Our Preacher one Wednesday night commented about how "going off the deep end" might not be that bad of a thing considering that if you don't then you are just shallow:) The problem with the Christian deep end is that the deep seems to be looking inside yourself. Think of it as a whole body scan by Jesus. If that doesn't scare the heeby geebies out of you then I don't know what does. I am just glad I learned about Grace before starting to evaluate my own glass house.
Our current class is talking about the parables of Jesus. It seems that Jesus likes not only stirring the pot but tipping it over, kicking it down the stairs, out the front door and watching it as it rolls down the hill. I mean come on, why can't this stuff be easy?
Take for instance the parable of the workers in the vinyard. Matthew 20:16 "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." I always thought that meant that God just inverted the field. That we are use to and we can relate to. But oh no, that is way too simple. It is first=last=first=last. WHAT! This sounds like Communism:) But I have always heard that God is just but that "fair" is something that comes to town once a year.
One of my other challenges is reining in my sarcasm and antagonistic nature. If I let it run wild I would say something like "so if everyone has a get ouf jail free card then why am I trying to do the right thing?" Two words to pick out of that statement "trying" and "right". I will always say I "try" because I slip up, a lot. But the Bible is full of people who really muck things up so I figure I am in good company:) The other word "right" or you could use the word "good" has really been tough to use since reading The Shack. Not to mention what Jesus said in Matthew 19:17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good."
In some ways I feel like I have had a burden lifted from me. There is no way for me to determine what is good. Boy, that can be either be uplifting or drive you crazy.
I do the best I can with what God gives me,
Al
PS Sorry for the rambling nature of this but it is how I think.. I tend to jump around a lot:)
It is so hard to obey!
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As you can imagine, we spend a lot of time talking to our kids about making
good choices. We talk about the fact that bad choices have consequences
and ho...
12 years ago
1 comment:
I really enjoyed these last few posts! Love to hear you share about how the teaching at church is turning you inside out...I feel exactly the same way. And the whole constantly-in-motion thing is something I've only recently attempted to struggle against. Yes things have to get done, but being still and "living in the moment" several times a day has become a spiritual discipline for me. So glad to hear your thoughts!
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