Martin Luther King Day

Being that this is the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday here in the USA, let me share some of my favorite quotes from this great man ...

Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’

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Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

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We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

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All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.

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Man is man because he is free to operate within the framework of his destiny. He is free to deliberate, to make decisions, and to choose between alternatives. He is distinguished from animals by his freedom to do evil or to do good and to walk the high road of beauty or tread the low road of ugly degeneracy.

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We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.

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Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

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The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

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I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

There are people who do not want us to be free. They don't want us to be free before God, accepted just as we are by his grace. They don't want us to be free to express our faith originally and creatively in the world. They want to control us; they want to use us for their own purposes. They themselves refuse to live arduously and openly in faith, but huddle together with a few others and try to get a sense of approval by insisting that all look alike, talk alike and act alike, thus validating one another's worth. They try to enlarge their numbers only on the condition that new members act and talk and behave the way they do. These people infiltrate communities of faith "to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus" and not infrequently find ways to control, restrict and reduce the lives of free Christians. Without being aware of it, we become anxious about what others will say about us, obsessively concerned about what others think we should do. We no longer live the good news but anxiously try to memorize and recite the script that someone else has assigned to us. In such a event we may be secure, but we will not be free. We may survive as a religious community, but we will not experience what it means to be human, alive in love and faith, expansive in hope. Conforming and self-congratulatory behavior is not free. But Paul "did not yield in submission even for a moment, that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you." Every free person who benefits from Paul's courage will continue vigilant in the resistance movement he formed.

~Eugene Peterson

mystical law of nature

There is a wonderful, mystical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life ...-happiness, freedom, and peace of mind are always attained by giving them to someone else. --

Unknown Author

Journey To Freedom

A poem to share ... Have a blessed day everyone!

Journey To Freedom

Rejection, hurt, and pain
They've left such a stain
You suddenly feel like you'll never love again
You gave it your all
You tried to stand tall
But then there it was, the inevitable fall
Your heart is so torn; your mind is so worn
From the thoughts of despair that are continuously born
So many feelings of doubt you just have to shout,
“Where are you, my Lord? Please, bring me out!”
My child I am here I told you never to fear
‘Cause I'll dry every tear
As for your hurt and your pain, your rejection stain
The feelings you have that you'll never love again
Reveal them to Me, the One who died on Calvary
Caused the blind man to see
Cured an advanced case of leprosy
See, “when you cast all your cares upon Me”
That alone will set you free
Those feelings of hurt and pain
Are turned into victories gained
And now you're ready to walk in the light
Although it’s still midnight
But remember, “these light afflictions are but for a moment”
It’s an opportunity for your atonement
‘Cause I already own it, your problem that is
Now your deliverance has come
Your victory’s been won
Your head is up high; your tears are all dry
Your pains and your stains can now be proclaimed
As broken bondage chains!
For I reign as the Lord God
“Thy staff and thy rod”; “Who preparest a table”
For I alone am able
To do the divine for those whom I call mine!
When I called you out of darkness
I told you, “I got this!”
So go and be free
Tell the world about me
Tell of how I brought you out and gave you a victorious shout
Now that’s somethin’ to talk about!

Nakia Hill

Tim, The Messy Christian

Some thoughts that have been on my mind for awhile now that I would like to share with you this evening ........ If I was going to write a book, this would be the title--Tim, the Messy Christian. It's amazing to me that so many believers pretend to have it all together--all sorted out and tied up in a pretty bow. So many put on a happy face for Sunday morning and they talk the usual Christianese...all the while hiding from what they're really feeling or wishing they could say or tell someone about. What I'm curious about is why do so many messy Christians pretend to be all put-together? I wish I had happy thoughts about church and how it helps people. Right now I have trouble with it. I've seen some really great Churches too but I've seen so many times that the church shuns the messy people--they're just not really welcome. Jesus said, "Love one another as I have loved you." How many people did Jesus shun or turn away? How many people didn't feel good enough to be near Him or not welcome around Him? NONE. Jesus surrounded Himself with a rather motley crew of guys (and women too) who were basically nobody's by the worlds standards. These men, He would later call His disciples. Jesus welcomed tax collectors and prostitutes--those shunned by the world but important to Him. He welcomed children, whose presence was seen as a bother or burden--even to His disciples. To me, Jesus' mandate to love as He loved is clear. We need to follow His lead and love the messy people.

