Jesus is Lord

the more one respects Jesus, the more one must be brokenhearted, embarrassed, furious, or some combination thereof when one considers what we Christians have done with Jesus. That's certainly true when it comes to calling Jesus Lord, something we Christians do a lot, often without the foggiest idea of what we mean. Has he become (I shudder to ask this) less our Lord and more our Mascot?

Lord means "master" (the very opposite of mascot), and there are at least three senses of the word master that apply to Jesus. First, Lord suggests authority and kingship. Now whenever we use words like king, kingdom, kingship, or reign, we run into problems similar to those when using son and father. In addition to dominance and masculinity issues, we face the problem that for contemporary people these words all feel archaic--quaintly archaic or barbarously archaic. Associating monarchy with nondemocratic and corrupt regimes (because "absolute power corrupts absolutely," we've seen again and again) or with symbolic monarchies without much real power, it's so hard, perhaps impossible, for us to have a feel for the word king even remotely similar to what people would have felt in Bible times.

--Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy

This book is seriously amazing, so if any of you are bored and looking for someone to challenge you, go get it. But that part really stood out to me because when I was 14 I stood up in front of the church and told everybody that I wanted to make Jesus the Lord of my life, and I don't think I had any idea what I was saying. I still struggle with trying to dethrone myself as Lord over my life, but at least now I think I have at least a tiny grasp on that idea. Back then I really do think that I wanted Jesus to be my mascot, more than my Lord. Thankfully he had other ideas. I hope I will continue to let him be my ruler, and stop trying to take over.

Crossing the Jordan

This morning I read from Joshua about where the Israelites crossed the Jordan river and then my iTunes on shuffle started playing Chris Seidman's keynote from NCYM two years ago and he started talking about the same story. He brought up a good point. After the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus, who would talk about the Jordan river parting? "That's like me talking about how God healed me of my sinus infection to someone who has been healed from cancer." The difference lies in the fact that the Jordan river happened to a new generation. When we experience God's movement in our lives, instead of reading about it in someone else's life all the sudden we want to tell everyone. The river didn't part until they got their feet wet. Faith takes you getting your feet wet. Understanding comes from reading and then doing, not reading and studying.

“I’m tired of reading about other people’s experiences with God, I want to have one.”
-Randy Harris

Trust

I started reading Joshua on my daily bible reading and four times the first chapter spoke some words that I really needed to hear.
Be strong and courageous...Be strong and very courageous...Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go...only be strong and courageous.
I know he was talking to Joshua and the Israelites, but the God who took care of them is going to take care of me, and I need to rest assured in that. I keep worrying about my future but he's got it under control if I will just let go.

So, what's it like in the real world? Well, the food is better, but beyond that, I don't recommend it.
—Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes during a University commencement speech

Sunshine On My Shoulder

Whenever I start to feel sorry for myself or get caught up in my wimpy problems God does a good job of straightening me out. There are so many hurting people out there and all I have to do is open my eyes and all the sudden my problems disappear. I think he has wonderful ways of healing us by allowing us to help others. I'm thankful for so many things today. For the amazing, incredible friends that I have, and the sunshine on a country road, for the time I got to spend with my sister, for triple play Thursday, for the job that he led me to, for the opportunity to serve others, for the God who loves me so much that I can't even begin to understand it.

“God’s highest purpose for you is not to make you comfortable, wealthy, or happy. If you have put your faith in him, he has something far more wonderful in mind—he plans to conform you to the likeness of his Son!”

A New Hope

I have decided that my other blog will be for updates on my life and general information like that, and this one will be my thoughts that I wish to share with the world, whether it wants to hear them or not. That way people who want to keep up with what I'm doing won't be bored by my opinions and such.

I'm not very good at this:
There should be no poor among you, for in the land YHWH your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey YHWH your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For YHWH your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that YHWH your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: 'The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,' so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to YHWH against you, and you will be found guilty of isn. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this YHWH your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.