Current Readings

While reading a friends blog, I saw that he used Library Thing to keep his readers up to date with his reading. So I thought I would do the same w/ my blog!

What Shall We Do?

"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked.

Matthew 27:22

The question was posed ages ago, but is it not the central question
before us, "What shall we do with Jesus?" The response to a simple
question such as this, at least the one asked by Pilate, was "Crucify
him!" A convicted criminal was released that day so that "innocent"
blood could be shed.

Amazed and perplexed, they asked each other, "What does it mean?"
Some, however, made fun of them saying, "They have had too much
wine."

Acts 2:12-13

Like the one before it, this second question seems also to have the
same centrality as to humanity, "What does this mean?" Contextual
reading would reveal the early Christians, waiting for the promised
Holy Spirit, were all together in one place. Without any warning an
odd thing happened to these people, they received the Holy Spirit!
Upon receiving God's Spirit, they were empowered to speak of God
in tongues not their own [which would be necessary for God to get
people of other tribes, tongues and nations to hear of Him]. What I
find interesting is the reponse of those who heard this oddity.

Utterly amazed they asked: "Are not all these who speak Galileans?
Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native tongue;
Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea or
Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt as well
as parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome; Cretans, Arabs -
we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"

Amazed and perplexed, they asked each other, "What does it mean?"
Some, however, made fun of them saying, "They have had too much
wine."

It seems to me that the questions of, "What shall we do?" and "What
does this mean?" are met with one of two replies. The first being an
outright rejection of or the explaining away of the legitimacy of all
that took place, as was the case with those that shouted "Crucify..."
and those who said "They have had too much wine." The second of
which is an acceptance although not based on complete knowledge
of the situation, that what has taken place may be legitiamte.

The Apostle paul would later, after his own personal encounter with
Jesus, wrote these words, "As it is written: 'See, I lay in Zion a stone
that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and all
who trust in him will never be put to shame."

Romans 9:33

Hard To Get...

There are men whose words sooth one such as myself, men whose
recorded words, born out of the uncertainties of life, allow me an
opportunity to realize that I am not alone in my struggle. Although
often vicarious at first, it is in this "realizing" that I am not alone,
where I begin to take heart and am reassured.

Men such as Moses, Jeremiah, David or even Jesus in Gethsemane,
are all examples of men whose lives I can wrap my mind around...
Although heroes, I see within them a war, with the battleground
being their minds as it is written "The mind of sinful man is death,
but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." And also,
"For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh; these are opposed to each other so that you may not do
what you want."

Rich Mullins seems to me to be similar! Although loved by many,
he seemed to know the loss brought about not only by sin but by
being separate from this world through Christ. Is it ease that the
words of Jesus, "deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me."
are to produce in my life? Is there not also sorrow at this loss of
the old life, which many a man has lamented?

Consider Rich's words and know this man's heart to reconcile his
condition and that of this present world, with the "Kingdom" that
is to come, amen.

Hard To Get

You who live in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt

Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us after You had flown away
Well I memorized every word You said

Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get

You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then

Did You ever know loneliness
Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat

Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?

And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained

And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know

Do You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind

I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret

I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get.

Words and Music By Rich Mullins © 1998 Liturgy Legacy Music

A Call to Trust...

I posted this image of a page from the Book of Luke even though it is a faulty or blurred image at that, knowing that having a similar view of the scriptures can lead us to question the relevence of biblical text to the context of our present day lives. The words used by the Apostle Paul to exhort a young man named Timothy come to mind...

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful...

(2 Timothy 3:16).

While reading Luke chapter five, I freshly discovered this "usefulness" of scripture with regards to a recurring aspect of my life, the pursuit of a viable career. Having been a fitness professional for the past 13 years, I feel as though I have decided that I am not in want of going on with this as my profession, but am unable to decide on the viable alternative/s. It does however make sense, to first conclude what to move on to before moving on!

It is into this situation, that a short yet practical passage of scripture recently spoke. As a fisherman by trade, Peter had an ample feel for the conditions necessary to stop a days work and did so this day after having "toiled" even all night without a catch. Doing what I would do, Peter along with his companions began to wash his nets. "Launch out into the deep and let down your nest for a catch," are the seemingly impractical words spoken to Peter by Jesus at this time. Impractical yes, but undeniable in light of the outcome of Peter's decision to act according to Jesus' spoken word. The catch that was to follow Peter's decision that night was greater than his nets could hold, as it was in Christ that Peter trusted and not his knowledge, skills or experience!

To me the application is one of trusting Christ, and a question of my willingness to "Launch out into the deep and let down my nets for a catch."

Cousins Scott & Dave...

This picture was taken over Labor Day weekend '04 on the back porch of Sarah's rental property at the time, a beautiful Cape Cod within a stones throw of the Westport River. There is something refreshing to me about this area and it has surely been amplified by the many nice homes that Dave and Sarah have rented in this community.