tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.comments2012-05-23T10:56:40.595-05:00Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12248891700523163199noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-2896474732339372842008-12-19T02:32:00.000-06:002008-12-19T02:32:00.000-06:00Thank you for sharing.Jubileenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-87084504955806503052008-12-11T11:34:00.000-06:002008-12-11T11:34:00.000-06:00Thank you so much Irina for faithfully posting the readings. I will keep your whole family in my prayers. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you guys.<BR/><BR/>PaulaPaulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12248891700523163199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-28787502463857899572008-12-08T13:24:00.000-06:002008-12-08T13:24:00.000-06:00I'm praying, too, Irina! I missed your smiling face at church yesterday! God bless your little family :)<BR/>love, Jessica FoustJessicanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-24933392946771824872008-12-07T17:13:00.000-06:002008-12-07T17:13:00.000-06:00Irina --<BR/><BR/>Thank you for faithfully posting the readings. I get calls often from people who depend on them and are very grateful for them.<BR/><BR/>We are praying for you, Kane and Katerina. Let us know how we can help you.<BR/><BR/>Love,<BR/><BR/>Charlie and MollieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-27750957717494630892008-11-15T11:21:00.000-06:002008-11-15T11:21:00.000-06:00Charlie,<BR/>I like the new colors. You may have a future in art!!Darrel Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-48688113127120975332008-10-29T10:01:00.000-05:002008-10-29T10:01:00.000-05:00Hey Charlie, I have been praying repentance for our country for the past month or so, but have been concerned that the leaders are not repentant at all! So I will continue not only to pray, but preach. There is a good article in the Oct. issue of Think magazine that describes the urgency of Christians voting.Family Fun &amp; Faithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07114727250954677692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-42994010650206808262008-10-08T23:09:00.000-05:002008-10-08T23:09:00.000-05:00I would urge everyone who can to come to the book club meetings themselves. I will continue to try and put the group response on the blog for all to see and comment.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12248891700523163199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-59004991743578662722008-08-05T10:17:00.000-05:002008-08-05T10:17:00.000-05:00Happy not-so-much-a-hurricane day! I am enjoying the time to listen to the rain and catch up on my readings...<BR/>I thought that the passage from 2 Peter 1 that was part of today's readings fits remarkably well with all of the transformation talk that's been going around. Peter even spells out a sequence of transformation in verses 5-7, in a sense, making us responsible for seeing that this transformation takes place. God gives us everything we need, therefore we make every effort to see that we possess the qualities that make us effective messengers of his gospel. I admit that lately I have felt "ineffective and unproductive" at times. But this passage is encouraging to me, because I see a way out from that. <BR/>I know that at Impact, there are times when I can look around the auditorium on Sunday morning and see tiredness on everyone's face. But God gives us "everything we need for life and godliness". What are some ways that you keep that in perspective? How do we become transformed from people of faith to people of love? Comments, anyone?Jessica Foustnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-11217975180582736672008-07-08T09:48:00.000-05:002008-07-08T09:48:00.000-05:00Good stuff, Fousto. And it seems like relationships like the one you're fostering with Patrice are what God usually uses to break cycles and bring transformation.Patrick Lemmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11597195679647513044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-88528320799625435982008-07-06T15:41:00.000-05:002008-07-06T15:41:00.000-05:00Ok, I have to admit I fell a little behind on the readings while I was on vacation last week and I'm still struggling to catch up, but I spent some time reading 2 Samuel today, and I have a few thoughts:<BR/>1. How violent!! I have heard stories about David for as long as I can remember and am still amazed by intensity of cyclical violence. I can't even think of what to call it- uncivilized, archaic? But how can David be a "man after God's heart" when his whole family life is like something from a soap opera? I think what amazes me is that he kills his "tens of thousands" in battle, but it is only after he has inpregnated a married woman and had her husband killed that it says that God was displeased with him. Did he really have God's blessing on the violence that came before? And who can be surprised by the immorality and violence among his sons, when they grew up watching their father kill? Is there ever a reason to kill for good? I suppose that's a never ending philosophical question, but how can David's God be the same as that of Jesus, who says to turn the other cheek?