I've in the past pretended for a long time...but longed for a place where I can be me and come with all my issues--big and small--to a place that draws out healing and life and the Spirit of the Living God in one another. I don't want to be a part of a 'shiny' church, I want to be part of a community that is real and raw and life-giving. I'm not a cynic--I long for revival and life in the church and I believe it is possible, in fact in places it is happening. But it is possible only if we're willing to confront our weaknesses and stop pretending to be all put-together. We have to acknowledge that we are messy believers who don't have it all figured out, and we have to have that modeled from the leadership of our churches. Brokenness and humility and weakness are not signs of a bad Christian or a bad leader, they're signs of a real Christian--a real leader. So what are we afraid of? I don't know about you, but I'm drawn to the idea of messy Christians openly acknowledging their messiness and their need for their Savior. That's me, as best I can describe myself: a messy Christian who is daily in desperate need of and in love with his Savior.

Dancing

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger

May you never take one single breath for granted

God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance, I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin'

Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin'

Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter

When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance, I hope you dance

I hope you dance, I hope you dance

(Time is a wheel in constant motion, always rolling us along

Tell me who wants to look back on their years

And wonder, where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance, I hope you dance

I hope you dance, I hope you dance

I hope you dance, I hope you dance

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along

Tell me who wants to look back on their years

And wonder where those years have gone)

~Author Unknown Strikes

unconditional agape

Its come up in the past about the concept of unconditional love, and its something I keep coming back to. Agape is a really amazing thing to really think about. Can we REALLY say that we can love another (mates, children, friends ect.) without wanting something back in return?

Another thing touched on was the subject of forgiveness in relation to unconditional love. Although often we may have to deal with the consequences of stepping away from God, He still forgives us and loves us agape style. And really, when it gets down to it, how often can we say that we do not hold a grudge and forgive others wholly? So what comes to mind is what really is unconditional? Of course it means without condition. Like Gods forgiveness of us there are no conditions to be in a place to accept it, but the depths of it requires us to come out of every "unclean thing" (for lack of words) to experience it in greater and greater measure. This is not putting conditions on it, rather its a call to come!

An example from somewhere in the past... If I told you to get to the airport and fly to me because I got 10 million dollars to lay on you. What would be the point of taking baggage with you? You could if you want to, but you surely wouldn't need to. You can have whatever you need right? If you did you would not enjoy what is on offer so much if you are taking heavy baggage around. Sooner or later it will hinder your enjoyment of what has been given to you. Or - Try going through a narrow staircase holding 4 suitcases, no conditions are laid down for you to get through but a little wisdom will enable you to do it...

Some wandering thoughts from a wandering mind...

wrestling around ...

How many of you remember wrestling around with your Dad when you were small, or wrestled around with your own kids? I remember doing that getting all tangled up and trying to break free. Of course I could never really win and when I got loose I would hang around to get "captured" again. I loved the feeling of strength and security of his arms around me and I just loved being close to my Dad. I didn't really want to be free but I think I wanted to push against his strength and know he still had me tight no matter how much I twisted and turned.

I think that this is what my relationship with God is like now. A lot of the time I feel like I'm wrestling with God, with my faith, with my theology, with everything. It seems like I'm trying to break free of God but really I'm not. I just enjoy the sensation of knowing that no matter how much I wrestle, no matter how much I fight, God's got a tight hold on me and he's not letting go. I like feeling the strength and security of God's amazing grace. I like pushing the boundaries of my faith, but I also like knowing that no matter how much I push God still has me wrapped up in his arms. I like knowing that nothing I can do (nor any question I can ask) will separate me from the great love of God. (Romans 8:35-39)

Broken Things

Broken Things

you can have my heart though it isn't new

it's been bruised and broken

and it only comes in blue

it's been down a long road

and it got dirty on the way

if i give it to you will you make it clean

and wash the shame away

you can have my heart

if you don't mind broken things

you can have my life

if you don't mind these tears

well i heard that you make old things new

so i give these pieces all to you

if you want it you can have my heart

so beyond repair nothing i could do

i tried to fix it myself but it was only worse

when i got through

then you walked into my darkness

and you speak words so sweet

and you hold me like a child

till my frozen tears fall at your feet

you can have my heart

if you don't mind broken things

you can have my life

if you don't mind these tears

well i heard that you make old things new

so i give these pieces all to you

if you want it you can have my heart

~Julie Miller

And the marvelous, unbelievable truth is that he does!

