Things I Think…
1. I’m having a hard time writing for a mass audience these days…it’s not writers block,it’s a complete lack of interest in the things that most people want to read these days…
2. Politics gathers the passions and eyeballs…but politics have done great damage to our Christian witness…not because of particular political positions,but because it has encouraged people to hate their neighbor…
3. Passion for politics almost always develops a passion for bearing false witness…and not caring when you do…
4. “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 NLT-SE)…one has to choose whether they desire unity in Christ over unity for worldly passions…and identities…
5. The church, ie; the people of God, are so far off mission that I expect God to raise up prophetic voices…which the church, ie;the people of God, will go out of their way to silence in the name of God…
6. There is a massive difference in the way a pastor deals with issues like abortion, homosexuality, and all the other hot button issues of the day than how the general public does…when someone comes to me bearing the weight of these matters, my job isn’t to condemn, but to rescue…
7. The only thing I’m always angry about is the church’s refusal to clean it’s own house…then have the temerity to enumerate societies sins…I think Jesus is opposed to it as well…
8. As a Christian and a pastor, my calling is to live out and spread the ways of His kingdom…and if people don’t want to participate in that endeavor, I’m free to bring it to the rest of creation…so…for now, I’ll worry about cats until people want me around…
9. Studying the book of Acts…and it appears that the church is uniquely empowered to address two large needs of the present…committed community and the creation of hope…but neither will fill the pews these days…
10. One of the ways I’m keeping my sanity these days is by limiting the amount of “news” I consume. That wasn’t enough,however…I also had to increase the amount of time with Jesus…in the Gospels, prayer, and tradition…I’m thinking about starting a community study here on one of the Gospels…let me know if there is any interest…
1-4 Yes.
10 Yes, interested.
Write for yourself, Michael, and let us enjoy your through processes. That’s how I approach my preaching. I don’t preach to satisfy a mass audience; I preach for my own enjoyment.
*thought process
Good stuff here Michael. I’ll post a response when I get home and don’t have to play hunt and peck on my phone.
#6 Thank you for that. I watch Jesus and I see that was his approach as well.
People are hurting (and often that comes out as anger or other sideways emotions).
Rescue, and rest, is what is needed. For all of us.
#9 I think I hear a series on the book of Acts coming, with cross-references to the appropriate epistle verses about fellowship.
#10. I’m In.
I need fresh eyes on the gospels. My hatred for the Bible has got to come to an end at some point. I’m game for 10, but with the expectation that I will push on everything.
1-3 : These days politics does little else but tick me off, and the news has that propensity as well.
8: You have a number of people here who do, in fact, want you around….just sayin…
10: I’ve been spending more time in the Gospels, and would love discussion on them with people more learned than myself.
Reuben, I have a pastor friend (who at one time was a nationally known speaker) who became so disenchanted with the church that he finally bottomed out, left his pastorate and started working for a funeral home. Two years later, he felt Jesus tugging back into relationship. What he decided to do was look at the life of Jesus through the Gospels, and let the Gospels speak themselves. He had to discipline himself only to read what was in the Bible, not stuff from commentaries and/or systematic theologies. His perspective on Jesus as friend, healer, and good shepherd totally changed. He never reentered the pastorate (“too much PTSD”), but he teaches for an informal group of believers every week.
I can go for #10.
#3….yes, the most violated Commandment on blogs when politics comes up, and indeed sad that believers don’t care.
#8 – keep caring for your feline friends. I think there is a special place in God’s heart and home for those sensitive to the need of our four (or more or less) – legged friends. So it says somewhere in Proverbs.
I bought the book by pastor Caleb E. Campbell ; ‘Disarming Leviathon, Loving your Christian Nationalist Neighbor’ published recently. I have a few close friends that are Christian Nationalist and I’m hoping to gain some wisdom about how to I tract with them. I feel that I’m always “on pin and needles” around them, as they say, and sometimes I almost wonder if I can really continue a relationship with them -which makes me sad! My son-in-law’s parents ate also in this camp, so I want to I’ve him the book when I finish it. So far, it’s very encouraging. The author says that we need to approach Christian Nationalists as we would a “mission field”, seeking to lead its members away from cult -alike indoctrination and back to
Christ using ” humbly subversive questions”, along with other strategies. I had to laugh at that term but I’m interested to see what it means!
#10 is a great idea and I suggest studying Mark. Maybe it should start immediately as so many things do in the Gospel like Mark 1:21
“They went into Capernaum; and IMMEDIATELY on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach.”
Dave
Looks like we’ll do a study on one of the Gospels.
I’m partial to John and maybe even just doing the Sermon On The Mount…let me know…
The Gospel of Matthew (and the discourses) are the most systematic of the Gospel and are catechetical in both organization and breadth of teaching. So if you want to present a holistic view of Jesus and his vocation, Matthew (or the Sermon on the Mount) would be a great choice.
Donald Trump just defeated Donald Trump. Game, set and match.
#10. I’m in.