<BR/>2. We read David's psalm of repentance in church today, his plea for mercy after being convicted of sin. And I started wondering today during the invitation song- can it really be true that sweet Mary is the only one in that building in need of ridding herself of- what was it- "uppity ways" or something like that. David did not deny or hide his shame. Even his daughter Tamar, after she was raped, did not try to hide her shame. She announced it publicly. So how is it that in a whole building full of Godly people, only one sweet lady can admit that she needs to be humbled? Why are invitation songs not the most exciting and action-packed time of the service? I admit that I am as guilty as the next guy of hiding my own weaknesses. I wonder how we get past that.<BR/>3. How amazing that God can use a history of such failings! I mean, it's almost comical the way that one man gets to the top, only to be stabbed in the back by someone else who will somehow get screwed in another way. And yet it is this story that leads us to the story of Jesus himself. <BR/>As I dropped off some friends from church today, I was saddened by seeing the cycle of poverty-economic, spiritual and intellectual- that is evident in their lives and the world around them. And I wonder how they will ever rise above that cycle. How encouraging to know that God is able to use that- to make it a part of his story. And how humbling to know that I have very little to do with that! I serve a God that is able to take darkness and turn it to light. What a might God I serve!!Jessica Foustnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-92061980134327205832008-05-24T17:02:00.000-05:002008-05-24T17:02:00.000-05:00Two things have offered a resounding theme to me for the past couple of week's readings. The first is how desparately God wants to bless his people throughout history. Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones, Hannah as she cries for a baby, even the disciples who do not know what kind of life they will have once Jesus is gone... And then when God's people honor him, how much greater his blessings become! Samuel becomes a judge over Israel, Peter becomes the rock on which the church is built.<BR/>The second theme I've found is from the Psalms. Perhaps because of my discontentment lately, I have noticed how many times in the Psalms the writer declares that he is satisfied by what God gives. Psalm 104:28: "When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things." Psalm 17:15: And I-in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness." And these verses do not imply that the author is settling for something- the satisfaction is real and filling. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes that Elisabeth Eliot wrote in one of her writings about living as a single woman: "This gift for this day" How often I forget to be satisfied with the gifts God gives me today because I am planning the gifts that he should give me tomorrow!Jessica Foustnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-86346444759102376962008-03-18T08:42:00.000-05:002008-03-18T08:42:00.000-05:00Notes from Chris Taylor<BR/>Book Club Notes – 3-10-08<BR/>1. We live in a materialistic society, living in bondage to debt and to greed. We elevate things to such importance that any compromise is made with the world to get what we want.<BR/>2. The ‘hilarious’ giver gives because the money no longer has any value. Giving with ‘hilarity’ means not giving out of a sense of guilt. We must also avoid becoming envious of the thing others have when they have the things we give away.<BR/>3. When Yancey speaks of ‘profaning’ money, he is speaking of bringing it down to its proper place; not exalting it or elevating it to a ‘god’.<BR/>4. When it comes to money, the poor man must contend with envy; the rich man must contend with greed and pride.<BR/>5. To live with ‘holy indifference’ towards money is to not be controlled by it. If we would be fine after the trauma of losing it, we probably have a healthy attitude. We should not obsess over money.<BR/>6. Paul’s belief in another world enabled him to view his trials as “light and momentary.”<BR/>7. Paul said it is ‘very much better’ to die and be with God.<BR/>8. The aging process can bring on a sense of dread; a sense of “I wasn’t what I could have been.” A ‘good death’ is one where we trust God for what lays ahead.<BR/>9. A ‘tamed’ death is one not devoid of grief or pain, but a death that is overwhelmed with anticipation and longing of what God has in store.<BR/>10. “Smoltification” applied to Christians means preparing to live life somewhere else, to live in a different world.<BR/>11. We should take time to enjoy what God has given us, just don’t worship it. We should “stop and smell the roses” but we should assign the proper value to things.