Day 364.
So my Executive Minister had a listen to my controversial Christmas preach (the one where I talked about how Jesus failed) and he told me that I did well at creating disequilibrium.
Disequilibrium [noun] - the loss of equilibrium attributable to an unstable situation in which some forces outweigh others.
Was he telling me that my thesis was 'unstable'?
Or, was he telling me that the forces of insightful new truth outweighed the forces of suggestive heresy...... or vice versus?
But I've found that disequilibrium is an ideal state for re-creation.
I wonder if this was the reality in Genesis 1 - the formless and empty of verse 2
The tōhû wābōhû, a state of disequilibrium (wasteness, emptiness and darkness) was primal conditions for God to move and bring design and shape to. This is precisely the territory that God's creative power manifests itself in.
Sunday's.
Ever entered a Sunday service and everything from the past week is sticking to you. All the junk you picked up as you tried, but could have tried harder, to not conform to the world. Ever entered a Sunday service just desperate to reorient your life back to God and his ways.
I often enter a Sunday feeling formless and empty. drained and bruised by a week of real life living.
Primal conditions for God to move and re-create.
Maybe a state of disequilibrium is the best way to enter, but not leave Sunday.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Day 360 My soul needs me to write.
Day 360 and I'm only 5 days away from finishing my 2010 blog.
Doubt I'll attempt a daily blog in 2011. I'll keep it going .....but watch for something more and something new coming in social networking.
Writing.
It's interesting that in the digital age the most popular website is a site that sells books - Amazon.
Social networking might be pushing us to short grammatically flawed sentences for our texting or Twitter pages - but real books with real English and real sentences aren't about to go out of fashion.
Recently I came across an good article on writing in the ODE Magazine. It highlighted three rules for writing as a spiritual practice:
1. Don't write what you know.
2. You can't write what you don't know.
3. You must write.
Over this past year I've come to appreciate these three frustrating yet inspiring rules, and come to appreciate that like meditation and prayer no one can do it for you.
This is what makes writing such a spiritual practise.
So, my blog writing this past year was actually more for my soul than anybody else's. Difficult to tell whether the frustrating times did more for my soul than the inspiring times.
I'll keep writing in 2011.
My soul needs it.
Doubt I'll attempt a daily blog in 2011. I'll keep it going .....but watch for something more and something new coming in social networking.
Writing.
It's interesting that in the digital age the most popular website is a site that sells books - Amazon.
Social networking might be pushing us to short grammatically flawed sentences for our texting or Twitter pages - but real books with real English and real sentences aren't about to go out of fashion.
Recently I came across an good article on writing in the ODE Magazine. It highlighted three rules for writing as a spiritual practice:
1. Don't write what you know.
2. You can't write what you don't know.
3. You must write.
Over this past year I've come to appreciate these three frustrating yet inspiring rules, and come to appreciate that like meditation and prayer no one can do it for you.
This is what makes writing such a spiritual practise.
So, my blog writing this past year was actually more for my soul than anybody else's. Difficult to tell whether the frustrating times did more for my soul than the inspiring times.
I'll keep writing in 2011.
My soul needs it.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Day 358 The Day After Christmas
Day 358 and I managed to carve out a 78th Christmas preach!!!
It's the day after Christmas (Boxing Day in many parts of the world) - did Christmas fulfill your expectations?
Its the day after the first Christmas and Jesus is fleeing for his life, a refugee heading to Egypt. Herod the Great was after him.
A hugely crazy king.
Killed everybody in his way.
Married 10/11 wives.
Killed the only one he really loved as he got suspicious of her.
Killed her two sons.
Killed his barber who stood up for his two sons.
Killed his predecessors.
Taxed the people into massive poverty.
On the day he died he wanted people to mourn, so he rounded up some of the most eminent men of Israel and gave orders that on the day he died they should be executed to ensure there was
weeping in Israel on the day he died.
A crazed, despot.
Now - the day after the first Christmas Jesus is wanted dead by Herod the Great.
You would have thought the Godhead would have planned the incarnation at the time of a better king!
But they didn't.
In fact Scripture elsewhere tells us that "when the time was fully come" - the exact, right, precise time ...even if it was slap bang in the middle of one of the craziest, violent kings of history.
What's the point?
If Jesus could enter the world of evil and tyranny under Herod ....maybe he can enter our world of evil and tyranny with the genocide happening and multiple wars raging.
If Jesus could enter the world of Herod's day when most people were held in poverty and oppression .... maybe he can enter our world where so many remain in poverty, where millions earn less than a $1 a day, where millions of children can't gain education.
If Jesus could enter the world of pain and disappointment in Herod's day .... then maybe he can enter our world filled with its disappointment and pain.
Jesus entered the world at the time of the meanest Herod ...... giving hope to all of us as we face our Herod's .....because in every day and every age there are Herod's.
So ....who's causing you to flee?
Who's your Herod?
Jesus entered this world right at the time of Herod!!!
It's the day after Christmas (Boxing Day in many parts of the world) - did Christmas fulfill your expectations?
Its the day after the first Christmas and Jesus is fleeing for his life, a refugee heading to Egypt. Herod the Great was after him.
