Challenge, Controversy and Change – a Stillspeaking Devotional

Challenge, Controversy and Change

Acts 21:17-26

When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us warmly. The next day Paul went with us to visit James; and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard it, they praised God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealous for the law. They have been told about you that you teach all the Jews living among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, and that you tell them not to circumcise their children or observe the customs. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow. Join these men, go through the rite of purification with them, and pay for the shaving of their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself observe and guard the law. But as for the Gentiles who have become believers, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.” Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having purified himself, he entered the temple with them, making public the completion of the days of purification when the sacrifice would be made for each of them.

Reflection by Ron Buford

Among religious people, breaking the 10th commandment is a great stumbling block: “Thou shalt not covet.” Here are two Christian sects: one Jewish; the other Gentile. The Jewish sect has good reason to ask, “Why keep Moses’ law when newcomers don’t have to keep it?”

The church today stumbles similarly. Why do we accept unmarried couples living together? We had to get married. Why do we let gay people get married? They used to have enough shame to keep their behavior a secret. Why do we accept people who are divorced? We stayed married and hated each other. Bottom line: We suffered, you suffer too; God requires it.

Correction: No, not God but our imperfect understanding of God required these things for a while. The love of God, changing our understanding, and our own repentance compel us to risk making change, no matter how much it costs us, no matter how many jobs, members, churches, or friends we lose. God’s ever-expanding inclusion and grace is the greater good—even greater than everyone getting along.

In the book of Acts, Paul connives (yes, connives), strategically dividing his enemies based on their theological differences, opportunistically seizing upon his Roman citizenship to bring about change. He escapes Jerusalem’s perception of control over God’s plan, moving it to the Roman Empire–whose control will also eventually fade . . . just as we and so much of what we believe and do eventually fade into the arc of God’s future.

Prayer

Gracious God, we believe in You, and to Your deeds we testify. Let the stillspeaking God be true, and every human trapped in time and space be a liar. As we receive new light from You, grant us courage in the struggle for justice and peace, Your Presence in trial and rejoicing. Amen.

God is still speaking

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“Jesus and “the Christ” Are Not Exactly the Same – Fr Richard Rohr

Jesus and “the Christ” Are Not Exactly the Same Fr. Richard Rohr

Jesus is the microcosm; Christ is the macrocosm. There is a movement from Jesus to the Christ that you and I have to imitate and walk, as well. A lot of us have so fallen in love with the historical Jesus that we worship him as such and stop right there. We never really follow the same full journey that he made, which is the death and resurrection journey—Jesus died and Christ rose. Unless we make the same movement that Jesus did—from his one single life to his risen and transformed state (John 12:24)—we probably don’t really understand, experientially, what we mean by the Christ—and how we are part of that deal! This is why he said, “Follow me.” The Jesus that you and I participate in and are graced by and redeemed by is the risen Jesus who has become the Christ (Acts 2:36), which is an inclusive statement about all of us and all of creation too. Stay with this startling truth in the days ahead, and it will rearrange your mind and heart, and change the way you read the entire New Testament. Paul understood this to an amazing degree, which is why he almost always talks about “Christ” and hardly ever directly quotes “Jesus.” It is rather shocking once you realize it. Adapted from The Cosmic Christ (CD, MP3)

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This is my heart – a poem

This is My Heart

This is my heart. It is a good heart.
Bones and a membrane of mist and fire
are the woven cover.
When we make love in the flower world
my heart is close enough to sing
to yours in a language that has no use
for clumsy human words.

My head is a good head, but it is a hard head
and it whirs inside with a swarm of worries.
What is the source of this singing, it asks
and if there is a source why can’t I see it
right here, right now
as real as these hands hammering
the world together
with nails and sinew?

This is my soul. It is a good soul.
It tells me, “come here forgetful one.”
And we sit together with a lilt of small winds
who rattle the scrub oak.
We cook a little something
to eat: a rabbit, some sofkey
then a sip of something sweet
for memory.

This is my song. It is a good song.
It walked forever the border of fire and water
climbed ribs of desire to my lips to sing to you.
Its new wings quiver with
vulnerability.

Come lie next to me, says my heart.
Put your head here.
It is a good thing, says my soul.

~ Joy Harjo ~

(A Map to the Next World)

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Where was God?

(~) Where was God?

“I know you’re angry with Me right now. That’s all right. People have been angry with Me before and will be again. Being angry is part of being human. My Son got angry, too. It’s all right to be angry sometimes at injustice, for example, or the lack of charity.”

“You probably think I am unjust and uncharitable when an airplane goes down like that. All those people lost. The children gone. It doesn’t seem right; it can’t be loving. You ask, ‘Where was God?’ Why did He allow that to happen?”

“I allow it to happen because I allow you freedom. I could have left you on a string and made you dance all day without getting tired. I could have moved your mouth for you and made you sing all night without growing hoarse. I could have pulled a wire that would have let you soar skyward and never fall.”