<BR/>12. Christians shed a different light on familiar surroundings. The Christian sees the rumors of another world; the skeptic sees the lives of Christians and cannot not believe. Only Christians can shed light because there is no other light.<BR/>13. The blessing is in the giving. <BR/>14. The world’s values do not make sense if there is a God.<BR/>15. Pascal decided that it is better to believe in something that isn’t than to disbelieve in something that is.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Charlie also relayed a story about his son Sam. Sam is a worship leader at his church in Washington State. Not long ago, Charlie and others got Sam a new Taylor guitar costing several thousand dollars. Recently, while at worship leader workshop, Sam gave away this Taylor guitar to a young worship leader in need of a guitar. According to Charlie, Sam would never had sold the guitar; he just had a feeling that he needed to give away to the young worship leader. <BR/><BR/>When Sam told Charlie what he had done, Charlie indicated that he told Sam that he probably didn’t do the right thing in giving the guitar away as it was a gift. Later in the week, Sam called Charlie to tell him that he was strumming a new Taylor 12-string guitar that someone had sent him out of the blue. The man called Sam one day wanting his mailing address saying that he had something to send him; the man just felt like he needed to send Sam a guitar.<BR/><BR/>I felt that this story fit perfectly with one of the readings for the Fellowship of St. James for that day: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.” Ecclesiastes 11:1.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12248891700523163199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-61141208109906601172008-03-05T21:45:00.000-06:002008-03-05T21:45:00.000-06:001. All religions share a sense that something is wrong in the world and religion can make it right. For Christians, the cross is what makes things right; it reorients the world. However, the cross does not mean it will be easy. Just see the Voice of the Martyrs website for the evidence.<BR/>2. According to Yancey, Sweden is still an “admirable society” because of the “moral capital accumulated through centuries” as a Christian society. Sweden is reaping the benefits from the past investments of Christians. If additional Christian “investments” are not made, if there is not a revival, the next generation will be less admirable and so on.<BR/>3. Russia is a different story. The Soviets throw away any moral capital built up through history as a Christian nation for an outlook of “dialectical materialism” (definition here). Without God, everything was permitted, as Dostoyevsky prophesied. After the iron curtain fell, pockets of moral capital could be found.<BR/>4. Yancey means that material explanations for what happens in this world cannot explain the “rumors” of another world that he sees; they cannot fully explain romantic love, natural beauty, etc. <BR/><BR/>We also discussed how God intervening in the world does not guarantee faith. See the history of the Israelites in Exodus, Numbers, etc.<BR/><BR/>5. Yancey recounts the story of the “miracle on the River Kwai” on pages 173-177. The point of the story is that sometimes we see God in other people. After the one man gave his life for the many, the prisoners began to see the value in the prisoners.<BR/>6. The settlements-in-advance are (or should be) churches; places where people in this world can see what the kingdom of God is like. God does not need us to condemn the world, but to love it.<BR/>7. First, we must remember that we are all complicit in the problem; we all sin. However, to change the culture, the Gospel requires that we be different, that we take a stand.<BR/>8. Yancey’s inability to explain evil is what strengthened his faith. He could not explain it; something supernatural had to be behind it.<BR/>9. The truth is that everything matters. You matter and I matter. The things we do in this world impact what happens in the spiritual world. Charlie referred to the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis stating that Satan trembles when we do good.<BR/>10. The story of the “Elephant Man” poses these questions: What value do we have? What purpose is there? Believers answer that there is value and there is a purpose, it just needs to be sought and found.<BR/>11. The Church is most glorious when it loves the outcast, laying aside her respectability and dignity and serving the poor.<BR/>12. According to Yancey, he thinks of himself as “amphibious”, as living in the physical and spiritual environments at the same time. As a believer in two worlds, we can acknowledge the good things of the visible as gifts from God but we must also look for the beauty beneath the surface.<BR/>13. Chrysostom was concerned that the church had become too much like the culture. (Keep in mind he wrote this 1,800 years ago!).<BR/><BR/>Some additional thoughts:<BR/><BR/>As I flipped back through the chapters, I was struck by how the few paragraphs beginning at the bottom of page 201 bring these chapters together. