Living life with steps of faith

For the last few years I have had a great thirst for knowledge.  I've wanted to pick up all of what I missed as a student in the public school system.  Some of it I missed at my own fault.  My theology of the time doubted the faith of my teachers and questioned whether what they were teaching me was true or not.  On the other hand, while my school touted the line "success for all" it defined "success" in achievement, rather than...  funny, I can picture the word, but I can't bring it to mind.  The idea of an applicable grasp of a subject in relation to other subjects and use in the world. When I worked in Virginia, I was briefly exposed to classical education and a realization that I missed out on learning about the greats!  Actually, that realization started when I was a student at a prestigious university where I realized I didn't know half of what all my classmates were talking about when they mentioned great writers and philosophers.  And t...

I encourage everyone to read the full manuscript of Pope Francis's message to the U.S. Congress prior to reading my response.  So much of what he has said has been politicized without the context of his references to four people recognized in the United States as role models of the Christian faith.  I encourage you to learn more about the people he mentioned as well. My response: The Pope’s words encouraging us to avoid fundamentalism’s “simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil” reminds me of how Jesus interacted with the Samaritan woman at the well, Zacchaeus the tax collector, and how he spent enough time with people who were alcoholics that some called him a drunkard just for hanging out with them.   Jesus was without sin, yet he knew that those overwhelmed with it were people who needed God’s compassionate grace and needed his healing touch. When he mentions the “stranger in our midst” I am reminded that Jesus’ ancestors were immigrants too....

A young man sits dreaming out his window, looking out across the sky at the beautiful sunset and the painted sky.  He dreams of another life and as his mind wanders he dreams of receiving recognition, just once, through the attention of the man his people honor with the title of "emperor."  He realizes that it is just a title, and the man is an ordinary man, but the title still makes this man special and revered.  So special, in fact, that they are willing to move walls and structures in order for people to honor this man.  The boy sits and dreams and imagines this "emperor" as weak and dying and in the midst of his great weakness the "emperor"sends a message to this Chinese boy who sits at the edge of the empire.  To the boy, he recognizes the reality that a thing like this would never happen, but in his fantasy he also realizes that a message like this would never make it to him, because he is too unimportant and too far off and there are too many peopl...

This morning I read an AP article about the young man who went on a shooting rampage at the new Batman movie.  As I read his story, it sounded like the story of so many people in my generation.  We were told in elementary school, middle school, and high school to continue our education after high school and to pursue a white collar financially secure career that fit with our gifts, talents, and dreams.  But after completing college, so many of us discovered that the only jobs available to us were jobs that did not require the education we received.  Those who were able then decided to further their education with a masters or doctorate degree.  But once in those programs, we discovered that the higher the degree we earned the less likely were our chances of finding a spouse, having a happy marriage, and getting a job.  Some of my peers who are completing their PhDs are discovering that indeed the job pool is even thinner than when they began.  So what...

So, I just stumbled upon a contest, where members of the U.S. American church are challenged to write a letter to the church answering the question, " If I could say anything to the church, what would it be?"   The contest ends tonight at midnight (oops - I guess it ended at noon - I missed it).  Here is the website that details the contest:  http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/211410 Since I just stumbled upon the contest, here is my impromptu response (hopefully this counts as submitting it in the contest?): Dear church,             Don’t be so concerned with fitting in with culture.  I remember how hard you tried as pre-teens to gain approval from your peers, how in middle school you were taunted for the way your faith made you stand out, that is okay.  It is okay to not fit in.  The early disciples didn’t fit in, “and more were added to their number each day.” (Acts 2:47) ...

Isaiah 55 - 56:8 (NIV) "'Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;  and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.  Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?  Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.  Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.  I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.  See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.'  Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.  Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he wil...

A good friend of mine who is a pastor in Iowa recently blogged about the tension she feels as a person and a pastor in regards to her attendance at a caucus.  I appreciate what she wrote, so I want to share a link to this post: "Confession of Repentant - Iowa Caucus" Here is my response to what she wrote: "I'm glad you wrote about this.  I was wondering the same question this morning.  I know how Iowans feel about pastors expressing themselves politically - more than one pastor has lost his/her job as a result.  I understand and respect the boundaries of the pastoral role, but I too wondered how this works itself out in a caucus situation.  If you attend the Republican caucus, no one may know how you voted, but they know that you attended the Republican caucus.  If you attend the Democrat caucus, everyone who also attends knows exactly how you vote.  I thought about the importance of attending to show the value of participating in this US American...

For over a year now, God has been speaking to me about the topic of homosexuality.  I am now waiting anxiously for a book on "Gay Theology" to arrive in the mail.  This morning I read the 5th chapter of 1 Corinthians which addresses a sexual immorality "that does not occur even among pagans" and that is of a Christian man having intercourse with his father's wife. Yesterday I had a conversation with a co-worker about homosexuality.  She asked me about the passage in the Old Testament that is dismissed by people because it is "just an Old Testament law and we don't follow those anyways."  I believe she was referring to Leviticus 18:22. SACRIFICIAL LAW SYSTEM I find it a bit amusing when people choose to discredit this verse.  Yes, there are different types of laws in the Old Testament and many Christians choose to no longer follow those laws.  For example, Christians believe they are released from the priestly laws of the sacrificial system be...

This has been a week of God sightings. This past Monday immediately after receiving a phone call that could have made me very nervous, a beautiful, bright rainbow with clearly defined colors appeared perfectly framed by my living room window on a sunny day.   It was as if God was saying "I promised" and "It will turn out alright." This morning I had a dream where an acquaintance came to my door and asked me to intercede in prayer for him.   And this past week my mom encouraged me to contact this pastor who lives 1,000 miles away whom I have never met to see if he would be willing to meet.  I contacted a member of his church and within 24 hours I received an email response saying that this pastor will be in my neighborhood this upcoming week and was given his cell number! In none of these circumstances was I expecting to hear from God.  Perhaps I should be listening more!

