crowds, he felt sorry for them. They were troubled and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.      Matthew 9:36

As Christ-followers it is imperative that we pay careful attention to the routine roadways of our culture purporting Happiness.  By God's grace we can ask and even answer the question, "What is Happiness after all?"; and in the process, begin to see many cultural endeavors as manufactured and counterfeit.

You don't have to be a biblical scholar to know that the survey of Jesus' teachings and the model of his life is love, specifically the inseparability of love of God and love of fellow man.  I think it fair, even obvious, to interpret Jesus as offering love of one another as the roadway to Happiness.  A point that's hard to fathom in a culture that elevates the autonomy of the individual above all else.  Jesus calls us to cultivate our relationships and find true, enduring prosperity in love.

Jefferson believed it to be the overbearing State that hindered the pursuit of Happiness.  Long before, Jesus revealed the hindrance to be much more subtle and wily - sin.

My hope is that we can come together in critical evaluation of the various roadways to Happiness and learn to love each other more.

The future of Churches of Christ

Richard Beck recently posted some thoughts on the future of the Churches of Christ.  He also shared his perspective on the current state of things within our brotherhood. 

I think his terms, "ecumenical - sectarian" are much better descriptors than the typical "conservative - progressive" labels.  You'll need to read it to make sense of what I'm saying.

http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-future-of-churches-of-christ-table.html

The Cross In My Pocket

I've had this card a long time. I think it's something I kept that my mother kept, so that's why I keep it. I just wanted to share it because I like it and it's unique.

I carry a cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be

This little cross is not magic
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm

It's not for identification
For all the world to see
It's simply an understanding
Between my Savior and me

When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or key
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price he paid for me

It reminds me too, to be thankful
For my blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all that I do and say

It's also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care

So I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding no one but me
That Jesus Christ is Lord of my life
If only I'll let him be

-Verna Thomas, Agora

LIFE

This is a sliver of a note I kept from... I think a church devo home group or something a few years back. I just wanted to share. I don't know who wrote it and/or passed it out, but I found it inspirational and kept it. The only thing I can nit pick on with the entire note would be that, I think including God into the picture is just as important as including Jesus too. Just my personal opinion though. Feel free to print it off and spread it around if you like. =)

Life isn't about keeping score. It's not about how many people call you and it's not about who you've dated, are dating or haven't dated at all. It isn't about who you've kissed, what sport you play, or which guy or girl likes you. It's not about your shoes or your hair or the color of your skin or where you live or go to school. In fact, it's not about grades, money, clothes, or colleges that accept you or not. Life isn't about if you have lots of friends, or if you are alone, and it's not about how accepted or unaccepted you are. Life just isn't about that.

But, life is about who you love and who you hurt. It's about how you feel about yourself. It's about trust, happiness and compassion. It's about sticking up for your friends and replacing inner hate with love. Life is about avoiding jealousy, overcoming ignorance and building confidence. It's about what you say and what you mean. It's about seeing people for who they are and not what they have. Most of all, it is about choosing to use your life to touch someone else's in a way that could never ave been achieved otherwise -- as Jesus would have done.

These choices are what life's about. Life is about Jesus.

Bible Based Puzzles

Just a note to anyone interested in Bible-based puzzles. After several years of doing a weekly puzzle for our church bulletin, I've started posting them all online as a resource for anyone to use. Drop by and take a look, post a comment and let me know what you think. Click the logo below to go to the site.

November 2011 @ Sunshine

November 6th is Sunshine's Adoption Day this year.

Our minister will be preaching a special message about orphans, adoption and the church's role. Join us at 10AM to hear this message.

November 19th a free AWAA international adoption seminar  

A fellowship meal for couples and singles staying for the seminar (as well as those preparing the food) will be available after the seminar. Come and join us by pre-registering at http://www.awaa.org/events .  Look for Portsmouth, Ohio and you'll see Sunshine Church of Christ.

Mission Trip Giveaway To Ethiopia!

Free International Adoption Seminar @ Sunshine!

If you plan to attend this free adoption seminar, you'll need to register.  You can do this by clicking the title of this blog post.  It is a direct link to the registration page for this event.  We hope to see you there!  Click on the photo below for a larger view with all of the information about the location, time, etc.