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, God has entrusted us believers with the responsibility to show the world what He is like. We should “regard no one from a worldly point of view” or to put it in the context of these chapters, we should not view the Elephant Man as worthless or a freak show, but we should reach out to him with love as “though God were making his appeal through us.”Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00461239263552564977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-90705840380526654982008-02-25T22:08:00.000-06:002008-02-25T22:08:00.000-06:001. Brief history on Yancey is that his father passed away when he was young. He was raised by a fundamentalist step father in a very harsh and love free environment. How did this affect his view of God? That is why he struggled with seeing God as authoritative.<BR/>What happens when we resist? We end up hurting ourselves. What can God ask of us? Anything he wants.We come back to authority to submit after we have felt the wrath of all our resisting.<BR/>Satan is wise. With powers beyond what we sometimes acknowledge. He presents himself in the form of people and things that tempt us.<BR/>2. What did Ted Turner say about the ten commandments? He called them the ten suggestions. He offered ten suggestions that were centered around social and environmental issues. How important is it that our base be the whole ten commandments? Very...You cannot leave God out of the equation. There is a positive side to reductionism. We need ten simple commands. Humans are pea brains. We need it spelled out for us. Are there ways of obeying the ten commandments without the stricture of religion? No, if you negate the first great truth that God is God then disaster will happen.<BR/>3. Everything that God asks of me is for my cognitive peace. The way to be profoundly happy is to just live the way God asks us to live. What is shalom? Peace or an absence of conflict. What causes a loss of Shalom? Sin. it is the consequence of sin. Even if you get away with the sin and no one knowing you still have your conscience to condemn you. Redemption is being free from the sin itself not just the consequences. Though there is pleasure in sin there are always consequences. The greatest punishment of sin is sin itself if you do not allow God to extract it from your life.<BR/>5. Something tugs us downward. We think we do not deserve the upper floors of the home because of our wrong doings. We deserve the upper rooms because we are his children and He has paid the price.<BR/>7. Guilt. Repentance. consequences. Restoration.<BR/>10. It tells us that there is something wrong.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12248891700523163199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-61588664676926236682008-02-18T22:38:00.000-06:002008-02-18T22:38:00.000-06:00Four things that could make us real:<BR/>1. To be a confessing people: Confessing that we are helpless and that we cannot do anything without Him.<BR/>2. Contemplative: Approaching scripture and letting it speak to you. <BR/>3. Eucharistic: It is about Him being with us. Being devoted to the knowledge that He is with us.<BR/>4. Community: Being a confessing, contemplative, and Eucharistic community.<BR/><BR/>Book notes<BR/>1. Freedom. We can do what we want. We have the ability to do right or wrong. What advantage is there for God to give us free will to love him.? If we had no choice but to reciprocate it would not be love. He chose for us to love Him of our own free will.<BR/>3. Politics become religion. Sweet poison of the false infinate. What happens when they get into power. They abuse it. The same thing can happen in the church. We weild power.<BR/>4. It elevates things over people. Robs us of contentment. Greedy people are never satisfied. <BR/>5. We are getting better all the time. We are heading towards a Utopia. What are we promised by the politicians? Change...change for the better.<BR/>6. Because we have no morals. Society does not care what is moral or right. A crash is coming soon. It was brought up that it is in the small things that we do that the world can change for the worse. How we treat others. How we drive in traffic. The small things cascade into big things. School shootings???<BR/>7. If we do not use the word sin- we do not have an explanation for our mistakes. There is no place then for redemptive repentance.<BR/>9. yes<BR/>10. Everything is going to be okay. What are morbid minded christians? They think that no matter what we do we are always broken.<BR/>11. The concept of the fall. The realization that we do have a choice and our first inclination is not always to do good. Deep inside ourselves everyone knows that something is wrong and it needs fixing.<BR/><BR/>If you reject the true infinite you will be led to the sweet poison of the false infinite.