“If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the LORD’s commands, but the people don’t realize it, they are still guilty.” – Leviticus 4:13  Before I went to seminary, I had never heard of corporate sin, or at least I had never heard it named that way before.   Of course, I was aware of pollution, racism, and the like, but I had thought of these social issues as individual problems – a bunch of individuals acting sinfully, not as a community sinning in one accord.   Then I was challenged to read an Emilie M. Townes book on womanism.   Womanism is the feminism of African-Americans who carry the weight of both gender and racial injustice.   And I was amazed and convicted by what I read.   I learned that there are both systems we establish and support and cultural rhythms that we practice as a community that are sinful.   I learned that when we concede to a cultural habit or system that perpetuates a sin, we are corporately sinning.  ...

I just realized that John 3:16 is Jesus' words about himself prior to his crucifixion and resurrection! Crazy, huh!  Jesus, in a private conversation with Nicodemus, a Pharisee who admits that he and his fellow Pharisee's recognize that Jesus is a teacher sent by God, gives this lengthy testimony to his own identity. - Jesus speaks of what he knows and what he has seen. - Jesus has chosen to speak of earthly things, recognizing that if they can't believe the earthly things it will be difficult for them to believe the heavenly things. - he speaks of the future has if it is already past - "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven" - he basically identifies himself as "the Son of Man." - he claims that as the people were healed by looking at the snake Moses lifted up in the wilderness, so those who look at him when he is lifted up like the snake will be healed/receive eternal life. and it goes on from there.  Just take a ...

I've just begun reading through the facilitator's guide for "The Significant Woman."  I realize as I finish this first chapter that I am afraid of normalcy.  I am terrified of living a normal life.  I feel that if I do, I will have failed.  I will have failed God, failed my family, and failed myself. I believe this fear comes from a deep sense that I am called for something great.  Is that too arrogant of me? This sense of calling leads me to always be watching for that thing that I am called to do and leaves me with the question "Have I already completed it?"  There is a part of me that wonders if I have already done what God destined me to do and if so, will the rest of life be boring? Recently I heard a story on the radio about a man who had been respected as a faithful/devout Christian who did not finish his life well.  I fear that too -- not finishing well. In many ways I think the older I get the harder it is to be a Christian.  As I d...

This is a devotional I wrote for our church daily e-devotional: "B ut the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'” - 1 Samuel 16:7 As a teenager I held tightly to this verse. When I felt judged by my peers or socially inadequate, I would remind myself that God doesn't judge me by my outside appearance, but God judges me based upon my heart.  And in regard to heart issues, I felt like I was doing pretty good. Now as an adult I've begun looking at this verse differently. Instead of seeing it as a prop to my self-esteem, I view it as a standard in my interactions. Do I see other people with God's eyes or do I evaluate people based upon the standards of the world? When I meet the teenaged girl dressed all in black do I take the time to discover she has a very compassionate heart...

Dear Parents/Guardians, For many young people, the tragedy of Japan is their first memorable experience of a major natural disaster. I’m sure that many parents have been asked some difficult questions by their teenage children. I want to encourage you as a parent to be responsive to their questions, even if your responsiveness is a simple, “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand either.” I also want to provide you with some resources that will help you to answer your children’s questions as well as initiate some discussions of your own. Here are a few good websites: http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/talk-to-kids-media-violence.shtml http://birmingham.patch.com/articles/finding-time-to-talk-learn-during-time-of-tragedy http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=7ZZWYWNX Family Devotion Option: Watch this video: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=9CC9FFNU (You may want to screen this first to decide if it is appropriate for your children.) Pray together for Japan a...

Dear Parents/Guardians, For many young people, the tragedy of Japan is their first memorable experience of a major natural disaster. I’m sure that many of you have been asked some difficult questions by your teenage children. I want to encourage you as a parent to be responsive to their questions, even if your responsiveness is a simple, “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand either.” I also want to provide you with some resources that will help you to answer your children’s questions as well as initiate some discussions of your own. Here are a few good websites: http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/talk-to-kids-media-violence.shtml http://birmingham.patch.com/articles/finding-time-to-talk-learn-during-time-of-tragedy Family Devotion Option: Watch this video: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=9CC9FFNU (You may want to screen this first to decide if it is appropriate for your child.) Pray together for Japan and people around the world. Family Discussion ...

Another one... “Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD.’” (Ezekiel 37:11-14) “dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones…. Now hear the word of the Lord.” Do you ever feel like you are dry bones? Israel did. In fact, God described their condition as “desolate indeed, and crushed… from all sides, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you became an object of gossip and slander among the...

Call me old fashioned, but sometimes the church just feels too overcommercialized. This morning I was looking at a resource book for church leaders (a.k.a. catalogue) and saw a new “package” of church materials that promotes something that I believe in. The problem with it is that it is a “package.” The idea that if you buy this audio-devotional for your teens, this video curriculum for your adults, these banners and postcards, and everyone goes and sees a certain movie and talks about it together afterwards you will start a movement. Perhaps I am just a bit jealous because it requires resources to do this. But at the same time, I am just weary of marketing fads. But then again if they work, why should I complain? Why do we need all of this pizzazz in order to convince people of the message that is already contained in the Scriptures? The message of God’s Kingdom – which is very different from the message of the kingdoms of this world. Kind of ironic using “cultural tools” to sp...