“I could have, but I didn’t because I love you so much. I want you to be free to decide when to dance and sing. Free to determine when you will come to Me in faith and hope. Because you are free, some of you choose not to dance or sing. Some of you select hatred over love, revenge over forgiveness, bombs over a helping hand. As you choose, I watch. I do not disappear. I listen to both the songs and the bombs. AND I REMEMBER.”

“Where was God?” you wonder…I was there. I whispered in the ear of a little girl, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am with you.’ I held the hand of a business woman as tightly as she clutched mine. I cradled a pilot against my shoulder as if he were a baby again.”

“Amid the paralyzing fear, I was there, as I was there with my Son in the garden. Amid the unbearable pain, I was there, as I was with Him as He was whipped. Amid the terrible realization that life was ending too soon, I was there, with Him as He hung on the cross and asked, like you, “My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

“I had not forsaken Him. I did not forsake them. I was there as they fell, and as they rose to eternal joy. I listened to their anger, answered their questions and showed them why they had been created. Not to end that way, but to live with Me forever.”

“In an instant, they came into existence. As you did. In an instant, they left this world. As you will. But beyond that last instant, I kept my promise…A little girl dances, a business woman sings, and a pilot keeps his wings forever.”

The 7 Ups

The 7-Ups

Wake Up – Decide to have a good day today. “Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice & be glad in it” Psalms 118:24 {Lord I just want to thank you}

Dress Up – The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” I Sam 16:7 so dress it up.

Shut Up – Say nice things & learn to listen. God gave us 2 ears & 1 mouth so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. “He who guards his lips guards his soul” Proverbs 13:3 “Gossip betrays confidence avoid men who talk too much” Proverbs 20:19 “Listen to advice, accept instruction & in the end, you will be wise” Proverbs 19:20

Stand Up – For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. “Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good…” Galatians 6:9-10 get out of your comfort zone & stand up.

Look Up – To the Lord. The shortest distant between a problem & a solution is the distance between your knees & the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything so Look up and say..”I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13

Reach Up – For something higher. As Jiminy Cricket sings “High Hopes” Always try to better yourself reach up and get your blessing.

Lift Up – Your Prayers. “Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING” Philippians 4:6

And you thought 7 UP was just a soda. .

Every 3.6 seconds a real person dies from hunger somewhere in the world!!!
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(~) Obituary

(~) Obituary

Our church was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members, Someone Else.

Someone’s passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person’s share of the work. Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone’s list, “Let Someone Else do it.” Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results; “Someone Else can work with that group.” It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the most liberal givers in our church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference. Someone Else was a wonderful person; sometimes appearing superhuman. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else.

Now Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did? When you are asked to help this year, remember — we can’t depend on Someone Else anymore.

~~M. T. Guye~~

Parable of the Pencil

PARABLE OF THE PENCIL

Author Unknown

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone’s hand.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.

Three: You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.

And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

And, if you haven’t already, go back and reread this with God as the pencil maker and you as the pencil.

Every 3.6 seconds a real person dies from hunger somewhere in the world!!!
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Obama, MLK, Not “Nice” Enough to Moderates? | Politics | Religion Dispatches

Obama, MLK, Not “Nice” Enough to Moderates? | Politics | Religion Dispatches.

The Meaning of Words – a thought for Today

(~) The Meaning of Words

Someone has come up with some new words and phrases for our technological age:

ALPHA GEEK – The most knowledgeable, technically proficient person in an office or work group. “Ask Larry, he’s the alpha geek around here.”

BEEPILEPSY – the brief seizure people sometimes suffer when their beepers go off, especially in vibrator mode.

BLAME STORMING – sitting around in a group discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed and who was responsible.

CHIPS AND SALSA – Chips = hardware, salsa = software. “Well, first we gotta figure out if the problem’s in your chips or your salsa.”

COBWEB SITE – a World Wide Web Site that hasn’t been updated for a long time.

CUBE FARM – an office filled with cubicles.

EGO SURFING – scanning the Net and print media looking for references to one’s own name.

IDEA HAMSTERS – People who always seem to have their idea generators running.

IRRITAINMENT – entertainment and media spectacles that are annoying, but you find yourself unable to stop watching them.

KEYBOARD PLAQUE – The disgusting buildup of dirt found on computer keyboards.

MOUSE POTATO – the on-line generation’s answer to the couch potato.

OHNOSECOND – that minuscule fraction of time in which you realize you’ve just made a big mistake.

PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE – the fine art of whacking an electronic device to get it to work again.

PRAIRIE DOGGING – when someone yells or drops something loudly in a “cube farm” and everyone’s heads pop up over the walls to see what’s going on.

STRESS PUPPY – a person who thrives on being stressed out and whiny.