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12248891700523163199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-12451861737624711912008-02-16T12:08:00.000-06:002008-02-16T12:08:00.000-06:001. True. "Our bodies desire food, drink, stimulation, pleasure,sex. At another level we long for beauty, love, security, worth,meaning, belonging. Everyone has such longings, and how we respond to them depends largely on what we believe about why we are here." Do we believe in Rumors of another world? If yes then the pattern of our life becomes one that connects to "God's overall plan". <BR/>2. Yancey says," They (the churches) looked upon pleasure and desire with a frowning face." Experiences with the church that were voiced:<BR/>uptight<BR/>rigid<BR/>no grace for mess ups<BR/>Yes, the church is percieved as anti-pleasure. Yancey mentions christianity "exalts every person as a creature made in the image of God and yet warns that the image has been marred- something I found true of everyone I met. It honors sex, money, and power as good things, God's own gifts, while also recognizing them as powerful forces that must be handled with care, like radioactive material."<BR/>3. implies that God cares more about the spirit in which we live than the concrete results. That in all activities you can honor God.<BR/>4. The sense of balance comes when we validate that the things we may percieve as mundane and filler activities are recognized as part of our vocation, which also means calling.<BR/>5. Yes.<BR/>This ties back to question 2 with the discussion of the church being viewed as anti-pleasure. There was also discussion of people leaving the church because of the hypocrisy with even the leaders being caught in scandalous affairs. We agreed that it was not discussed enough in a healthy manner. Even saying that, we agreed we would be relieved when the evenings discussion would be done. Reality sets in.<BR/>6. That scientist insist that sex is " a natural expression". Then to not understand when people act out of those animal insticts.<BR/>7. The discussion was that sex is not just a physical act. In the animal kingdom yes, there is that disconnect. In humans that is not the case. Rumor from another world would remind you that disconnected sex does not address "deeper needs, a loving environment for children, relieve the ache of loneliness, or fostered intimacy."<BR/>8. Even though we turn from God we still have faith in something. Our faith can turn to false gods...we put our faith in money, relationships, jobs, and many other things. "Blocked longings seek new routes" Reference was made to the book Sex God by Rob Bell. Blocked longing will lead to expression in some other way. "Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God,"said G.K. Chesterton. Discussion continued about the status given to Hollywood stars. Papparazi and money just to give humans a glimpse of the lives they lead.<BR/>9. Some discussion was had here about different views in the church of sex. Is it for pleasure or purely for procreation? The answer was both. " It should be obvious why the church so often falls on the side of repression, rather than celebration, of sexuality: No human longing is more powerful and difficult to reign in." Jesus was the most compassionate in his discussions with those who had failed. He was harshest with those who wagged their finger at them.<BR/>10. What is lost is yourself and what is gained is eternity with Him.<BR/>11. The second love is a unity sealed by God.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12248891700523163199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-8088401832079060922007-12-11T19:31:00.000-06:002007-12-11T19:31:00.000-06:00Thanks for the notes Paula. They are much better than the ones I have posted.<BR/><BR/>You are lucky that this was the last "official" meeting for this book or I would have resigned as note taker.darrel Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-5699593853855883572007-12-11T11:12:00.000-06:002007-12-11T11:12:00.000-06:00I have not mastered how to just put the video on but if you click on the link it will connect you. This kid called in who listens to KSBJ on the internet and this is what he had to say. I thought it was a heartbreaking reminder from a kid that HE KNOWS. HE KNOWS about the grief.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12248891700523163199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-88872093635815902502007-12-11T09:06:00.000-06:002007-12-11T09:06:00.000-06:00Sixth word from the cross<BR/>"It is finished" <BR/>Book Club notes from 12/10/2007<BR/>#1. "it is consummated, fulfilled, brought to perfection." (p. 187). <BR/>Thoughts:<BR/>a. It was an exhausted cry<BR/>b. That by Jesus saying "It is finished" he was talking about the passion where he was brutalized, the garden of Gethsemane, and the cross.<BR/>c. Some would say it was a cry of defeat when instead it is a cry of victory. Completion.<BR/>d. That his plan is done. That he did what he set out to do. That he came to seek and save the lost that we may have life.<BR/>Why the need for sacrifice? Why the need for bloodshed? Why a spotless lamb? What did the lamb accomplish? Nothing. Nothing except symbolism of what was to come. The perfect lamb of God on the alter has endured it all. When he says "it is finished" the work that he has come to do redeeming the world is complete.