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Do you like Dr. Seuss? "Oh The Places You'll Go", was the last book written by Dr Seuss and I think one of his best!! ! It's about challenges and change. Oh The Places You'll Go describes up times and down times, waiting times and stressful times ... Here let it speak for itself!

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!by Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own.

And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets.

Look’em over with care.

About some you will say,

“I don’t choose to go there.”

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down.

In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do

to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,

don’t worry.

Don’t stew.

Just go right along.

You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!

You’ll be seeing great sights!

You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind,

because you’ll have the speed.

You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.

Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but,

sadly, it’s true

that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are,

then, that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump,

you’re not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted.

But mostly they’re darked.

A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out?

Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose?

How much can you win?
And if you go in,

should you turn left or right…

or right-and-three-quarters?

Or, maybe, not quite?

Or go around back and sneak in from behind?

Simple it’s not,

I’m afraid you will find,

for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused

that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace

and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,

headed, I fear,

toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…

for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come,

or a plane to go or the mail to come,

or the rain to go or the phone to ring,

or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting,

perhaps,

for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil,

or a Better Break or a string of pearls,

or a pair of pants or a wig with curls,

or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No!

That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying.

You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,

once more you’ll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go!

There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored.

There are games to be won.

And the magical things you can do with that ball

will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame!

You’ll be famous as famous can be,

with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t.

Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too.

Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!

Whether you like it or not,

Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone,

there’s a very good chance

you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some,

down the road between hither and yon,

that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go though the weather be foul.

On you will go though your enemies prowl.

On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl.

Onward up many a frightening creek,

though your arms may get sore

and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike.

And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems

whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up,

of course,

as you already know.

You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?

Yes!

You will, indeed!

(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
Kid, you’ll move mountains!

So…

be your name Buxbaum

or Bixby

or Bray

or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea,

you’re off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So…get on your way!

Amen!!!

To be a Christian you have to be a little bit well crazy ...

"If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do." 2 Corinthians 5: 13-14 The Message

Author John Updike observes that the entire Gospel narratives about Jesus are where "Two worlds collide and Jesus overthrows common sense."

I think Updike really nailed it. In the Gospel, common sense is overthrown. Jesus said the last comes first, the meek and lowly overthrow the rich and powerful. Everything about the Christian faith goes against the grain. In this world, most things that seems right are probably wrong, and most everything that is attested to by social wisdom really misses the point. It is all craziness. It is all foolishness from beginning to end I'd say! From Genesis to Revelation ... But that's what makes it so special. That's why I love being a Christian! This stuff isn't the stuff of ordinary craziness. All these people they were not just any old lunatics. These people were crazy for God and in return God was crazy for them. Sure enough it is all foolishness, but as Paul says it is all God's foolishness. To be a Christian you have to be a little bit well crazy ...

John 3:8, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

Thoughts on a Monday ....

Some Mandela for a Thursday ....

"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God; your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people premission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

~Nelson Mandela

There we want to be!

"When you are interiorly free you call others to freedom, whether you know it or not. Freedom attracts wherever it appears. A free man or a free woman creates a space where others feel safe and want to dwell. Our world is so full of conditions, demands, requirements, and obligations that we often wonder what is expected of us. But when we meet a truly free person, there are no expectations, only an invitation to reach into ourselves and discover there our own freedom.Where true inner freedom is, there is God. And where God is, there we want to be."

Henri Nouwen

Nouwen I believe, is speaking of the attractiveness of the free woman or man. I wonder if this doesn't lie close to the heart of the Gospel message... Jesus was apparently a shockingly attractive man, although scripture indicates it wasn't physical. People, sometimes in crowds, would leave everything, families, livelihoods, homes, just to be with him, to listen to him speak and to watch what he did. Society doesn't much like folks who live free of cultural imperatives, from the will of the crowd. "Where true inner freedom is, there is God. And where God is, there we want to be." Yes indeed!