SWIPED OUT – an ATM or credit card that has been rendered useless because the magnetic strip is worn away from extensive use.

TREEWARE – computer slang for documentation or other printed material.

I don’t think it’s likely that many of the words and phrases above will ever actually be accepted and incorporated into our English language, but perhaps they should be because they all have meaning that we can easily relate to. And that’s the purpose of words — to convey meaning.

That explains why when Jesus came to this earth and took on human flesh, he was described by John as “the Word”. He didn’t just preach about what God was like and about how we ought to live. His very life expressed both with clarity. Jesus didn’t just speak words; he was the Word — a Word that conveyed meaning in a way no other words ever had or ever could. It was a “new” Word brought about not by the onset of a technological age, but by the fact that God came to be with us more closely than He ever had before.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-2,14)

There are some great words in our language, words that convey meaning in a powerful way. But none so powerfully as that one Word. Praise be to God for the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us!

Have a great day!

Alan Smith

Disclaimer: Pursuant to the UCC (Uniform Comedy Code), all depictions of events and persons on this site are more real than reality itself, and therefore any resemblance to reality is not really real.

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Every 3.6 seconds a real person dies from hunger somewhere in the world!!!
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Love v4.0

(~) Love V4.0

Service Rep: Hello, you have reached the Heart Systems Software Company help desk. How may I help you?

Customer: I just received your latest program, LOVE v4.0… you know… the freeware. I don’t understand it. Can tell me how to install it?

Service Rep: Sure thing ma’am. Do you have the installation disk and instructions with you?

Customer: Yes I do, but first can you tell me what the program does?

Service Rep: Sure thing ma’am. LOVE is a unique program, there is no other like it anywhere. LOVE attaches to your operating system and runs silently in the background. You will never see LOVE on your monitor or your toolbar, but you will notice its affect on every application you may have. It makes the good programs run smoother and greatly restricts and/or deletes the bad ones.

Customer: Wow! That sounds great. How does LOVE make my machine run smoother?

Service Rep: Well, good sound files, like COMPLIMENT.WAV, ENCOURAGEMENT.WAV, and KINDWORD.WAV will play frequently. Also, FORGIVENESS.EXE will be invoked every time there is an external violation, including the ever-popular syntax errors. Also, all those aggravating errors that say “unable to connect” will be avoided. LOVE allows for a smooth connection with external devices, regardless of what country it is manufactured in, the brand name, or the age of the model.

Customer: That’s exactly what I need, my machine has been isolated for too long. But what about the bad programs?

Service Rep: Good question. LOVE searches your memory for programs like HATE.COM, BITTERNESS.EXE, SELFISH.COM, and SPITE.EXE. These programs can’t be entirely deleted off your hard drive, but LOVE overpowers those programs. LOVE stops their commands from being executed and runs its own instructions. You will no longer hear INSULT.WAV and you won’t be able to write with the fonts “BADWORDS12″ or “HARSHNESS10″.

Customer: That’s a fantastic program you have. Are the upgrades free too?

Service Rep: They sure are ma’am.

Customer: How do I get the upgrades?

Service Rep: That’s easy. Once you have LOVE installed and running, it automatically copies a module, or a piece of itself, to every external Hard Drive Email And Remote Terminal (HEART) that it comes in contact with. In turn, those external devices run whatever version of LOVE they have and return a module to your HEART. You will be upgraded with each and every module that you receive. But you have to remember, to receive the upgrades you have to be running LOVE, and you have to come into contact with other computers while it is running.

Customer: I can do that. I’m not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first?

Service Rep: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART ma’am?

Customer: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?

Service Rep: What programs are running ma’am?

Customer: Let me see… I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now.

Service Rep: No problem. LOVE will automatically disable PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to manually turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma’am?

Customer: I don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Service Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.

(Pause)

Customer: Okay, I’m done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?

Service Rep: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?

Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?

Service Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEARTs in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops… I have an error message already. It says “ERROR 412 – PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS”. What does that mean?

Service Rep: Don’t worry ma’am, that’s a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in non-technical terms it means you have to “LOVE” your own computer before it can “LOVE” others.

Customer: So what should I do?

Service Rep: Can you find the directory called “SELF-ACCEPTANCE”?

Customer: Yes, I have it.

Service Rep: Excellent, you are getting good at this.

Customer: Thank you.

Service Rep: You’re welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the “MYHEART” directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT, and VALUE.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFPUNISH.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART!

Service Rep: Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go…

Customer: Yes?

Service Rep: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it, and its various modules, to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you.

Customer: I will. Thank you for your help.
- Source Unknown

Every 3.6 seconds a real person dies from hunger somewhere in the world!!!
Feed a hungry person today:
http://www.hungersite.com

My YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/Ninure

God is still speaking
http://www.stillspeaking.com

John Mark Ministries
http://jmm.aaa.net.au/