<BR/>#2 It is finished is a triumphant statement yet the suffering in the world did not cease it continues.<BR/>Why did it not get better? <BR/>a. He gave us free will. <BR/>b. From page 198 in the book: "In the pitch darkness of that night we wrestle with abandonment, to discover we are wrestling with the Abandoned One. In the experience of abandonment by God we are most securely embraced in the love of God. This love of God is the very life of God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." So what did He accomplish? From page 193 "The cross means that the horror is not the last word; at the heart of the horror is Christ."<BR/>#3. Life does not mean anything.<BR/>Who was Kurt Cobain and why through his suicide is he considered a hero? <BR/>-lead singer for Nirvana<BR/>-someone who did not like what was going on in the world so he removed himself from it.<BR/>Eccliastical view...it is meaningless...everything is a chasing after the wind. What does it mean?<BR/>Neuhaus understands the rage of De Vries when he throws the cake at the cross. Utter rage and desparity led him to it through the death of his daughter.<BR/>#4. The long mourners bench. <BR/>None of us are immune to it. At one time or another we will all be seated at the mourners bench. The upbeat side in that? "the undeluded friendship--all of us, brief links, ourselves, in the eternal pity." That when all is well walls come up that separate us from one another but when tragedy strikes the rediculous walls come down and we link arms in support of fellow mourners. The wonder of wonders is that Jesus is on that bench with us.<BR/>#5 The reality is that the world is chaos and that the will of God is worked out in the chaos.<BR/>#6 It is through the suffering that we are redeemed.<BR/>- We are all players in a drama but we should not try so hard to figure out our part. All suffering has meaning even if we do not know why. There is purpose in our suffering. God can be trusted. In time we will see what God sees.Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12248891700523163199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-66728998701007947292007-12-04T21:15:00.000-06:002007-12-04T21:15:00.000-06:00Notes From Book Club 12/3/07—Fifth Word “I thirst”<BR/>1. Any comments from last week as a follow up?<BR/>a. Some will say, “Jesus was not forsaken”, only quoting from Psalms.<BR/>b. A cry of triumph, not dereliction<BR/>c. Neuhaus says let’s take this as He was forsaken<BR/>d. Because He is God, He can be anything He wants, even forsaken<BR/>2. Daily devotion guide from Fellowship of St James (fsj.org)<BR/>a. Daily readings through the Bible<BR/>b. Follows Christian calendar<BR/>c. Can a group of us start on Jan 1 and follow this discipline of reading?<BR/>3. Chapter Five<BR/>a. Young priest visited Bishop Sheen with a desire to be a soul winner and told him about 14 conversions.<BR/>b. What should he do next?<BR/>c. Sheen’s advice “stop counting”<BR/>4. “I Thirst”<BR/>a. Heart breaking words<BR/>b. Jesus had a “thirst” for souls<BR/>c. Was this a more noble comment than just an expression of a physical need caused by the hanging?<BR/>d. Thirst for liquid; thirst for God; thirst for souls? Which one is correct?<BR/>e. Probably all are correct, depending on one’s view of scripture, teaching, and religious heritage.<BR/>f. His concern was for “us” and not Himself<BR/>g. The answer is probably much more simple than we sometimes assume.<BR/>5. We offer a drink to Jesus in disguise at times in service to others<BR/>a. I thirst, I quench<BR/>b. We have doubts about our service and whether we are quenched. Maybe we don’t understand what our service is doing to those we serve and to ourselves in the service.<BR/>6. Page 152-153…reference to hyssop<BR/>a. How does this apply to the church and us as believers?<BR/>b. Our lives are lived for other people.<BR/>c. The treadmill of prosperity and modernism will never satisfy the spiritual longing of people.<BR/>d. It is only the cruciform of the thirsting Christ.<BR/>7. How do we participate?<BR/>a. Through sacrifice and the mystery of the Gospel.<BR/>8. Is it arrogant to assert the gospel is exclusively true?<BR/>a. No<BR/>b. Jesus is the truth<BR/>c. The grace that Jesus offers<BR/>9. Why does God send out missionaries?<BR/>a. Let them know they have been found<BR/>b. None will be lost per Neuhaus<BR/>c. Christ has already been everywhere<BR/>d. It does not depend on us; but Him and he has already accounted for them.<BR/>e. We serve them for Him.Darrel Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-81984232807747368282007-11-27T21:07:00.000-06:002007-11-27T21:07:00.000-06:00Okay, so I am popping in here for a short comment given that I am buried with preparations for Finals, but only to say that I am a bit puzzled... perhaps my awakened interest in the Holy Trinity? But if we ponder this for a moment, a long moment.. - God the Father is Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit, all in One - One Divine Nature. So I am wrestling with the concepts of why did God abandon His Son, [i.e. Himself], and where was the Holy Spirit [again, Himself]. More to come I suppose...Helga-Yvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09798026826278683505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-17397704947192896912007-11-27T18:55:00.000-06:002007-11-27T18:55:00.000-06:0011/26/07 Book Club discussion notes from Chapter 4<BR/>1. What does derelict mean?