A hugely crazy king.
Killed everybody in his way.
Married 10/11 wives.
Killed the only one he really loved as he got suspicious of her.
Killed her two sons.
Killed his barber who stood up for his two sons.
Killed his predecessors.
Taxed the people into massive poverty.
On the day he died he wanted people to mourn, so he rounded up some of the most eminent men of Israel and gave orders that on the day he died they should be executed to ensure there was
weeping in Israel on the day he died.
A crazed, despot.
Now - the day after the first Christmas Jesus is wanted dead by Herod the Great.
You would have thought the Godhead would have planned the incarnation at the time of a better king!
But they didn't.
In fact Scripture elsewhere tells us that "when the time was fully come" - the exact, right, precise time ...even if it was slap bang in the middle of one of the craziest, violent kings of history.
What's the point?
If Jesus could enter the world of evil and tyranny under Herod ....maybe he can enter our world of evil and tyranny with the genocide happening and multiple wars raging.
If Jesus could enter the world of Herod's day when most people were held in poverty and oppression .... maybe he can enter our world where so many remain in poverty, where millions earn less than a $1 a day, where millions of children can't gain education.
If Jesus could enter the world of pain and disappointment in Herod's day .... then maybe he can enter our world filled with its disappointment and pain.
Jesus entered the world at the time of the meanest Herod ...... giving hope to all of us as we face our Herod's .....because in every day and every age there are Herod's.
So ....who's causing you to flee?
Who's your Herod?
Jesus entered this world right at the time of Herod!!!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Day 353 - what if He hadn't come?
Day 353.
So, what if Jesus hadn't come.
It's maybe my Christmas theme for 2011 .....got a year to craft 4 preaches out of that title.
We would still have had the Son of God. Eternally was and is.
But we would not have had the Son of Man.
Here's 3 to mull over that I'm thinking about:
No Son of Man - no new humanity.
No Son of Man - no High Priest who empathizes with us.
No Son of Man - no substitutionary atonement.
We'd be up the creek without a paddle.
But, these three are the obvious .....334 days to figure out some more and make a Christmas series our of it.
Suggestions welcome.
So, what if Jesus hadn't come.
It's maybe my Christmas theme for 2011 .....got a year to craft 4 preaches out of that title.
We would still have had the Son of God. Eternally was and is.
But we would not have had the Son of Man.
Here's 3 to mull over that I'm thinking about:
No Son of Man - no new humanity.
No Son of Man - no High Priest who empathizes with us.
No Son of Man - no substitutionary atonement.
We'd be up the creek without a paddle.
But, these three are the obvious .....334 days to figure out some more and make a Christmas series our of it.
Suggestions welcome.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Day 352 Did I really say Jesus failed??
Day 352 and despite my best attempts I'm not getting these blogs in on a daily basis.
Sorry folks. I've failed at doing a daily blog for 365 days.
I've failed ....but ..... I'm not a failure.
If you were at Redeemer's Church on Sunday you would be familiar with this phrase.
It will come online [www.redeemerschurch.com and hit Sunday messages].
It was me one of the newest Christmas thoughts I'd had for a few years. We can learn how to be fully human from the fully human Son of Man.
The Son of Man (the title Jesus most went by) teaches us how to fail gracefully.
Yep...... read that again.....I did use the word "fail" with regards to Jesus.
And, at present I'm still employed and not fired due to heresy.
Listen to the message .....maybe even listen to it twice and then blog comments welcome.
Sorry folks. I've failed at doing a daily blog for 365 days.
I've failed ....but ..... I'm not a failure.
If you were at Redeemer's Church on Sunday you would be familiar with this phrase.
It will come online [www.redeemerschurch.com and hit Sunday messages].
It was me one of the newest Christmas thoughts I'd had for a few years. We can learn how to be fully human from the fully human Son of Man.
The Son of Man (the title Jesus most went by) teaches us how to fail gracefully.
Yep...... read that again.....I did use the word "fail" with regards to Jesus.
And, at present I'm still employed and not fired due to heresy.
Listen to the message .....maybe even listen to it twice and then blog comments welcome.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Day 345 A Chalcedon Christmas
Day 345 and theology takes centre stage of this advent season.
Chalcedonian theology in particular.
Jesus Christ is one person, two natures, fully God and fully man.
BOOM!
Christmas is just loaded with rich, profound theology.
One person, two natures, fully God and fully man.
Not half a man; not two persons; not a modified form of God or man.
Fully God, fully man, two natures but one person.
No wonder Walter Wink wrote "If Jesus had not been born we would not have been able to invent him."
This is more incredible than fantastic fiction.
Listen in to today's preach on this topic: http://www.redeemerschurch.com/dlgMediaPlayer.aspx?id=880
This is the Jesus of the Christian faith.
This is the Jesus you are invited to experience.
Hear the word about him and then by faith receive Him. All of Him. fully Go - a secure and powerful salvation; fully human - the truest, fullest way to live.
Christmas truly is magical.
Chalcedonian theology in particular.
Jesus Christ is one person, two natures, fully God and fully man.
BOOM!
Christmas is just loaded with rich, profound theology.
One person, two natures, fully God and fully man.
