The Four Promises of Forgiveness (Ken Sande, The Peacemaker
• I will not dwell on your sin.
• I will not bring up your sin and use it against you.
• I will not talk to others about your sin.
• I will not allow your sin to stand between us or hinder our personal relationship.
I'm grateful that Jesus does this consistently and quickly with me (since he really did it all in the past, how cool).
“Only in fellowship do we learn to be rightly alone and only in aloneness do we learn to be rightly in fellowship.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
"But a man with a machine and inadequate culture—such as I was when I made my pond—is a pestilence. He shakes more than he can hold." — Wendell Berry, "Damage" in What Are People For?
In what ways do we have too much power and too little knowledge?
Like any other public institution so organized, the organized church is dependent on "the economy"; it cannot survive apart from those economic practices that its truth forbids and that its vocation is to correct. If it comes to a choice between the extermination of the fowls of the air and the lilies of the field and the extermination of a building fund, the organized church will elect—indeed, has already elected—to save the building fund. The irony is compounded and made harder to bear by the fact that the building fund can be preserved by crude applications of money, but fowls of the air and the lilies of the field can be preserved only by true religion, by the practice of a proper love and respect for them as creatures of God. No wonder so many sermons are devoted to exclusively "spiritual" subjects. If one is living by the tithes of history's most destructive economy, then the disembodiment of the soul becomes the chief of worldly conveniences. — Wendell Berry, "God and Country" in What Are People For?
Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away. — Proverbs 27:10 (ESV)
In a world of social networking and online relationships, how does this strike you?
Today we sat in silence.
The question floated between us.
Nothing said.
Much thought.
Much felt.
To speak was to break...
something that we could not name.
A voice spoke
hesitant
but hopeful.
A group in silence.
Some could not stand.
Side conversation.
Words whispered.
The moment lost.
What did the Lord wish?
In silence as a group we waited.
The Spirit moved.
Subtle.
Simple.
We are left with more questions.
Nothing answered.
Only the memory.
Silence.
Community.
Is a community forming?
Out of silence.
Out of prayer.
So we wait.
Patience.
Now we go as one.
United in our quest.
To seek the Kingdom.
Much stirred.
Much hoped for.
The implications of Prop 8 in California are quite hard to fully grasp. As a Christian I wish to affirm Biblical marriage, as a thoughtful person I want to affirm the fundamental health of society when it comes to traditional marriage, and in wanting to be thoughtful about the freedoms of the U.S. I want to be fair in how the government treats crime, vice, and virtue. If only we were voting on marriage certificates on November 4th this issue might be clearer for me... but here is a story, only one story, from Massachusetts. Certainly food for thought:
Whether this story has "extreme" parents or an "extreme" administration on either side is irrelevant. It happened, and will continue to happen with such confusing messages to our kids from two distinctly different worldviews.
I wish our legislation would teach or direct us how to treat each other in a more tolerant way. In other words, how to be civil when we deeply disagree over something that we both agree is important.
Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore. – Psalm 133 (ESV)
Unity . . . Wholly Together . . . Joined . . . Harmony . . . Assembly . . . Undivided . . . One Mind . . . Peace . . . Community . . . YAHDAW in Hebrew.
How good and pleasant when the people of God are YAHDAW. It is like precious oil (an image of the presence of God's Spirit) overflowing on those as a crowning moment of relationship with one another and God. It is refreshing like the morning which brings new mercies and all the provisional grace we need. Living in YAHDAW is where God's blessing is commanded!
Commanded. That's a huge statement.
Do you feel on the outs? Do you feel alone? Do you feel that God is distant? Run to his people! Run and enter into YAHDAW. There his blessing is commanded. There he will be (I seem to remember something about "where two or more are gathered . . .")! There you will discover a place where his will is done. A place where his kingdom is manifest, present, tangible, experiential. There in YAHDAW.
No wonder the author of Hebrews (who I think is Paul) believed that the community of believers was so important for drawing near to God and holding on to hope:
. . . and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:21-25 (ESV)
The author is so aware of our need to be cleansed as imperfect people, but still "requires" the pursuit of "togetherness." YAHDAW.
I find myself in a new community of believers. Initially I share nothing with them but location and the bond of Christ. Do I believe this is enough? Do I believe this is powerful enough to command God's presence, blessing, and eternal life? Will I dive in to these relationships knowing that I, along with everyone else, need cleansing and will likely hurt one another? Will I risk being uncomfortable, lonely, misunderstood, and more for the reward and promise of YAHDAW?
I wonder what stories of YAHDAW you have? When was it beautiful? When was it hard? When did you want to quit? When did God's presence cover you like oil? When did the common become a sacred moment?
Help. Your stories will sharpen and spur others and me on to pursue YAHDAW?