<BR/>a. Abandonment<BR/>b. Walking away from their duty<BR/>2. Refers here to Christ being left alone on the cross<BR/>3. He didn’t really know from a human perspective how final it would be.<BR/>4. He was becoming weaker from the process of dying<BR/>5. How much more could he take?<BR/>6. He had human emotion during this moment of weakness<BR/>7. He refers repeatedly to God here not as Father as He previously did during His time on earth.<BR/>8. Completely human Jesus<BR/>9. He could have called the angels.<BR/>10. Why didn’t Satan appear at the cross? Did he think he had already won?<BR/>11. Fairy tales are not always enchanting. They are meant to teach lessons. They do have some “scary” parts to them.<BR/>12. We try to make the cross more appealing than the reality of it.<BR/>13. Society has given up on “faith”; they are only concerned with the present<BR/>14. Are we derelicts?<BR/>15. Why do we not want to feel abandoned? Is there something about sorrow that we must avoid?<BR/>16. The world is immune to the drama of the cross!!<BR/>17. God became human to be killed on a Friday afternoon. Was the idea of God killed that afternoon? Much of the time the world acts as though even the idea of a God does not exist.<BR/>18. Where was the Holy Spirit that afternoon?<BR/>19. There was darkness.<BR/>20. Is America the only country with all the “feel good” religions?<BR/>a. Why is it so prevalent here?<BR/>b. Is it because of our wealth and power?Darrel Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-26657929656429701872007-11-26T21:53:00.000-06:002007-11-26T21:53:00.000-06:00Pronunciation: \ˈder-ə-ˌlikt, ˈde-rə-\ <BR/>Function: adjective <BR/>Etymology: Latin derelictus, past participle of derelinquere to abandon, from de- + relinquere to leave — more at relinquish <BR/>Date: 1649 <BR/>1: abandoned especially by the owner or occupant; also : run-down<BR/>2: lacking a sense of duty : negligent<BR/><BR/>To describe Him as abandoned, forsaken,roadkill truly threw me back. I had a difficult time with this chapter. Did God turn his back on him? Did he have to endure that feeling of abandonment so we can never say that He has no idea how we feel? I mentioned in book club tonight that I work with kids who are fighting cancer 5 days of my week. I know that I have no idea how they feel. I have never been in their shoes. He knows. He knows how they feel. In those times of crisis when I am at the end of my rope...I just need to take a moment and remember that he knows and that he endured through the darkness. I posted the definition because I had a idea in my head what I thought it meant but I had to verify with Websters. "Abandoned especially by the owner."Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12248891700523163199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-55579997821784336882007-11-20T05:45:00.000-06:002007-11-20T05:45:00.000-06:00Notes on Chapter 3 (Mary)– November 19, 2007<BR/>1. What is a contemplative community of believers?<BR/>a. How would we describe them?<BR/>b. What would their life look like?<BR/>c. Serious study<BR/>d. Deep thought<BR/>e. Sharing of our discovery with others<BR/>2. Fellowship of St James…Touchstone is their publication<BR/>a. Devotional guide<BR/>b. Uses Christian calendar as basis for devotion<BR/>c. Good basis for daily study<BR/>3. What is role of Mary in Catholic Church?<BR/>4. What are misconceptions about Mary in non-Catholic churches?<BR/>a. God was Mary<BR/>b. She was not touched at all by God but was only a human.<BR/>c. She has no place of honor<BR/>d. Reactions are almost always extreme, usually never well thought out.<BR/>e. Wonder gets lost in squabble<BR/>5. Teenager in a small town, pregnant, no standing in community<BR/>6. Wonderful mystery, angel, announcement, role of Joseph, trip to Bethlehem, pondering in her life, her presence at the cross.<BR/>7. She played an amazing role in scripture<BR/>8. Neuhaus says we can exalt her too much and then react to that exaltation in the wrong way.<BR/>9. What does phrase “strange glory” mean<BR/>a. Not expected<BR/>b. Finding glory in a cross in a setting one would not expect to see glory<BR/>c. Hard for a mother to see the cross and her son there<BR/>d. Her son was dying<BR/>e. She was wanting to see a king and a savior rather than a dying son<BR/>10. So much of Jesus is a contradiction to what we expect to see in life<BR/>11. Mary felt the emotion of a mother (parent) at the cross, seeing a son die. The glory of the event probably escaped her at the cross.<BR/>a. A strange glory<BR/>b. Not the life or death of a king<BR/>12. What did Mary know as she stood at cross watching the death?