Not half a man; not two persons; not a modified form of God or man.
Fully God, fully man, two natures but one person.
No wonder Walter Wink wrote "If Jesus had not been born we would not have been able to invent him."
This is more incredible than fantastic fiction.
Listen in to today's preach on this topic: http://www.redeemerschurch.com/dlgMediaPlayer.aspx?id=880
This is the Jesus of the Christian faith.
This is the Jesus you are invited to experience.
Hear the word about him and then by faith receive Him. All of Him. fully Go - a secure and powerful salvation; fully human - the truest, fullest way to live.
Christmas truly is magical.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Day 338 - It's OK to be weak.
Day 338 ...... and as everyone left Redeemer's Church this morning lunch was on us!
Thanks Juanito's for serving over 600 people great food.
Too bad folks if this was a Sunday you chose shopping or skiing over church!!
So one of our pastors this morning, Ann Hudson, guided our thinking to Isaiah 9 and the well known words "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders."
As Ann commented, this context of these words are decades of bloody tyrants, of warriors boots and garments rolled in blood .....and then boom - inappropriately and disconcertingly comes the words "For to us a child is born!"
You would expect that following the striking images of bloody warfare the prophet would have given us the image of a Messiah as a righteous warrior, or a judge, or like an Achilles or Ben Hur. But instead he describes the hope of Israel as first a child!
This pushes us.
As confident, educated, sophisticated people accepting weakness and need is perhaps more difficult for us moderns that more most people in the history of the world. Being weak in our culture is shameful.
But in how God reveals Christ, he reveals something necessary to embrace God's revelation. Listen to the words I read a few weeks ago:
"We are, in short, created with limited ways and abilities to know the world, so that we may enjoy needing God and each other."
Needing God - necessitates weakness.
God gave them a baby, a child ....in their greatest moment of need.
Wow!
Thanks Juanito's for serving over 600 people great food.
Too bad folks if this was a Sunday you chose shopping or skiing over church!!
So one of our pastors this morning, Ann Hudson, guided our thinking to Isaiah 9 and the well known words "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders."
As Ann commented, this context of these words are decades of bloody tyrants, of warriors boots and garments rolled in blood .....and then boom - inappropriately and disconcertingly comes the words "For to us a child is born!"
You would expect that following the striking images of bloody warfare the prophet would have given us the image of a Messiah as a righteous warrior, or a judge, or like an Achilles or Ben Hur. But instead he describes the hope of Israel as first a child!
This pushes us.
As confident, educated, sophisticated people accepting weakness and need is perhaps more difficult for us moderns that more most people in the history of the world. Being weak in our culture is shameful.
But in how God reveals Christ, he reveals something necessary to embrace God's revelation. Listen to the words I read a few weeks ago:
"We are, in short, created with limited ways and abilities to know the world, so that we may enjoy needing God and each other."
Needing God - necessitates weakness.
God gave them a baby, a child ....in their greatest moment of need.
Wow!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Day 337 - Thank God for Bethlehem.
Day 337 and I'm just back from cold Minneapolis .....strangely, cold and snow put you more in the Christmas mood. Spend all day today Christmas decorating (yuck I loathe Christmas lights and contrarian wives!). Tomorrow Redeemer's Church Christmas stage design will dazzle and draw us into an Incarnational worship experience.
Day 2 of advent thoughts:
In our world, as in world's past, a persons geography so often defines their destiny.
Live in Africa and you will be poor.
Live in the US and you will be educated.
Live in North Korea and you will be isolated.
Live in France and you will loathe English cooking, etc, etc.
The Christmas story reminds us that the Scripture's will have none of this geographical fatalism that dismisses individuals, families, towns or entire ethnic groups.
People then, like today try to insist on this geographical fatalism.
In Jesus' day they said "what good thing can come out of Bethlehem?"
Christmas and Jesus kick geographical fatalism in the butt!
Now, God's goodness and God's good people can be found anyplace where people accept His grace.
Thank God for Bethlehem - it changes the reality of people living in the Huruma slum, Kenya; the poor village of Jocotillo Guatemala; the earthquake ruin of Haiti; the red light zone of Tijuana and the heat, flatness, bad air, 15.7% unemployment Central Valley, CA.
Day 2 of advent thoughts:
In our world, as in world's past, a persons geography so often defines their destiny.
Live in Africa and you will be poor.
Live in the US and you will be educated.
Live in North Korea and you will be isolated.
Live in France and you will loathe English cooking, etc, etc.
The Christmas story reminds us that the Scripture's will have none of this geographical fatalism that dismisses individuals, families, towns or entire ethnic groups.
People then, like today try to insist on this geographical fatalism.
In Jesus' day they said "what good thing can come out of Bethlehem?"
Christmas and Jesus kick geographical fatalism in the butt!
Now, God's goodness and God's good people can be found anyplace where people accept His grace.
Thank God for Bethlehem - it changes the reality of people living in the Huruma slum, Kenya; the poor village of Jocotillo Guatemala; the earthquake ruin of Haiti; the red light zone of Tijuana and the heat, flatness, bad air, 15.7% unemployment Central Valley, CA.
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