<BR/>a. She could not have known the glory that was coming from His death<BR/>b. She may have known full well what was happening<BR/>i. She had faith in an angel early on<BR/>ii. She always knew He was not hers<BR/>iii. He was 12 years old and teaching in the temple, and she must have been aware that he was not a “regular” child<BR/>13. Did Mary have distance from personal sin by being the mother of Jesus?<BR/>a. Was she more holy than other mothers<BR/>b. Christ was human<BR/>c. Some literature speaks to Christ performing miracles as a child.<BR/>14. No other person can claim that “their body was on the cross” except Mary.<BR/>15. Mary was not personally humiliated by His being on the cross.<BR/>16. How/why are Romans killing him? They may have thought he was a kook or a misfit.<BR/>17. Following Christ is being a Christian. Following His principles is not being a Christian.<BR/>18. “Liberal” Christianity says: follow the teaching, but the miracles of Christ cannot be true<BR/>19. How were Mary and Jesus distant from each other?<BR/>a. Mary felt hurt when Jesus seemed to not acknowledge her.<BR/>b. At that point, Mary as a mother took a leap to being a disciple.<BR/>c. Our minds can accept reality before our hearts.<BR/>20. She could not continue in the role of caring mother and become the disciple she became. Her role changed during His life.<BR/>21. The Catholic Church prays through Mary not to her as a deity. They believe that since she is the mother of Christ, she can help them appeal to Him.<BR/>22. We don’t need her to be God; we need her as a first disciple.<BR/>23. Mary deserves honor for the role she played.Darrel Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3036761660345790964.post-83056921229692825622007-11-13T19:56:00.000-06:002007-11-13T19:56:00.000-06:00Chapter Two—“Judge Not”--Discussed on 11/12/07<BR/>1. How do we react to this chapter? Is he thoughtful and comprehensive? <BR/>a. We may not agree with him, but he needs to be considered.<BR/>b. Let’s form our own thoughts on the issues here.<BR/>c. Don’t be offended, but challenged.<BR/>2. Book is about the things Jesus said on the cross.<BR/>3. Tonight the thief on the cross.<BR/>a. What have we been told?<BR/>i. One good thief that asked for a place in heaven with Christ.<BR/>ii. Good thief went to heaven that day.<BR/>iii. Bad thief went to hell for eternity.<BR/>b. They may have been partners.<BR/>c. One makes fun of Christ, one honors Him.<BR/>d. Good thief was not baptized. Churches of Christ have had problems with this passage.<BR/>e. Why is it just for 2 thieves getting their “just due” and one goes to heaven and one to hell forever.<BR/>f. What are the assumptions in this situation?<BR/>i. Good thief understood that Christ is something that the thief is not. A more righteous person than the thief was.<BR/>ii. Some times the “feeling” moves us to act in a different way than at other times<BR/>iii. Thief may have known Christ before the cross<BR/>iv. Small town, Christ had entered with an entourage.<BR/>4. Discussion questions on blog.<BR/>5. Book is hard to read and requires a slow read and deep thoughts.<BR/>6. Is there a hell? Does Neuhaus believe that anyone will go there?<BR/>a. He believes there is a hell.<BR/>b. We can’t know who is going or not going to hell.<BR/>c. We need to posses a “cognitive humility”<BR/>7. Three positions<BR/>a. There is no hell<BR/>b. There is a hell and well populated<BR/>c. There is a hell and no one in it<BR/>8. Edward Fudge has written a book on hell<BR/>9. Who determines the good and the bad?; Us or God<BR/>10. Singular arrogance about thinking about heaven because we are the recipients of grace.<BR/>11. Who are the “good guys”?<BR/>12. Hordes of humanity striving toward heaven with the help of God with the thief at the front.<BR/>13. Was the saving of the good thief an act of charity on the part of Christ, or an expression of faith on the part of the thief?<BR/>a. The only thing we know for sure is he was a thief.<BR/>b. What if God accepts the last ditch, “Hail Mary”, end of the game?<BR/>c. Page 37 in the book---Jesus does not reject anyone<BR/>14. We sometimes only want to pass judgment; Neuhaus says there is more than justice. <BR/>15. Yancey says “if there is a catch to grace---it has to be received”<BR/>16. We must desire that hell will be unpopulated if we have the heart of a true believer. We will be disappointed if one does not make it to heaven, not that someone is there that we think should not be there.<BR/>17. Go to video on UTube or Google; “Abide With Me” sung by a boys choir in German concentration camp. Look at the eyes of the little girl.<BR/>18. Sayes play, did thief do a favor for Christ?<BR/>a. Did he comfort Christ? Was this a mockery?<BR/>b. Christ recognized the pain of the thief and saved him.<BR/>19. See questions on this blog for this chapter.<BR/>20. The core of the Gospel is a gift from God that is costly. Not to earn anything, but a response to the gift.<BR/>21. Go see the movie Bella.Darrel Mnoreply@blogger.com